Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Gemini in Google Workspace
Microsoft 365 Copilot or Gemini in Google Workspace? Here is how they compare on price, free plan, platforms and the jobs each does best, from each vendor's own pages.
| Compared on | Visit | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI assistant built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams for business | Gemini AI inside Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet and other Google Workspace apps |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $21/user/mo billed annually (Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on))Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing | $7/user/mo billed annually (Business Starter)Gemini in Google Workspace pricing |
| What it covers | Add-on only for existing customers with an eligible Microsoft 365 Business plan, which is paid for separately. Monthly figure is the monthly-subscription price. A promotional price of $18.00 per user/month (paid yearly) is offered between July 1 and December 31, 2026. | Monthly figure is the Flexible Plan (no commitment); annual figure is the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan. Business Starter includes Gemini in Gmail and Vids plus basic Gemini app access; Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Meet and Chat starts at Business Standard ($14 annual, $16.80 flexible). |
| Free trial | None stated | 14-day free trial of Google Workspace |
| Platforms | Not stated | Web |
| Integrations (vendor's figure) | Not stated | Not stated |
| Open source | No | No |
| Made by | Microsoft Corporation | Google LLC |
Choose Microsoft 365 Copilot if…
- The job is summarising long email threads and Teams meetings for a small team.
- The job is drafting proposals and reports in Word from existing files.
Choose Gemini in Google Workspace if…
- Price matters: its cheapest paid plan is $7/user/mo against $21/user/mo.
- The job is drafting and summarising client email in Gmail.
- The job is getting AI notes and summaries from Google Meet calls.
Still weighing it up?
If neither is quite right, see how other AI productivity and scheduling tools compare: Notion vs ClickUp, Motion vs Reclaim.ai and Asana vs ClickUp.
To see them doing real work, read How to Use Copilot in Excel to Write and Fix Formulas and How to Use Gemini to Write and Fix Google Sheets Formulas.
What Microsoft 365 Copilot does
- Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams
- Summarises email, drafts documents, analyses data and captures meeting notes
- Prebuilt agents including Researcher, Analyst and Facilitator
- Work IQ, which Microsoft says learns a business's work patterns to anticipate needs
- Custom agents can be built with Microsoft Copilot Studio
- Works with Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Defender for security
Watch out for
- Copilot Business is an add-on: it needs a separate, eligible Microsoft 365 Business plan
- Business plans cover identity and access management for up to 300 users; larger organisations use the enterprise plan at $30.00 user/month paid yearly
- A monthly subscription costs 20% more per user than paying yearly ($25.20 vs $21.00 for the add-on)
What Gemini in Google Workspace does
- Gemini in Gmail to find, summarise and write email (all plans)
- Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Meet and Chat (Business Standard and above)
- Gemini app with data protections, on web or mobile
- Gemini Notebook for research, with Audio Overviews (3 per day on Starter, 20 per day on higher plans)
- Gems for building custom AI experts on any topic
- Workspace Studio for automating work with AI agents
Watch out for
- Business Starter gets only limited Gemini in Workspace apps: no Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Meet or Chat
- Business Starter, Standard and Plus can be bought for a maximum of 300 users; Enterprise has no user limit
- Business Starter has basic Gemini app and Notebook access, including up to 3 Audio Overviews per day versus 20 on higher plans
Questions
Is Microsoft 365 Copilot or Gemini in Google Workspace cheaper?
On published entry prices, Gemini in Google Workspace is cheaper: $21/user/mo billed annually (Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on)) for Microsoft 365 Copilot against $7/user/mo billed annually (Business Starter) for Gemini in Google Workspace. What each plan includes differs, so compare the limits too.
Do Microsoft 365 Copilot and Gemini in Google Workspace have free plans?
Neither has a free plan. Gemini in Google Workspace offers a 14-day free trial of Google Workspace.