Productivity
Microsoft Copilot: pricing, features and alternatives
Microsoft's free consumer AI assistant, with more use in Microsoft 365 plans
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is the consumer AI assistant from Microsoft. It chats, answers questions using web search, creates images, holds voice conversations and summarises web pages in Edge. The basic version is free with limits; Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium and Pro subscriptions raise usage and add Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote.
Good for
- Asking quick questions and getting answers from the web
- Summarising a long web page in Edge
- Drafting documents in Word with a Microsoft 365 subscription
Key features
- Chat and writing help
- Answers based on real-time web search
- Image creation
- Voice conversations when signed in
- Web page summaries in Microsoft Edge
- Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote with a Microsoft 365 subscription
Limitations to know about
- Free use depends on available capacity and usage limits
- In Microsoft 365 Family, Copilot features are for the subscription owner only and cannot be shared
- Copilot Pro is no longer sold; Microsoft points buyers to Microsoft 365 Premium
Microsoft Copilot pricing
Microsoft Copilot has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99 a month (Microsoft 365 Personal).
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot (free) | $0 | Limited chat, web answers, image creation and voice |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99/month or $99.99/year | Higher Copilot usage than free, Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99/month or $129.99/year | Same Copilot features as Personal, for the subscription owner only |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | $19.99/month or $199.99/year | Extensive Copilot usage and limited agentic AI features |
| Microsoft 365 Pro | $99.99/month (monthly billing only) | Highest Copilot chat usage and highest agentic AI usage for research and analytics |
Free plan limits: Limited free version subject to available capacity and usage limits; signing in with a personal Microsoft account adds chat history, image creation, longer conversations and voice
Microsoft Copilot alternatives
ChatGPT
OpenAI's AI chat assistant for writing, research, images, voice and coding
Google Gemini
Google's AI assistant app, with paid Google AI plans for higher limits
Claude
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, research and coding
Meta AI
Meta's AI assistant inside WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and its own app
Perplexity
AI answer engine that replies with cited sources from the web
Grok
AI assistant from xAI, now part of SpaceX, with real-time web and X search
Compare Microsoft Copilot with these side by side
Head to head: Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT
Guides that use Microsoft Copilot
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
Microsoft Copilot has a free plan. Limited free version subject to available capacity and usage limits; signing in with a personal Microsoft account adds chat history, image creation, longer conversations and voice. Paid plans start at $9.99/mo.
How much does Microsoft Copilot cost?
Microsoft Copilot's cheapest paid plan, Microsoft 365 Personal, costs $9.99 a month billed monthly. Or $99.99/year. Copilot chat with higher usage than free, plus Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps; AI features are for the subscription owner only. Prices as published on Microsoft Copilot's pricing page on 23 September 2026.
What is Microsoft Copilot used for?
Microsoft Copilot is the consumer AI assistant from Microsoft. People use it for asking quick questions and getting answers from the web, summarising a long web page in Edge and drafting documents in Word with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
What are the alternatives to Microsoft Copilot?
Tools that do a similar job include ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Meta AI and Perplexity. Each has its own page here with its plans, limits and prices.
Who makes Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is made by Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, US. The company was founded in 1975.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from the pages below, read on the dates shown: Microsoft's own pages first, and a named public reference where they are silent.
- microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing/individuals (plans, prices, free trial, Copilot usage levels) read 23 September 2026
- microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products (Microsoft 365 consumer prices and owner-only Copilot limits) read 23 September 2026
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/what-s-the-difference-between-microsoft-copilot-free-and-copilot-in-microsoft-365 (free Copilot features, sign-in benefits, platforms) read 23 September 2026
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/about-microsoft-copilot-pro (Copilot Pro discontinuation) read 23 September 2026
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft (company founded and headquarters) read 23 September 2026
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