Side-by-side comparison · AI Assistants & LLMs
ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.
At a glance
Pick it if: Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.
Pick it if: Businesses and people who spend their day in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.
Overview
| Attribute | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | OpenAI's all-rounder: chat, images, voice, web search and agents in one app. | Microsoft's assistant, free on Windows and built into Word, Excel and Outlook. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.3Winner | 3.6 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together. | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | Yes | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Teams & business | ||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No |
| AI abilities | ||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | Yes | Yes |
| Makes video | Yes | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 16/ 17 | 14/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying it out and everyday questions. | Free Free Trying Copilot chat on Windows or your phone. |
Go $8/mo Casual users who hit the free limits. | Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/mo, or $99.99/yr One person who wants Office plus some Copilot. | |
PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone using it most days for work. | Microsoft 365 PremiumOur pick $19.99/mo, or $199.99/yr Sole traders and households who want the full Copilot in Office. | |
Pro From $100/mo Heavy users and people living in Codex. | Microsoft 365 Copilot (business add-on) $30/user/mo billed yearly Businesses already on a Microsoft 365 business plan. | |
Business See website Teams from 2 people up. | ||
| Which plan to pick | The free plan is now good enough to use properly, so stay on it until the image, voice or research limits annoy you. Plus is the sensible upgrade. Only look at Pro if you run Codex or deep research all day, and read the current tier details first because they keep changing. | If you're a sole trader or a household already paying for Microsoft 365, Premium is the easy upgrade. For a business, the $30 add-on only makes sense for the people who live in Excel, Outlook and Teams meetings; give everyone else the free Copilot Chat and a Claude or ChatGPT seat. |
Key features
| Attribute | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
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Pros and cons
| Attribute | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Best for |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot?
ChatGPT scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT 4.3/5 and Microsoft Copilot 3.6/5). ChatGPT is best for everyday questions and brainstorming and making and editing images in the chat. Microsoft Copilot is best for summarising long Outlook threads and first drafts in Word.
Which is cheaper, ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot?
ChatGPT: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Microsoft Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $9.99/mo.
Which is easier to use, ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot?
ChatGPT rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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