Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant built into Microsoft’s products. It appears in Windows, Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, Edge, and across Microsoft 365. If you use any Microsoft product and have seen the Copilot button appear, this guide explains what it actually is, what it can do, and how it differs from ChatGPT.
What Is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 models. Microsoft has a significant investment in OpenAI and has integrated their technology across almost all of its products under the Copilot brand.
There are two main versions of Copilot you might encounter:
- Microsoft Copilot (free): The general AI assistant available at copilot.microsoft.com and built into Windows and Edge. Similar to ChatGPT free in capability.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot (paid): The version embedded directly inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 apps. This is the more powerful and practically useful version for business users.
What Copilot Can Do in Each App
Copilot in Word
In Word, Copilot can draft documents from a prompt, rewrite selected sections in a different tone, summarise long documents into key points, and suggest edits. You can describe what you want to write and Copilot generates a first draft. You can also ask it to explain a section, make it shorter, or adjust the reading level.
Copilot in Excel
In Excel, Copilot can analyse data in your spreadsheet, generate formulas from plain-language descriptions, create charts, highlight trends, and explain what the data shows. You can type something like “show me which product category had the highest growth last quarter” and Copilot will find the answer in your data and present it. It removes the need to know complex formula syntax for many common analysis tasks.
Copilot in Outlook
In Outlook, Copilot can draft email replies, summarise long email threads, suggest meeting times, and help you write messages in a different tone. For anyone who spends hours in email, the thread summarisation alone saves significant time: instead of reading a 30-message thread, Copilot gives you a paragraph covering what was decided and what needs action.
Copilot in Teams
In Teams, Copilot can transcribe meetings in real time, summarise what was discussed, list action items, and answer questions about the meeting content after it ends. You can ask “what did we decide about the Q4 budget?” and Copilot finds the relevant part of the transcript. For remote teams with many meetings, this is one of the most practically useful AI features in any workplace tool.
Copilot in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint, Copilot can generate a presentation from a prompt or from a Word document, add slides to an existing deck, summarise a presentation, and suggest design improvements. Creating a first-draft presentation from a written brief rather than building it slide by slide from scratch saves considerable time.
Copilot in Windows
In Windows 11, Copilot is available as a sidebar assistant you can open with a keyboard shortcut. It can answer questions, help with settings, summarise web pages in Edge, and perform basic tasks on your PC. This is the free version of Copilot and is available to anyone running Windows 11.
Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT
| Dimension | Microsoft Copilot | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Underlying model | GPT-4 (via Microsoft/OpenAI) | GPT-4o and o-series (OpenAI direct) |
| Microsoft 365 integration | Deep (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams) | None natively |
| Standalone assistant | Yes (copilot.microsoft.com) | Yes (chatgpt.com) |
| Image generation | Yes (DALL-E via Designer) | Yes (Plus and above) |
| Web search | Yes, by default | Optional |
| Source citations | Yes | Inconsistent |
| Coding assistance | Moderate | Excellent |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Microsoft 365 users | General AI tasks |
The core difference is integration. Copilot’s main advantage over ChatGPT is that it lives inside the tools millions of people already use for work. It can see your actual Word document, your real Excel data, your Outlook inbox, and your Teams meetings. ChatGPT requires you to copy content out, paste it in, and copy results back. For Microsoft 365 users, Copilot’s deep integration is a meaningful productivity advantage.
For tasks outside Microsoft tools, including writing from scratch, coding, document analysis from other sources, and extended conversation, ChatGPT is generally more capable and flexible.
How Much Does Microsoft Copilot Cost?
The free version of Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com and in Windows is available to anyone at no cost.
Microsoft 365 Copilot, the version integrated into Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, requires a Microsoft 365 subscription plus an additional Copilot add-on. Pricing for the 365 Copilot add-on has been $30 per user per month on top of existing Microsoft 365 business subscription costs, though pricing can vary by plan and region.
For individuals, the free Copilot is available without needing any Microsoft 365 subscription. The paid 365 Copilot integration is aimed primarily at business users already paying for Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise plans.
Is Microsoft Copilot Worth Using?
If you work in Microsoft 365 every day, yes. The Teams meeting summaries, Outlook thread summaries, and Excel data analysis are genuinely time-saving features that work well within workflows that are already Microsoft-based. The value comes from the integration, not from the underlying model being better than ChatGPT.
If you do not use Microsoft 365 for most of your work, the free Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com is a capable AI assistant similar to ChatGPT free, with web search included by default. It is worth using, but there is no compelling reason to prefer it over ChatGPT or Claude if you do not have a Microsoft 365 context where the integration adds value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
The general Copilot assistant at copilot.microsoft.com and in Windows is free. Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is embedded in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, requires a paid Microsoft 365 subscription with an additional Copilot add-on.
Is Microsoft Copilot the same as ChatGPT?
No, but they use the same underlying technology. Copilot is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 models through Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI. ChatGPT is OpenAI’s direct product. Copilot’s differentiation is its integration into Microsoft’s products rather than being a meaningfully different AI experience.
What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is the version of Copilot integrated directly into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It can access and work with your actual files and data within those apps. It requires a Microsoft 365 business subscription with the Copilot add-on.
Should I use Copilot or ChatGPT?
If you work heavily in Microsoft 365 apps, use Copilot for tasks within those apps and ChatGPT for everything else. If you do not use Microsoft 365, ChatGPT is the more capable and flexible general-purpose AI assistant. Many users benefit from having both available.
Related Reading
For a broader look at how AI tools compare, see our ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini comparison and our best AI tools for business guide. For getting more from ChatGPT as a standalone assistant, see our guide to using ChatGPT effectively.
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