Copilot Pricing: Plans, Costs & Value (2026)
Compare Microsoft Copilot Free, Pro ($20/mo), and M365 ($30/user). See what each plan includes and which tier fits your workflow.
Plans & Pricing at a Glance
Copilot Free
Free
Casual users who want a free AI chatbot with web search
Copilot Pro
$20/mo
Professionals who want AI integrated with Microsoft 365 apps
Microsoft 365 Copilot
$30/mo
Teams needing AI embedded in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
Microsoft Copilot has 3 plans: Free ($0), Pro ($20/month), and Microsoft 365 Copilot ($30/user/month). Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant, powered by OpenAI’s GPT models and integrated with the Windows and Office ecosystem. Here is what each tier includes.
Copilot’s value depends on how much you use Microsoft products. If you live in Word, Excel, and Outlook, the M365 Copilot integration is transformative. If you want the best standalone AI chatbot, ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) offers more features at the same price.
Copilot Plans and Pricing at a Glance
| Feature | Free ($0) | Pro ($20/mo) | M365 ($30/user) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $0 | $20 | $30/user |
| Models | GPT-5 (limited) | GPT-5, GPT-5.4, DALL-E | GPT-5, GPT-5.4, DALL-E |
| Message Limits | Limited | Higher limits | Enterprise limits |
| Web Search | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Image Generation | No | Yes (DALL-E) | Yes (DALL-E) |
| File Uploads | No | Yes | Yes |
| Priority Access | No | Yes | Yes |
| Word/Excel/PPT AI | No | No | Yes |
| Outlook AI | No | No | Yes |
| Code Execution | No | No | No |
| Voice Mode | No | No | No |
| Deep Research | No | No | No |
Prices verified against microsoft.com as of April 2026. Model names [VERIFY AT PUBLISH].
Copilot Free — What You Get for $0
Model Access
Copilot Free provides limited GPT-5 access [VERIFY AT PUBLISH] with web search powered by Bing. You get basic conversational AI, simple question answering, and web-grounded responses. The interface is clean and accessible at copilot.microsoft.com or built into Windows and Edge.
Limitations
Free users cannot generate images, upload files, or access GPT-5.4. Message limits are variable and lower than the paid tiers. There is no Microsoft 365 app integration, code execution, voice mode, or deep research.
Who It Is Best For
Copilot Free works for casual users already in the Microsoft ecosystem — Windows users who want quick AI access from the taskbar or Edge sidebar. If you do not use Microsoft products, ChatGPT Free or Meta AI offer comparable free experiences.
Copilot Pro — $20/month
What Pro Adds
Copilot Pro unlocks GPT-5, GPT-5.4, and DALL-E image generation [VERIFY AT PUBLISH] for $20/month. You also get file uploads, higher message limits, and priority access during peak periods.
The Missing Features
Compared to ChatGPT Plus at the same $20/month price, Copilot Pro lacks voice mode, code execution, deep research, and plugins. This is a significant gap. Copilot Pro is essentially paying for GPT-5.4 access and DALL-E image generation — features that ChatGPT Plus also includes alongside much more.
Who It Is Best For
Copilot Pro makes sense for Microsoft-first professionals who prefer the Copilot interface and want priority GPT-5.4 access within the Windows/Edge ecosystem. For everyone else, ChatGPT Plus offers strictly more at the same price.
Microsoft 365 Copilot — $30/user/month
Office App Integration
The M365 Copilot tier is where Microsoft’s AI strategy truly differentiates. At $30/user/month (on top of an existing M365 business license), you get AI embedded directly inside:
- Word — draft, rewrite, and summarize documents
- Excel — analyze data, create formulas, generate charts from natural language
- PowerPoint — generate slide decks from prompts or documents
- Outlook — draft emails, summarize threads, schedule meetings
This is not a chatbot with file upload — it is AI that understands your organizational data and works inside the tools you already use.
Who It Is Best For
M365 Copilot targets businesses and teams of 3+ people who rely on Microsoft 365 for daily work. The $30/user/month price is justified if the productivity gains in Word, Excel, and Outlook save more than 1-2 hours per user per week. Compare with ChatGPT Team ($25/user/month) — cheaper but without Office app integration.
Which Copilot Plan Should You Pick?
Casual Windows user: Stay on Free. The built-in Copilot in Windows and Edge handles basic queries without a subscription.
Individual professional: Choose between Copilot Pro ($20/month) and ChatGPT Plus ($20/month). ChatGPT Plus offers more features. Copilot Pro wins only if you strongly prefer the Microsoft interface.
Business team on M365: M365 Copilot ($30/user/month) for Office app integration. This is Copilot’s true competitive advantage — no other AI product offers this level of Word/Excel/PowerPoint integration.
How Copilot Pricing Compares to Competitors
Microsoft Copilot Pro ($20/month) competes directly with ChatGPT Plus ($20/month), but the comparison favors ChatGPT for standalone use:
- Copilot Pro uses the same GPT models as ChatGPT but offers fewer features at the same price. Its advantage is Microsoft ecosystem integration.
- ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) adds voice mode, code execution, deep research, and plugins that Copilot lacks.
- Claude Pro ($20/month) offers a 200K context window and stronger writing capabilities.
- M365 Copilot ($30/user/month) is unique — no competitor matches its Office app integration for business users.
Copilot’s strongest position is the M365 tier for businesses. For individual users, the standalone Copilot Pro is a harder sell against ChatGPT Plus.
Compare all AI subscription plans
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers verified against microsoft.com as of April 2026.
Our Verdict
Best for: Microsoft 365 users who want AI tightly integrated with Office apps
Avoid if: You do not use Microsoft 365 or want the strongest standalone AI chatbot
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Microsoft Copilot free?
- Yes. Microsoft Copilot offers a free tier with limited GPT-5 access, web search, and basic chat. The free tier does not include image generation, file uploads, or Microsoft 365 integration.
- How much does Copilot Pro cost?
- Copilot Pro costs $20 per month. It includes GPT-5, GPT-5.4, DALL-E image generation, file uploads, and priority access. It does not include Microsoft 365 app integration — that requires the M365 Copilot plan.
- What is the difference between Copilot Pro and M365 Copilot?
- Copilot Pro ($20/month) is a standalone AI assistant with GPT-5.4 and DALL-E. Microsoft 365 Copilot ($30/user/month) adds AI directly inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. M365 Copilot requires an existing Microsoft 365 business subscription.
- Is Copilot Pro worth $20 a month?
- Only if you are invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. For standalone AI chat, ChatGPT Plus offers more features at the same $20/month. Copilot Pro's value increases if you use Windows, Edge, and Microsoft 365 daily.
- Does Copilot work in VS Code?
- GitHub Copilot (a separate product) provides AI code completion in VS Code, JetBrains, and other IDEs. Microsoft Copilot (this page) is the consumer/business AI chatbot. They are different products with different pricing.
- Can I use Copilot without Microsoft 365?
- Yes. Copilot Free and Copilot Pro work as standalone AI chatbots at copilot.microsoft.com. Only the M365 Copilot tier requires a Microsoft 365 business license.
- How does Copilot compare to ChatGPT?
- Both use OpenAI's GPT models, but ChatGPT offers a broader feature set (voice mode, deep research, code execution) and more plan options. Copilot's advantage is Microsoft 365 integration. At $20/month, ChatGPT Plus is the stronger standalone option.