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Microsoft Copilot vs Perplexity

Features, pricing, ratings, and pros and cons, side by side.

Microsoft Copilot logo

Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft's AI assistant for chat, writing and research across web, apps and Microsoft 365

Freemium
Visit websiteView details

Verdict

Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity are both AI Assistants tools. Perplexity scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (8.7 vs 8.4 out of 10). Both have a free plan or trial. Only Microsoft Copilot is available on Windows and macOS. Only Perplexity offers an API.

Best overall

Perplexity

  • Researchers
  • Students
  • Analysts
  • Journalists

Choose Microsoft Copilot if

  • You want a tool built for drafting and summarizing inside Word.
  • Free tier with chat, image creation and voice on web, desktop and mobile.
  • Built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams for Microsoft 365 subscribers.

Choose Perplexity if

  • You want a tool built for answering factual and current-events questions with checkable sources, and running multi-step web research.
  • Every answer links to numbered sources, so claims are easy to check.
  • Free plan includes search with citations.
Best for beginners
Perplexity
Best for business
Microsoft Copilot

Features

18 features compared.

  • Chat
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Image creation
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Voice
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Microsoft 365 integration
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Cowork
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Researcher
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Code
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Notebook and Guided Learning
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Work IQ
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Auto model picker
    Microsoft Copilot
    Available
    Perplexity
    Not available
  • Cited answers
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not available
    Perplexity
    Available
  • Pro Search
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not available
    Perplexity
    Available
  • Research
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not available
    Perplexity
    Available
  • Model selection
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not available
    Perplexity
    Available
  • File uploads
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not available
    Perplexity
    Available
  • Perplexity Computer
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not available
    Perplexity
    Available
  • Comet browser
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not available
    Perplexity
    Available
  • Perplexity API
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not available
    Perplexity
    Available

Pricing

Plans as listed by each vendor. Check their sites for current prices.

  • Pricing model
    Microsoft Copilot
    Freemium
    Perplexity
    Freemium
  • Free plan
    Microsoft Copilot
    Yes
    Perplexity
    Yes
  • Starting price
    Microsoft Copilot
    $0
    Perplexity
    $0
  • Plans
    Microsoft Copilot
    4 plans
    Perplexity
    5 plans

Microsoft Copilot plans

  • Copilot Free

    $0

    Free with a signed-in Microsoft account; some features have usage limits

    • Chat
    • Image creation
    • Voice
    • Web research
    • Copilot apps on web
    • desktop and mobile

  • Microsoft 365 Personal

    $9.99/month

    One person; includes desktop Office apps and Copilot with higher usage than free

    • Copilot in Word
    • Excel
    • PowerPoint and Outlook
    • Higher usage than free
    • 1 TB storage

  • Microsoft 365 Premium

    Most popular

    $19.99/month

    Up to 6 people on the plan, with AI features for the owner; replaced Copilot Pro

    • Everything in Family
    • Extensive advanced chat and image creation
    • Premium-only features
    • Limited agentic AI use

  • Microsoft 365 Copilot Business

    $25.20/user/month

    Add-on for small and medium businesses; needs an eligible Microsoft 365 plan

    • Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps
    • Chat grounded in work data
    • Enterprise Data Protection
    • Admin controls
    • Adoption analytics

Perplexity plans

  • Free

    $0

    Basic search with citations and limited daily usage.

    • Search with citations
    • 3 Pro Searches per day
    • 1 Research query per month
    • Limited file uploads

  • Pro

    Most popular

    $20/month

    Higher limits, advanced models and Perplexity Computer for individuals.

    • Extended Pro Search
    • Extended Research
    • Advanced AI models
    • Image generation
    • Create files and apps
    • Comet Assistant
    • Weekly Computer usage

  • Max

    $200/month

    Highest consumer limits, with monthly credits and priority support.

    • Everything in Pro
    • 10,000 monthly credits
    • Highest Comet Assistant limits
    • Brain (research preview)
    • Extended Create files and apps
    • Priority support

  • Enterprise Pro

    $40/user/mo

    Team plan with admin controls and organizational features.

    • 400 Pro Searches per week
    • 50 Research queries per month
    • 80 Comet Assistant queries per month
    • 500 monthly credits
    • File uploads and sharing

  • Enterprise Max

    $325/user/mo

    Highest enterprise limits with SCIM, audit logs and priority support.

    • 4,000 Pro Searches per week
    • 500 Research queries per month
    • 15,000 monthly credits
    • 15 videos per month
    • SCIM and audit logs
    • Priority support

Our ratings

Scored out of 10 by the Finder Atlas editorial team. Last reviewed October 2026.

Microsoft Copilot
8.4overall
Perplexity
8.7overall

  • Microsoft 365 Integration

    Microsoft Copilot
    9.3
    Perplexity
    Not rated

  • Enterprise Security

    Microsoft Copilot
    8.8
    Perplexity
    Not rated

  • Ease of Use

    Microsoft Copilot
    8.2
    Perplexity
    Not rated

  • Reasoning & Logic

    Microsoft Copilot
    8.0
    Perplexity
    Not rated

  • Value for Money

    Microsoft Copilot
    7.8
    Perplexity
    Not rated

  • Live Web Search & Citations

    Microsoft Copilot
    Not rated
    Perplexity
    9.2

  • Real-time Factuality & News

    Microsoft Copilot
    Not rated
    Perplexity
    8.6

  • Source Transparency

    Microsoft Copilot
    Not rated
    Perplexity
    9.0

  • Document & Research Analysis

    Microsoft Copilot
    Not rated
    Perplexity
    8.3

  • Search Speed & Responsiveness

    Microsoft Copilot
    Not rated
    Perplexity
    8.5

Scores weigh documented features, plan value, platform coverage, integrations and user feedback. A missing score means we have not rated that area yet.

Pros and cons

Microsoft Copilot

Pros

  • Free tier with chat, image creation and voice on web, desktop and mobile
  • Built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams for Microsoft 365 subscribers
  • Copilot Chat is included with eligible business Microsoft 365 plans at no extra cost
  • Enterprise Data Protection and admin controls in business plans
  • Apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android

Cons

  • Consumer premium features require a Microsoft 365 subscription; the standalone Copilot Pro plan is no longer sold
  • Copilot Business is an add-on at $21 to $25.20 per user per month on top of a Microsoft 365 plan
  • Usage limits apply to free and lower tiers, and Microsoft does not publish exact numbers on the pricing page
  • Family plan AI features are for the subscription owner only

Perplexity

Pros

  • Every answer links to numbered sources, so claims are easy to check
  • Free plan includes search with citations
  • Paid plans offer a choice of advanced models from several providers
  • Available on web, iOS, Android and through a developer API
  • Separate Comet browser integrates the assistant into browsing

Cons

  • Free plan is limited to 3 Pro Searches per day and 1 Research query per month
  • Pro and Max limits are described as weekly or monthly allowances rather than fixed numbers
  • Max costs $200 per month, and Enterprise Max costs $325
  • Answers can still contain errors, so the cited sources need checking

Platforms

  • Web
    Microsoft Copilot
    Supported
    Perplexity
    Supported
  • Windows
    Microsoft Copilot
    Supported
    Perplexity
    Not supported
  • macOS
    Microsoft Copilot
    Supported
    Perplexity
    Not supported
  • iOS
    Microsoft Copilot
    Supported
    Perplexity
    Supported
  • Android
    Microsoft Copilot
    Supported
    Perplexity
    Supported
  • API
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not supported
    Perplexity
    Supported
  • Browser Extension
    Microsoft Copilot
    Not supported
    Perplexity
    Not supported

Integrations

Microsoft Copilot

9 integrations
  • Microsoft 365
  • Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Outlook
  • Teams
  • OneNote
  • OneDrive
  • Microsoft Edge

Perplexity

No integrations listed.

Company

  • Company
    Microsoft Copilot
    Microsoft
    Perplexity
    Perplexity AI, Inc.
  • Founded
    Microsoft Copilot
    1975
    Perplexity
    2022
  • Headquarters
    Microsoft Copilot
    Redmond, WA
    Perplexity
    San Francisco, CA
  • Listing
    Microsoft Copilot
    Claimed
    Perplexity
    Claimed

Frequently asked questions

Is Microsoft Copilot better than Perplexity?

It depends on your workflow. Microsoft Copilot is built for drafting and summarizing inside Word. Perplexity is built for answering factual and current-events questions with checkable sources, and running multi-step web research.

What are the key feature differences between Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity?

Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft's AI assistant for chat, writing and research across web, apps and Microsoft 365. Perplexity: AI answer engine that searches the live web and cites its sources.

Does Microsoft Copilot or Perplexity have a free plan?

Yes, both do. Microsoft Copilot is freemium and Perplexity is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

Which is cheaper, Microsoft Copilot or Perplexity?

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.