Our verdict · 8.5/10 Excellent
Compelling for Microsoft 365 organisations, especially for meeting recaps and Outlook. Clean up file permissions before rollout.
Key takeaways
- Best for: Microsoft 365 organisations.
- Strongest area: Integrations & ecosystem (9.0/10). Weakest: Value for money (7.4/10).
- Price: Add-on licence around $30 / user / month for business plans — free plan available.
- Watch out for: Relatively expensive add-on.
What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot brings AI into Office apps and Teams, drawing on your emails, files and meetings through Microsoft Graph. It respects existing Microsoft 365 permissions, which makes good permission hygiene essential.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is made by Microsoft and is reviewed here as a AI assistant. It is priced on a subscription basis, and our editorial score is 8.5 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Microsoft 365 Copilot if
- Microsoft 365 organisations
- Teams-heavy meeting cultures
- Excel and Outlook power users
Not for you if
- Google Workspace teams
- Organisations with messy file permissions
Key features
Summaries and action items from meetings.
Draft and summarise email threads.
Ask questions about your data.
Chat grounded in work data.
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- Teams
- SharePoint
Pros & cons
What we like
- Deep Office integration
- Uses organisational context
- Enterprise-grade admin and compliance
- Teams meeting recaps
Watch out for
- Relatively expensive add-on
- Requires good permission hygiene
- Value depends on adoption
Pricing & true cost
| 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 |
Pricing watch-out: A free consumer Copilot exists; business licence pricing varies.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked October 30, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked October 30, 2026. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 8.8 | 2.20 | |
| Ease of use | 15% | 8.4 | 1.30 | |
| Value for money | 15% | 7.4 | 1.10 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 8.2 | 0.80 | |
| Security & privacy | 20% | 8.6 | 1.70 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 15% | 9.0 | 1.40 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for AI tools products | 8.5 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Microsoft |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Microsoft 365 Copilot against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Microsoft’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any AI assistant
Check Microsoft 365 Copilot against the same list we use for every AI assistant — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Data is excluded from training on your plan
- Admin console and usage controls
- File and document analysis
- Integration with your office suite
- Predictable per-seat pricing
See every ranked option in AI Assistants.
Microsoft 365 Copilot alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Google Gemini≈ $140/mo vs $300/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Easier to use
ChatGPTEase-of-use score 9.3 vs 8.4
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Microsoft 365 Copilot. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
Google's AI assistant, built into Workspace apps like Gmail, Docs and Sheets.
The most widely used AI assistant, with a broad set of tools and integrations.
Head-to-head comparisons
Featured in: Best AI Assistants for Business, ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Copilot
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Microsoft 365 Copilot FAQ
Does Copilot see all company files?
Copilot respects existing permissions, so it can surface anything a user can already access. Review sharing settings first.
Does Microsoft 365 Copilot have a free plan?
Yes. Microsoft 365 Copilot offers a free plan. Paid plans start at Add-on licence around $30 / user / month for business plans (indicative — check the vendor for current pricing).
Who is Microsoft 365 Copilot best for?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is best for: microsoft 365 organisations; teams-heavy meeting cultures; excel and Outlook power users.
How much does Microsoft 365 Copilot cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Microsoft 365 Copilot) works out at roughly $300 per month, or about $3,600 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the Microsoft 365 Copilot score calculated?
The 8.5/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for AI products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Popular alternatives include Google Gemini, ChatGPT. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.