Automate Basics

Microsoft 365 Copilot

AI assistant built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams for business

Productivity and schedulingAI assistantsAI agent buildersFrom $21/user/mo

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What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft 365 Copilot adds generative AI to the Microsoft 365 apps businesses already use, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. It can summarise email threads, draft documents, analyse spreadsheet data and capture meeting notes, and it includes prebuilt agents such as Researcher and Analyst. Small businesses buy Copilot Business as an add-on or bundled with a Microsoft 365 Business plan.

Good for

  • Summarising long email threads and Teams meetings for a small team
  • Drafting proposals and reports in Word from existing files
  • Getting a first-pass analysis of spreadsheet data in Excel

Key features

  • 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

Limitations to know about

  • 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)

Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing

PlanPriceWhat you get
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on)$21.00 user/month paid yearly (promotional $18.00 until Dec 31, 2026); $25.20 user/month on a monthly subscriptionRequires an eligible Microsoft 365 Business plan; Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams; prebuilt agents
Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot$23.50 user/month paid yearly; $28.20 user/month on a monthly subscriptionBusiness Standard apps and services plus Copilot; identity and access management for up to 300 users
Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot$32.00 user/month paid yearly; $38.40 user/month on a monthly subscriptionAdds advanced identity and access management; for up to 300 users
Microsoft 365 Copilot (enterprise)$30.00 user/month paid yearlyFor enterprise customers; requires a separate qualifying Microsoft 365 plan

Prices in US dollars as published on Microsoft 365 Copilot's pricing page on 23 September 2026. Vendors change prices often; check theirs before you buy. Current prices

Microsoft 365 Copilot alternatives

Gemini in Google Workspace

Gemini AI inside Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Meet and other Google Workspace apps

Productivity and schedulingFree trial · from $7/user/mo

ChatGPT

OpenAI's AI chat assistant for writing, research, images, voice and coding

AI assistantsFree plan · from $8/mo

Claude

Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, research and coding

AI assistantsFree plan · from $17/mo

Notion

Workspace for docs, wikis, databases and projects with built-in AI

Productivity and schedulingFree plan · from $10/user/mo

ClickUp

Work management app combining tasks, docs, chat and AI in one workspace

Productivity and schedulingFree plan · from $7/user/mo

Superhuman Docs

Docs that combine pages, tables, formulas and automations, now Superhuman Docs

Productivity and schedulingFree plan · from $12/moFormerly Coda

Head to head: Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Gemini in Google Workspace

Guides that use Microsoft 365 Copilot

Frequently asked questions

Is Microsoft 365 Copilot free?

No, Microsoft 365 Copilot does not have a free plan. Paid plans start at $21/user/mo billed annually.

How much does Microsoft 365 Copilot cost?

Microsoft 365 Copilot's cheapest paid plan, Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on), costs $25.20 a month billed monthly and $21 a month billed annually per user. 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. There is also an enterprise plan priced on request. Prices as published on Microsoft 365 Copilot's pricing page on 23 September 2026.

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot used for?

Microsoft 365 Copilot adds generative AI to the Microsoft 365 apps businesses already use, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. People use it for summarising long email threads and Teams meetings for a small team, drafting proposals and reports in Word from existing files and getting a first-pass analysis of spreadsheet data in Excel.

What are the alternatives to Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Tools that do a similar job include Gemini in Google Workspace, ChatGPT, Claude, Notion and ClickUp. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.

Who makes Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft 365 Copilot is made by Microsoft Corporation, based in Redmond, Washington, US. The company was founded in 1975.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from Microsoft Corporation's own pages, read on the dates shown.

  1. microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing (business add-on and bundle pricing (yearly and monthly), promotion dates, prerequisites, prebuilt agents) read 23 September 2026
  2. microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing/enterprise (enterprise Microsoft 365 Copilot price, Copilot Chat inclusion) read 23 September 2026
  3. microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/blog/2025/12/02/microsoft-365-copilot-business-the-future-of-work-for-small-businesses/ (Copilot Business launch, apps covered, features) read 23 September 2026
  4. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft (company founded and HQ) read 23 September 2026

Compiled by from the vendor's own pages. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.