# Microsoft Copilot

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

- Category: [AI Assistants](https://finderatlas.com/categories/ai-assistants)
- Pricing: Freemium
- Website: https://copilot.com
- Platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- Mobile app: available
- Made by: Microsoft, founded 1975, Redmond, WA
- Last updated: 2026-10-20
- FinderAtlas page: https://finderatlas.com/tools/microsoft-copilot

## Overview

Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft's AI assistant. People use it to chat, draft and rewrite text, brainstorm, summarize documents, create images and research topics. It is available on the web at copilot.com, as apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, iPadOS and Android, and inside Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. A free tier is available with a signed-in account, with usage limits on some features.

## Key features

- Chat
- Image creation
- Voice
- Microsoft 365 integration
- Cowork
- Researcher
- Code
- Notebook and Guided Learning
- Work IQ
- Auto model picker

## Pricing

- **Copilot Free** ($0): Free with a signed-in Microsoft account; some features have usage limits
- **Microsoft 365 Personal** ($9.99/month): One person; includes desktop Office apps and Copilot with higher usage than free
- **Microsoft 365 Premium** ($19.99/month): Up to 6 people on the plan, with AI features for the owner; replaced Copilot Pro
- **Microsoft 365 Copilot Business** ($25.20/user/month): Add-on for small and medium businesses; needs an eligible Microsoft 365 plan

## Best for

- Drafting and summarizing inside Word
- Outlook and Teams
- Everyday questions and web research
- Spreadsheet and presentation help in Microsoft 365

## Who uses it

- Microsoft 365 users
- Office workers
- Students
- Small businesses
- Enterprise teams

## Strengths

- 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

## Limitations

- 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

## Not recommended for

- Users who want to use a specific model of their choice
- Teams not on Microsoft 365

## Integrations

- Microsoft 365
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- Teams
- OneNote
- OneDrive
- Microsoft Edge

## FinderAtlas editorial scores (out of 10)

- Microsoft 365 Integration: 9.3/10
- Enterprise Security: 8.8/10
- Ease of Use: 8.2/10
- Reasoning & Logic: 8/10
- Value for Money: 7.8/10

## Alternatives

- [Kimi](https://finderatlas.com/tools/kimi): Chat, research and agent assistant from Moonshot AI, built on its Kimi K3 model ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/kimi-vs-microsoft-copilot))
- [Poe](https://finderatlas.com/tools/poe): Chat with many AI models, image tools and custom bots through one account ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/microsoft-copilot-vs-poe))
- [Mistral Vibe (formerly Le Chat)](https://finderatlas.com/tools/mistral-le-chat): Mistral AI's chat assistant and coding agent for everyday work and software tasks ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/microsoft-copilot-vs-mistral-le-chat))
- [Google Gemini](https://finderatlas.com/tools/gemini): Google's AI assistant for chat, research, image and video creation, and Workspace apps ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/gemini-vs-microsoft-copilot))
- [DeepSeek](https://finderatlas.com/tools/deepseek): Free AI chat app and low-cost API running DeepSeek's open-weights V4 models ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/deepseek-vs-microsoft-copilot))
- [Claude](https://finderatlas.com/tools/claude): Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and working with files ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/claude-vs-microsoft-copilot))
- [Perplexity](https://finderatlas.com/tools/perplexity): AI answer engine that searches the live web and cites its sources ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/microsoft-copilot-vs-perplexity))
- [ChatGPT](https://finderatlas.com/tools/chatgpt): OpenAI's AI assistant for writing, research, coding, image generation and voice chat ([compare](https://finderatlas.com/compare/chatgpt-vs-microsoft-copilot))

## Recent updates

- 2025-12-02: Microsoft 365 Copilot Business became available for small and medium businesses at $21 per user per month
- 2025-10-01: Microsoft launched Microsoft 365 Premium at $19.99 per month and stopped selling standalone Copilot Pro

## FAQ

**What is the difference between Copilot Free and the paid plans?**

Copilot Free costs nothing with a signed-in Microsoft account, but some features have usage limits. Paid Microsoft 365 plans add Copilot in the desktop Office apps and higher usage. Premium adds the highest consumer usage limits and features such as agentic research and analysis.

**What happened to Copilot Pro?**

Microsoft stopped selling the standalone Copilot Pro subscription and replaced it with Microsoft 365 Premium at $19.99 per month. Premium combines the Family plan with Copilot Pro features.

**Is there a Microsoft Copilot app?**

Yes. For personal accounts there are apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and iPadOS, and Android, plus the web. The Windows app requires a Microsoft account, while the web, mobile and Mac apps also accept an Apple ID or Google Account.

**How much does Copilot cost for a business?**

Copilot Chat is included at no extra cost with eligible Microsoft 365 plans. The Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on is $21 per user per month with annual billing or $25.20 with monthly billing, and it requires a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan.

**Does Copilot have a public API?**

Not as a consumer product. Microsoft's pricing page mentions Work IQ APIs for business use, billed by usage, but this page does not describe an open API for the Copilot app itself.

**Can Copilot use my company data?**

With a work or school account, the Work IQ toggle lets Copilot use your organization's data along with the web. Personal accounts do not have this toggle.