Which to choose
| Use case | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Drafting and editing inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook | Copilot | Microsoft 365 Personal includes the desktop apps with Copilot for USD 9.99 a month |
| A household that also needs Office and storage | Copilot | Microsoft 365 Family covers up to 6 people and 2 TB for USD 12.99 a month, with AI for the owner only |
| Research, long reasoning and coding help | ChatGPT | Plus includes advanced GPT-6 reasoning models, expanded deep research and Codex for USD 20 a month |
| Uploading large files for analysis | ChatGPT | OpenAI documents 512MB per file and 80 files every 3 hours |
| A small business already on Microsoft 365 | Copilot | The Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on lists USD 18 per user a month, paid yearly |
| Heaviest personal AI use | ChatGPT | Pro at USD 100 a month gives 5x Plus usage; Pro 200 (20x) is closed to new sign-ups since 10 September 2026 |
Side by side
| Field | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes; unlimited everyday text chats with GPT-6, limited uploads, images and deep research | Yes; a limited free version subject to capacity |
| Paid individual plans | Go, Plus USD 20, Pro USD 100 or 200 a month (new Pro 200 sign-ups paused since 10 September 2026) | Microsoft 365 Personal USD 9.99, Family USD 12.99, Premium USD 19.99, Pro USD 99.99 a month |
| Annual billing | Not offered for Go, Plus or Pro | Personal USD 99.99, Family USD 129.99, Premium USD 199.99 a year; Pro is monthly only |
| What else the plan includes | Codex, projects, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote desktop apps; 1 to 5 TB OneDrive; Defender |
| Usage limits | Per feature by plan; context 27K to 128K instant, 256K to 400K reasoning | Stated as "higher than free", "extensive" (Premium) or "highest" (Pro) |
| File limits | 512MB per file, 80 files every 3 hours; Free 3 uploads a day | Not stated on the plan pages |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, desktop; Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets extensions | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android; inside Microsoft 365 apps and Teams |
| Ads | Go may include ads | Users without a Microsoft 365 subscription may see ads |
| Business plan | Business and Enterprise | Copilot Business add-on USD 18 per user a month; bundles from USD 23.50 |
Prices as listed on 17 October 2026 on Microsoft's Copilot plans for individuals, Microsoft's Copilot business pricing, ChatGPT's pricing page and the ChatGPT Pro tiers article. All prices are in USD.
Copilot vs ChatGPT on price
The headline prices are close only at first glance. ChatGPT Plus costs USD 20 a month, billed monthly, according to the Plus help article. Microsoft 365 Premium costs USD 19.99 a month or USD 199.99 a year, and it includes the Office desktop apps, 2 TB of shared storage for up to six people and "extensive" Copilot usage for the owner. Paying yearly saves up to 17%, according to Microsoft's plan comparison page.
The cheapest paid Copilot is Microsoft 365 Personal at USD 9.99 a month, which gives "higher usage than free" and the desktop apps. At the top, Microsoft 365 Pro costs USD 99.99 a month, billed monthly only, with 5 TB of storage and the highest Copilot usage. ChatGPT Pro costs USD 100 a month for new subscribers (5x Plus usage); the USD 200 tier has been closed to new sign-ups since 10 September 2026.
Microsoft states Copilot usage in words, not numbers. OpenAI is more specific on some limits: the pricing page lists a 256K reasoning context on Plus and 400K on Pro.
Microsoft's plan comparison page listed Microsoft 365 Personal at USD 9.99 a month or USD 99.99 a year, including Copilot, on 17 October 2026.
Work inside Office apps
This is Copilot's home ground. Every paid Microsoft 365 plan includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote desktop apps with Copilot built in, plus Copilot in Teams. Microsoft's footnotes add limits: Copilot in Excel needs AutoSave on, so the file must be saved to OneDrive, and on Family, Premium and Pro the AI features belong to the subscription owner only and cannot be shared.
ChatGPT reaches into Office from the outside. Its pricing page lists Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets extensions, limited on Free and Go and included on Plus and Pro. That works for people who switch between Microsoft and Google files, but it is an add-in, not the native assistant. If most of your day is in Outlook and Excel, Copilot fits more naturally. Our AI productivity tools ranking covers other options.
Microsoft's plan page said on 17 October 2026 that Copilot in Excel requires AutoSave and a file saved to OneDrive.
Reasoning, research and files
ChatGPT's paid plans are built around its models. Plus adds advanced reasoning with GPT-6, expanded deep research, projects, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs and Codex. The ChatGPT file uploads FAQ allows 512MB per file and 80 files every 3 hours, with Free users capped at 3 uploads a day. Our OpenAI provider profile lists the GPT-6 models behind these plans.
Copilot's higher tiers add research too. Microsoft 365 Premium lists limited usage for "agentic AI that gets things done for you including advanced research and analytics", and Pro raises that to the highest usage. Microsoft says Copilot uses AI models selected by Microsoft, and its privacy overview says you can choose between leading AI models, but the plan pages do not name them or give context sizes.
OpenAI's file uploads FAQ listed a 512MB limit per file and 80 uploads every 3 hours on 17 October 2026.
Free versions and ads
Both have a free tier. Microsoft's individual pricing page says it offers "a limited free version of Copilot subject to available capacity and limits". ChatGPT Free lists unlimited everyday text chats with GPT-6, with limited uploads, images, voice and deep research.
Ads are a new difference. Microsoft's Copilot privacy controls article says people using Copilot without a Microsoft 365 subscription might see ads, and lets you turn off ad personalization. ChatGPT's pricing page says the Go plan may include ads. Microsoft adds that Copilot does not show personalized ads to users under 18.
Microsoft's Copilot privacy controls article said on 17 October 2026 that users without a Microsoft 365 subscription might see advertising in Copilot.
Data and privacy
Microsoft Copilot. Microsoft released an updated Copilot app on 18 August 2026, and its privacy overview for individuals applies when you sign in with a personal Microsoft account. The privacy controls article lists switches for saved memories, "One shared experience" with Bing, Edge and MSN, chat history, web search and ad personalization. The Microsoft Privacy Statement says Microsoft may use your data to develop, train and fine-tune its AI models. With a work or school (Microsoft Entra) account, separate business data protection terms apply instead.
ChatGPT. OpenAI's article on how your data is used to improve model performance says Free, Plus and Pro content may be used for training unless you turn off "Improve the model for everyone". Feedback ratings can still make a conversation eligible. Temporary chats are not used for training. Business, Enterprise, Edu and API data is not used for training by default.
For team rollouts, see our guide to rolling out AI for teams and the AI tool privacy checklist.
Use a work or school account for client data on either service; personal accounts on both run under consumer terms.
How we compared them
For this ChatGPT vs Copilot comparison, on 17 October 2026 we read Microsoft's Copilot pricing pages for individuals and business, the Microsoft 365 plan comparison and Microsoft 365 Pro pages, the Copilot privacy overview and privacy controls articles, and the Microsoft Privacy Statement. For ChatGPT we read the pricing page and OpenAI Help Center articles on Plus, Go, Pro tiers, file uploads and data use. We compared documented plans, prices, usage wording, app integration, file limits and data terms, then made editorial picks per use case. See how we rank.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Copilot the same as GitHub Copilot? No. Microsoft Copilot is the general assistant in Windows, the Copilot app and Microsoft 365; GitHub Copilot is a coding assistant. Our Cursor and GitHub Copilot comparison covers the coding tool.
Is Copilot free? Yes, in a limited form. Microsoft says the free version is subject to available capacity and limits, and paid Microsoft 365 plans raise usage.
Is Copilot cheaper than ChatGPT? At the entry tier, yes. Microsoft 365 Personal costs USD 9.99 a month with Copilot and the Office apps, while ChatGPT Plus costs USD 20 a month.
Does Microsoft 365 Family share Copilot with everyone? No. Family covers up to 6 people, but Microsoft says the AI features are available to the subscription owner only.
Can ChatGPT work inside Word and Excel? Yes, through extensions. ChatGPT's pricing page lists Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets extensions, limited on Free and Go and included on Plus.
Which is better for students? ChatGPT for study and research, with study mode on every plan and Plus at USD 20 a month. Copilot suits students who need the Office apps, since Personal at USD 9.99 includes them.
Does Copilot use my chats to train AI? It can. The Microsoft Privacy Statement says Microsoft may use your data to train its AI models; check the privacy controls in the Copilot app settings.
Does ChatGPT show ads? The pricing page says the Go plan may include ads. Microsoft says Copilot users without a Microsoft 365 subscription might see ads.
What does Microsoft 365 Copilot cost for a business? The Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on lists USD 18 per user a month, paid yearly, down from USD 21. Bundles with Business Standard start at USD 23.50 per user a month.