What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is the AI assistant baked into Windows, Edge, Bing and the Microsoft 365 apps. It runs on OpenAI’s models plus Microsoft’s own, and the free tier is surprisingly generous — including voice and deeper reasoning modes that rivals charge for. Its real pull is context: it can draft in Word, summarise in Outlook and build formulas in Excel, though those in-app features require a Microsoft 365 subscription or Copilot Pro. As a standalone chatbot it’s competent rather than exceptional — answers often come out shorter and more cautious than ChatGPT’s, despite the shared DNA. Microsoft also renames and reshuffles Copilot features often enough that guides go stale quickly. If you live in Windows and Office, it’s the convenient choice.
Best for: Windows and Microsoft 365 users who want AI inside Office, Outlook and Edge.
Microsoft Copilot pricing
| Plan | Price | What you actually get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Chat, image generation and web answers in Windows, Edge and the mobile app. Limits are loose for everyday use. |
| Microsoft 365 Personal/Family | from $9.99/mo | Adds Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, bundled with the Office apps themselves. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot (business) | from $30/user/mo | The full workplace version with access to your organisation’s files, meetings and email. Requires an eligible 365 plan. |
Prices checked 27 July 2026. Vendors change limits often — treat the caps as indicative and confirm on the pricing page before you buy.
What Microsoft Copilot is good at
- Drafting and rewriting inside Word and Outlook without switching apps
- Asking questions about a spreadsheet in plain English
- Summarising a Teams meeting you missed
- Everyday questions on Windows without opening a browser
Get a spreadsheet to explain itself
- Open the workbook in Excel and ask Copilot what the data shows. Start vague; it is good at orienting.
- Ask for the specific breakdown you want in plain English rather than writing a formula.
- Ask it to show the formula it used, so you can check and reuse it.
- Have it draft the summary email to go with the numbers.
Who should skip Microsoft Copilot
- Anyone not already in the Microsoft ecosystem — the integration is the whole point.
- People wanting the best raw writing quality; Claude and ChatGPT are ahead.
- Small teams put off by the per-seat business pricing, which is steep next to a $20 consumer plan.
What's good
- Generous free tier, including voice and reasoning modes
- Drafts and summarises inside Word, Excel and Outlook
- Web-grounded answers with citations
- Already there if you use Windows or Edge
Watch-outs
- Office-app integration needs Microsoft 365 or Copilot Pro
- Answers can feel shallower than ChatGPT on the same models
- Features and names change frequently
Microsoft Copilot FAQ
- Is Microsoft Copilot free?
- The standalone Copilot in Windows, Edge and mobile is free. Copilot inside the Office apps requires a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- What is the difference between Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot?
- They are different products. Microsoft Copilot is a general assistant across Windows and Office; GitHub Copilot writes code inside your editor. Same brand, different jobs.
- Do I need Microsoft 365 to use Copilot?
- Not for the free assistant. You do need it for Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, which is where most of the value sits.
The verdict
Microsoft Copilot earns a 4/5 from us. There’s a free way in, so it’s low-risk to try. AI inside Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365.