ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot: Which AI Assistant Fits You in 2026
One is a standalone assistant, the other is AI inside the Office apps you already pay for. Here is how prices, models and features line up.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Pick ChatGPT if you want the most capable standalone assistant: GPT-6 on Plus at $20, a coding agent, image creation and five price tiers. Pick Microsoft Copilot if your day runs in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, since Microsoft 365 Premium at $19.99 puts the AI inside those apps and bundles Office and storage.
Side by side
| Spec | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| BestBots Score | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| Starting price | $8 per month | $9.99 per month |
| Pricing model | per seat | per seat |
| Free trial | None listed | 1 month (Microsoft 365 Personal and Premium) |
| Free plan | Yes, unlimited everyday text chats on GPT-5.6 Luna with tool limits | Yes, the Copilot app |
| Paid from | $8 per month (Go, ad supported); Plus $20 per month | $9.99 per month (Microsoft 365 Personal) |
| Top model on paid plan | GPT-6 on Plus; GPT-6 Pro (GPT-6 Astra) on Pro | Latest OpenAI models (GPT-5.X) listed on business plans |
| Image generation | Yes, on all plans with plan limits; higher quality on Plus | Yes, higher usage on Personal, extensive on Premium |
| Voice mode | Yes, voice chats on Free with limits, more on Go and up | Yes, voice on mobile, desktop and web |
The short answer
- Choose ChatGPT if you want one assistant for writing, research, images, voice and coding, regardless of which office software you use.
- Choose Copilot if you already pay for Microsoft 365 or plan to, and you want AI that works in the document, spreadsheet or inbox you have open.
- Business buyers on Microsoft 365 get the most from the Copilot Business add-on. Mixed stacks (Google Workspace, Slack, GitHub) fit ChatGPT Business better.
Pricing
The two price ladders look similar at the middle and differ sharply at the edges.
| Tier | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, GPT-5.6 Luna, unlimited everyday chats | Copilot app, base usage |
| Entry | Go, $8 per month (ad supported) | Microsoft 365 Personal, $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year |
| Family | Not offered | Microsoft 365 Family, $12.99 per month (AI for the owner only) |
| Standard | Plus, $20 per month | Microsoft 365 Premium, $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year |
| Power | Pro, $100, $200 or $500 per month | Microsoft 365 Pro, $99.99 per month, monthly only |
| Business | $25 per seat monthly, $20 annually | Copilot Business add-on, $25.20 monthly or $21 annually ($18 promo) |
| Bundled business | Not offered | Business Standard with Copilot $23.50, Business Premium with Copilot $32 per user annually |
The math changes depending on what you already pay for. If you would buy Microsoft 365 Personal anyway, the AI upgrade to Premium costs about $10 per month and comes with Researcher, Analyst and Cowork. If you have no use for Office apps or cloud storage, ChatGPT Plus spends all $20 on AI.
Microsoft also lists a one month free trial on Personal and Premium, and yearly billing that saves up to 17%. OpenAI's pricing page does not show an annual discount for Plus. On the business side, Microsoft's $18 promo applies only to the first year and only through December 31, 2026, and the add-on requires an existing qualifying Microsoft 365 Business license. ChatGPT Business has no prerequisite license.
Full plan breakdowns: ChatGPT pricing and Microsoft Copilot pricing.
Models and features
ChatGPT Plus runs GPT-6 in Chat at Medium and High thinking levels, and Pro adds GPT-6 Pro. Free and Go run GPT-5.6 Luna. Microsoft lists "latest OpenAI models (GPT-5.X)" with priority access on its Copilot business plans and does not name a specific version on its consumer page. In practice that means ChatGPT gets OpenAI's newest model first.
| Feature | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Office apps | No, connects to Microsoft 365 as a source | Yes, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams |
| Image generation | Yes, every plan with limits | Yes, higher on Personal, extensive on Premium |
| Voice mode | Yes | Yes, mobile, desktop and web |
| Research agent | Deep research and Work agent on Plus | Researcher on Premium and business plans |
| Data analysis | Yes | Analyst on Premium and business plans |
| Coding agent | Codex on Plus and up | Not a focus of the consumer plans |
| Storage | 20 GB on Plus, 100 GB on Pro | 1 TB on Personal, 2 TB shared on Family and Premium, 5 TB on Pro |
| Usage limits | Vary by model and thinking level | Described as higher, extensive or highest, no numbers |
Both vendors avoid fixed message counts. Microsoft describes usage in words only, which makes it hard to know when you will hit a ceiling. OpenAI at least documents that GPT-6 Pro has weekly allowances.
Head to head scenarios
Drafting in Word and summarizing email
Winner: Copilot. It works inside Word and Outlook with the document or thread already in view, so there is no copy and paste. ChatGPT can draft the same text, but you move it between apps yourself.
Excel and data analysis
Winner: Copilot for spreadsheets you already keep in Excel, since Analyst and in-app Copilot work on the file in place. ChatGPT is the better pick for one-off CSV analysis or charts from a file you upload, because its data analysis tool is available from the Free plan up.
General writing, research and brainstorming
Winner: ChatGPT. GPT-6 on Plus, memory, projects and the Work agent make it the more complete standalone assistant. Copilot's free app is useful, but its stronger features live inside Office.
Coding
Winner: ChatGPT. Codex is included on Plus, and even Free and Go users get the GPT-5.6 Terra model in Codex. Microsoft's coding product is GitHub Copilot, sold separately; see GitHub Copilot for that comparison.
A small business on Microsoft 365
Winner: Copilot. Business Standard with Copilot at $23.50 per user per month annually includes the Office apps, Teams and Copilot in one license with Enterprise Data Protection. Adding ChatGPT Business on top would mean paying for two AI seats.
A family sharing one subscription
Winner: neither on AI. Microsoft 365 Family and Premium share apps and storage with up to six people, but Microsoft states the AI is for the subscription owner only. ChatGPT has no family plan. Each person who wants AI needs their own seat on either service.
Privacy
Microsoft's support page states that prompts, responses and file contents used with Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps for home are not used to train foundation models, and you can switch off connected experiences to disable Copilot in the apps. Business plans add Enterprise Data Protection and admin analytics.
OpenAI states that ChatGPT Business does not train on business data by default, and Enterprise adds a Compliance API and retention controls. For Free, Go, Plus and Pro, review the data controls in ChatGPT's settings before sharing anything sensitive, since consumer and business terms differ.
Verdict
ChatGPT is the better assistant on its own: newer model, more tiers from $0 to $500, a coding agent and broad connectors. Microsoft Copilot is the better buy if Office is where you work, because $19.99 gets you the apps, the storage and AI inside them. If you are unsure, start with the free tiers of both for a week; the deciding factor is usually whether you want AI in your documents or next to them.
Read the full ChatGPT review and Microsoft Copilot review, or see the best AI assistants ranking.
Frequently asked questions
Is Copilot better than ChatGPT?
For work inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, yes, because Copilot runs inside those apps and reads the open file. For a standalone assistant with the newest OpenAI model, coding agent and more price tiers, ChatGPT is stronger. Most people who do not live in Office should pick ChatGPT.
Does Copilot use ChatGPT?
Microsoft lists the latest OpenAI models, described as GPT-5.X, on its Copilot business plans. Copilot is a separate Microsoft product with its own app, limits and data terms, so features and model versions differ from ChatGPT's.
Is Copilot free?
Yes. The Copilot app is free with base usage. Copilot inside the desktop Office apps starts with Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, which also includes 1 TB of storage.
Which is cheaper, ChatGPT Plus or Microsoft 365 Premium?
They are within a cent: $20 for ChatGPT Plus and $19.99 for Microsoft 365 Premium on monthly billing. Premium drops to $199.99 per year on annual billing and includes the Office apps and storage, so if you would buy Office anyway, the AI costs less.
Can I use ChatGPT inside Word or Excel?
ChatGPT connects to Microsoft 365 as a data source from its own app, but it does not live inside Word or Excel the way Copilot does. If you want suggestions in the document you are editing, Copilot is the direct tool.
Which is better for business?
If your company runs on Microsoft 365, the Copilot Business add-on at $21 per user per month annually ($18 promo through December 31, 2026) works across Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams with Enterprise Data Protection. If you want one assistant that also covers Google Workspace, Slack and GitHub, ChatGPT Business at $20 per seat annually is the better fit.
Does Microsoft train on my Copilot chats in Office apps?
Microsoft's support page states that prompts, responses and file contents used with Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps for home are not used to train foundation models. ChatGPT Business states no training on business data by default.