Our verdict
Microsoft 365 Copilot is worth it for people who spend their day in Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel. ChatGPT is the better general-purpose assistant and usually the better first purchase for mixed-tool teams. Many organisations license Copilot by role and ChatGPT more broadly.
ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot are often presented as alternatives, but they do different jobs. ChatGPT is a general-purpose assistant that is excellent at drafting, analysis, research and building custom GPTs. Microsoft 365 Copilot sits inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams and can reason over your organisation's emails, files and meetings through Microsoft Graph. Microsoft also includes a free Copilot Chat for eligible business accounts.
Choose ChatGPT if…
- You want the most versatile general-purpose assistant
- Your team uses a mix of tools, not only Microsoft 365
- You want custom GPTs, data analysis and image generation
- You need a lower per-seat price for broad rollout
Choose Microsoft 365 Copilot if…
- Your organisation runs on Microsoft 365
- You want AI to summarise Teams meetings and Outlook threads
- You want answers grounded in your SharePoint and OneDrive files
- IT wants AI governed by existing Microsoft permissions
Side by side
| Criterion | ChatGPT | Microsoft 365 Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.6 / 10 | 8.5 / 10 |
| Features & fit | 9.4 | 8.8 |
| Ease of use | 9.3 | 8.4 |
| Value for money | 8.4 | 7.4 |
| Support & reliability | 7.6 | 8.2 |
| Security & privacy | 7.4 | 8.6 |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 8.8 | 9.0 |
| Starting price (indicative) | Free tier; business plans from around $25–30 / user / month | Add-on licence around $30 / user / month for business plans |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Best for | General knowledge work | Microsoft 365 organisations |
Feature by feature
| Feature | ChatGPT | Microsoft 365 Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | ChatGPT Free | Copilot Chat for eligible M365 accounts |
| Business price (indicative) | ~ $25–30 / user / month | ~ $30 / user / month add-on |
| Inside Word / Excel / PowerPoint | No (via add-ins) | Native |
| Meeting and email summaries | Via connectors | Native in Teams and Outlook |
| Grounded in company files | Connectors on business plans | Microsoft Graph (permission-aware) |
| Custom assistants | Custom GPTs | Copilot agents (Copilot Studio) |
| Image generation and data analysis | Yes | Yes, varies by app |
| Best fit | Mixed toolsets, broad use | Microsoft 365-centric organisations |
Pricing compared
ChatGPT
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — |
| Plus | ≈ $20 / user / mo | Up to 1 user · Individual plan |
| Business | ≈ $25 / user / mo | Billed annually; higher month-to-month |
| Enterprise | Custom quote | — |
Microsoft 365 Copilot
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot Chat | Free | Included with eligible Microsoft 365 accounts |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | ≈ $30 / user / mo | Add-on to a Microsoft 365 business plan; annual commitment |
| Team size | ChatGPT | Microsoft 365 Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| 5 seats | $125 (Business) | $150 (Microsoft 365 Copilot) |
| 10 seats | $250 (Business) | $300 (Microsoft 365 Copilot) |
| 25 seats | $625 (Business) | $750 (Microsoft 365 Copilot) |
Indicative USD list prices; excludes tax, add-ons and promotions. Confirm on each vendor’s site.
Context and data access
Microsoft 365 Copilot can use the emails, chats, meetings and files a user already has permission to see. ChatGPT works with what you give it, plus connectors to selected apps on business plans.
Price
ChatGPT Business is around $25–30 per user per month. Microsoft 365 Copilot is an add-on of around $30 per user per month on top of an eligible Microsoft 365 plan, typically with an annual commitment. Copilot Chat (web-grounded) is included at no extra cost for eligible accounts.
Versatility
ChatGPT is stronger as a standalone workbench: analysing spreadsheets, writing code, generating images and building custom GPTs. Copilot is strongest when the task lives in an Office document or meeting.
Governance
Copilot inherits Microsoft 365 permissions, labels and compliance tools, which IT teams like — but it also surfaces over-shared files, so permissions hygiene matters. ChatGPT Business and Enterprise offer admin controls, SSO and data retention settings.
Adoption
Copilot's value depends on how much of your work is in Microsoft 365. ChatGPT adoption tends to be faster because people use it for many tasks regardless of where they work.
Pros & cons
ChatGPT
- Very broad capabilities
- Strong ecosystem and custom GPTs
- File and data analysis
- Can produce confident errors
- Usage limits vary by plan
Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Deep Office integration
- Uses organisational context
- Enterprise-grade admin and compliance
- Relatively expensive add-on
- Requires good permission hygiene
Key features of each
ChatGPT
- File analysis. Upload documents and spreadsheets for questions and summaries.
- Custom GPTs. Build assistants for repeated tasks.
- Web search. Answers with linked sources.
- Workspace admin. SSO and controls on business plans.
Integrates with: Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Slack, Zapier.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Teams recaps. Summaries and action items from meetings.
- Outlook drafting. Draft and summarise email threads.
- Excel analysis. Ask questions about your data.
- Copilot Chat. Chat grounded in work data.
Integrates with: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint.
Who should avoid each
Skip ChatGPT if…
- Confidential data on consumer plans
- Workflows requiring guaranteed factual accuracy
Best for: General knowledge work; Teams wanting one versatile assistant; Data analysis and file questions.
Skip Microsoft 365 Copilot if…
- Google Workspace teams
- Organisations with messy file permissions
Best for: Microsoft 365 organisations; Teams-heavy meeting cultures; Excel and Outlook power users.
Switching between ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot
Migration difficulty: Easy
Many companies run both: ChatGPT for general work and Copilot for Office-native tasks. Before rolling out Copilot, audit file permissions.
- Identify which tasks happen inside Microsoft 365 versus elsewhere.
- Pilot Copilot with 10–20 heavy Office users and measure time saved.
- Audit SharePoint and OneDrive sharing before broad Copilot rollout.
- Recreate custom GPTs as Copilot agents if you consolidate.
- Decide per-role licensing rather than buying for everyone.
Weigh it your way
Adjust the weights to your priorities to see which tool comes out ahead for you. Print or export the result for your team.
| Tool | Features | Ease | Value | Support | Security | Integrations | Your score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. ChatGPT | 9.4 | 9.3 | 8.4 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 8.8 | 8.56 |
| 2. Microsoft 365 Copilot | 8.8 | 8.4 | 7.4 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 9.0 | 8.46 |
Drag the sliders to match your priorities. Scores are our editorial sub-scores; weights start at the values we publish on the methodology page. Nothing you change is stored or sent anywhere.
How our scores and weights work · Add a third tool side by side
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Copilot the same as ChatGPT?
No. Copilot uses OpenAI models among others, but Microsoft 365 Copilot is a separate product integrated with Microsoft apps and your organisation's data.
Do I need Microsoft 365 for Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot requires an eligible Microsoft 365 business plan. Copilot Chat is available to eligible business accounts at no extra cost.
Which is cheaper?
ChatGPT Business is usually slightly cheaper per user, and Copilot requires a Microsoft 365 licence as well.
Can Copilot see files I should not see?
Copilot respects existing permissions, so it only shows what a user can already access — but if files are over-shared, Copilot will surface them. Review sharing settings first.
Does ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 Copilot have a free plan?
ChatGPT has a free plan; Microsoft 365 Copilot has a free plan. Indicative starting prices: ChatGPT — Free tier; business plans from around $25–30 / user / month; Microsoft 365 Copilot — Add-on licence around $30 / user / month for business plans.
Which is cheaper for a team of 10, ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 Copilot?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users costs about $250 per month on ChatGPT (Business) and about $300 on Microsoft 365 Copilot (Microsoft 365 Copilot), so ChatGPT is cheaper at that size. Taxes, add-ons and discounts are excluded — and the plan you actually need may be higher.
Which scores higher in our review, ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 Copilot?
ChatGPT scores 8.6/10 and Microsoft 365 Copilot 8.5/10 on our weighted rubric. ChatGPT leads on 3 of six criteria. A higher score does not make it right for every buyer — see the “choose if” lists above.
