ChatGPTFree plan
Paid from
$8 a month
View plans and limitsUpdated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison
ChatGPT vs Microsoft 365 Copilot:
which should you use?
ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.
Find your best fitThe 30-second answer
ChatGPT is built for business, finance & professional work.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is built for business, finance & professional work.
Pricing, simplified
Start free. Upgrade when you need more.
Microsoft 365 CopilotPaid only
Paid from
$25.2 a month
View plans and limitsThe 30-second comparison
If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.
| Category | ChatGPT | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Better fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it's built for | Broad professional coverage with strong spreadsheet and chart handling. Good default for analysis you would otherwise do by hand. | Sits inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, so it works on the documents and meetings a company already has. The closest thing to AI that needs no change of habit. | Tie |
| Free plan | Yes. Free tier, ad supported; unlimited everyday text chats, limited image creation, memory and voice | No. Paid from the start. | ChatGPT |
| Cheapest way to pay | $8 a month. | $25.2 a month. | ChatGPT |
| What the paid tiers cost |
|
| Tie |
| What to watch out for | Same caution on liability. Check the numbers rather than trusting the presentation. | An add-on rather than a standalone purchase: the enterprise Copilot seat is $30 a user a month on top of a qualifying Microsoft 365 licence you must already hold, and Copilot Chat is only included if you already pay for an eligible subscription. Agents need an Azure subscription on top again. | Tie |
| What it asks of you | No setup — it works in a browser. | Expects some technical comfort to get going. | Tie |
| Made by | OpenAI — San Francisco, US. | Microsoft — Redmond, US. | Tie |
ChatGPT is ahead on 2 of the 7 rows compared, 1 of them about how well it does the job itself. It is a single row of daylight, so read Microsoft 365 Copilot’s column before deciding.
ChatGPT
Broad professional coverage with strong spreadsheet and chart handling.
✓ Broad professional coverage with strong spreadsheet and chart handling.
✓ You want to start without paying anything
✓ You want the cheaper paid plan, $8 against $25.2
✓ You would rather not configure anything first
Sits inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, so it works on the documents and meetings a company already has.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.
✓ Sits inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, so it works on the documents and meetings a company already has.
✓ It is built for business, finance & professional work
✓ The closest thing to AI that needs no change of habit.
✓ It is aimed at working professionals
How we know
Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.
| Row | Favours | Weight | Where it came from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ChatGPT | How well it does the job | From each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below. |
| Cheapest way to pay | ChatGPT | Everything else | From each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below. |
The prices
ChatGPT. Read by hand on 4 September 2026, because ChatGPT cannot be read automatically: chatgpt.com refuses automation (403); openai.com/chatgpt/pricing carried no readable prices. Verify by hand. chatgpt.com/pricing
Microsoft 365 Copilot. Read by hand off microsoft.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing
The ratings
The category these two share. Business, Finance & Professional Work — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.
The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.
What this is not
Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.
To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.
Choose based on what you’re doing
All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.
01
General-Purpose AI Assistants
Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.
ChatGPT
Built for thisMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Not a good fitBest choice: ChatGPT
02
Search, Research & Academics
Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.
ChatGPT
Limited fitMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Not a good fitBest choice: ChatGPT
03
Writing, Communication & Language
Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.
ChatGPT
Built for thisMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Not a good fitBest choice: ChatGPT
04
Coding, Data & Technical Work
Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.
ChatGPT
Built for thisMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Bad fitBest choice: ChatGPT
05
Business, Finance & Professional Work
Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.
ChatGPT
Built for thisMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Built for thisBest choice: Tie
06
Image & Design
Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.
ChatGPT
Not a good fitMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
07
Video
Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.
ChatGPT
Not a good fitMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
08
Audio, Voice & Music
Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.
ChatGPT
Bad fitMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Bad fitBest choice: Neither
09
Marketing & Content Creation
Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.
ChatGPT
Built for thisMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Not a good fitBest choice: ChatGPT
10
Productivity, Automation & Personal Life
AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.
ChatGPT
Built for thisMicrosoft 365 Copilot
Not a good fitBest choice: ChatGPT
Broad professional coverage with strong spreadsheet and chart handling.
by OpenAIBroad professional coverage with strong spreadsheet and chart handling.
You want to start without paying anything
You want the cheaper paid plan, $8 against $25.2
You would rather not configure anything first
Sits inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, so it works on the documents and meetings a company already has.
by MicrosoftSits inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, so it works on the documents and meetings a company already has.
It is built for business, finance & professional work
The closest thing to AI that needs no change of habit.
It is aimed at working professionals
Pricing, simplified
The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.
PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
ChatGPTby OpenAI
Microsoft 365 Copilotby MicrosoftFree version
ChatGPT
Yes — Free plan availableAd supported; unlimited everyday text chats, limited image creation, memory and voice
Microsoft 365 Copilot
No — paid from the startPaid from the start
Individual plans
ChatGPT
Go
$8 / month
Plus
$20 / month
Pro
$100 / monthor $200 / month
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat
—
Business plans
ChatGPT
From $25 / user / monthFrom $20 / user / month (annual)Business standard seat, Business premium seat
Microsoft 365 Copilot
From $25.20 / user / monthFrom $21 / user / month (annual)Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot, Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot
Enterprise
ChatGPTNot published
Microsoft 365 Copilot
From $30 / user / month (annual)Microsoft 365 Copilot, the enterprise seat
View full details
ChatGPTView ChatGPT pricing
Microsoft 365 CopilotView Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing
Tell us what you use AI for
Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.
The verdict for that job
ChatGPT
Close call. Both cover business, finance & professional work at the same level; only ChatGPT has a free plan; ChatGPT is cheaper to start paying for, $8 against $25.2.
7 rows compared
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 Copilot better?
ChatGPT is ahead on 2 of the 7 rows compared, 1 of them about how well it does the job itself. It is a single row of daylight, so read Microsoft 365 Copilot’s column before deciding. only ChatGPT has a free plan; ChatGPT is cheaper to start paying for, $8 against $25.2. ChatGPT: Broad professional coverage with strong spreadsheet and chart handling. Good default for analysis you would otherwise do by hand. Microsoft 365 Copilot: Sits inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, so it works on the documents and meetings a company already has. The closest thing to AI that needs no change of habit.
Is ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 Copilot cheaper?
ChatGPT — paid plans start at $8 a month against $25.2 a month.
Do ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot both have free plans?
ChatGPT does — Free tier, ad supported; unlimited everyday text chats, limited image creation, memory and voice. Microsoft 365 Copilot does not.
What should I watch out for?
ChatGPT: Same caution on liability. Check the numbers rather than trusting the presentation. Microsoft 365 Copilot: An add-on rather than a standalone purchase: the enterprise Copilot seat is $30 a user a month on top of a qualifying Microsoft 365 licence you must already hold, and Copilot Chat is only included if you already pay for an eligible subscription. Agents need an Azure subscription on top again.
Read more
ChatGPT
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.
Best AI for Business
Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.