Microsoft uses the name “Copilot” for a lot of different things: a free chatbot, an app on your phone, a button in Windows, AI inside Word and Excel, a business add-on that reads your work email, and even a coding assistant. No wonder “what is Copilot?” is one of the most searched questions about Microsoft.
This guide explains in plain English what Microsoft Copilot is, every version of Copilot and who it is for, what is free and what costs money, how to start using it, how it compares with ChatGPT, and how to turn it off if you don’t want it.
- Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant. The basic version is a free chatbot for writing, questions, web answers and images, on the web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and Edge.
- Free: works without signing in; a free Microsoft account adds chat history, longer chats, image creation and voice.
- Home plans: Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium add Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote with usage limits. Premium has the highest limits plus Researcher and Analyst agents.
- Work: Copilot Chat comes with eligible Microsoft 365 business plans; the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on grounds answers in your work files, email and meetings.
- GitHub Copilot is a separate coding assistant for developers.
What Is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft’s family of AI assistants. You type or speak a request in normal language, and Copilot writes, answers, summarises, searches the web, creates images or works inside your Microsoft apps for you.
Under the hood, Copilot uses large language models, including models from OpenAI and Microsoft’s own, combined with Bing web search for up-to-date answers. Business versions can also look at your organisation’s files, emails, chats and calendars, with permissions controlled by your company.
The name “copilot” is the idea: it helps you fly the plane, but you stay in charge. You review what it writes before you send or use it.
Every Copilot Explained
| Copilot | What it is | Who it is for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Copilot (free app and website) | AI chat, web answers, image creation, voice | Everyone | Free |
| Copilot in Windows and Edge | The same Copilot built into Windows and the Edge browser, plus web page summaries in Edge | Windows and Edge users | Free |
| Copilot in Microsoft 365 Personal / Family | Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, with usage limits | Home subscribers | Included in the plan |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | Highest Copilot limits, Researcher and Analyst agents, early access features | Power users at home | Paid plan (replaced Copilot Pro) |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Secure, web-grounded chat for work accounts | Business users | Included with eligible business plans |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot (add-on) | Chat and in-app AI grounded in your work data, agents, Teams meeting summaries | Businesses | Paid per user |
| GitHub Copilot | AI coding assistant in code editors and GitHub | Developers | Free tier and paid plans |
| Copilot+ PCs | A class of Windows laptops with an NPU for on-device AI features | PC buyers | Hardware, not a subscription |
“Copilot+ PC” is a hardware label, not an app. Our guide to NPUs and AI PCs explains what that means.
What Copilot Can Do for Free
According to Microsoft’s support page, the free Microsoft Copilot gives you:
- AI chat for writing, brainstorming and summarising.
- Real-time answers grounded in web search, with links to sources.
- Image creation from text prompts.
- Copilot in Edge to summarise web pages you are reading.
- Voice conversations when signed in.
You can use it without signing in, but signing in with a free personal Microsoft account unlocks chat history, longer conversations, image creation and voice. It is available in any browser, as desktop apps for Windows and macOS, as mobile apps for iPhone and Android, and inside Microsoft Edge.
Free use has limits on heavier features such as image generation and deep research. Paid Microsoft 365 plans raise those limits.
Copilot in Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium
If you pay for Microsoft 365 at home, Copilot is built into the Office apps.
| Plan | Copilot features | Launch price (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Personal | Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook, with higher limits than free | $9.99/month |
| Microsoft 365 Family (up to 6 people) | Same Copilot features, for the subscription owner only | $12.99/month |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | Highest usage limits, Researcher and Analyst agents, early access to Office Agent and Agent Mode, 1 TB per person | $19.99/month |
Prices are the US prices Microsoft announced when Premium launched; they can change by country and over time, so check Microsoft’s plans page. Important details:
- AI features belong to the subscription owner. On Family and Premium, Copilot in the desktop apps is not shared with other members.
- Usage limits apply. Microsoft uses an AI credit allowance for Copilot in the apps; Premium has the largest allowance.
- Copilot Pro is gone. Microsoft stopped selling the standalone Copilot Pro plan and folded its features into Premium.
For step-by-step help using Copilot in the Office apps, see our Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint guide.
Copilot for Work: Copilot Chat vs Microsoft 365 Copilot
At work, there are two levels:
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Microsoft 365 Copilot (add-on) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included with eligible Microsoft 365 business plans | Paid per user per month |
| Grounded in | The web | Your work data: files, emails, chats, meetings, people |
| Inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams | Limited | Yes, full in-app features |
| Agents | Pay-as-you-go agents | Researcher and Analyst plus other agents |
| Teams meeting summaries | No | Yes |
| Admin controls | Enterprise data protection | Full security, compliance and analytics |
For small and medium businesses, Microsoft’s US pricing page lists Microsoft 365 Copilot Business at $21 per user per month on annual billing, with a promotional $18 for the first year on annual plans from July 1 to December 31, 2026, or $25.20 per user per month on monthly billing.
It also sells bundles such as Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot ($23.50) and Business Premium with Copilot ($32.00) per user per month on annual billing. Enterprise pricing differs, so check with Microsoft or your reseller.
The latest features, such as Cowork and agent updates, are covered in our Microsoft Copilot November 2026 update.
How to Start Using Copilot
- Pick where to use it: open the Copilot website in any browser, install the Copilot app on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android, or click the Copilot button in Windows or Edge.
- Sign in (optional but recommended) with a free Microsoft account to keep chat history and unlock images and voice. At work, sign in with your work account.
- Type a request in the message box, for example “Plan a 3-day trip to Rome on a budget”.
- Use the extras: attach an image or file, tap the microphone for voice, or ask it to create an image.
- Check the sources Copilot links for web answers before relying on facts.
- In Office apps: open Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook with a Microsoft 365 plan and click the Copilot button on the ribbon.
Useful Things to Ask Copilot
| Task | Example prompt |
|---|---|
| Write an email | “Write a polite email asking my landlord to fix the heating. Keep it short.” |
| Summarise a page | In Edge: “Summarise this page in 5 bullet points.” |
| Plan | “Make a weekly meal plan for two vegetarians under $60.” |
| Learn | “Explain how compound interest works with a simple example.” |
| Create an image | “Create a cartoon of a cat drinking coffee in a rainy café.” |
| Excel help | “Add a column that shows each order’s profit margin.” |
| PowerPoint | “Create a 6-slide presentation from this Word document.” |
Like any AI, Copilot can be wrong. Treat it as a fast first draft and check important facts, numbers and quotes.
Copilot vs ChatGPT vs Gemini
| Microsoft Copilot | ChatGPT | Google Gemini | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best built-in home | Windows, Edge, Word, Excel, Outlook | Its own app, plus many integrations | Android, Chrome, Gmail, Google Docs |
| Web answers with sources | Yes (Bing) | Yes | Yes (Google Search) |
| Image creation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | People who live in Microsoft 365 and Windows | General use and the widest feature set | People who live in Google’s apps |
For a deeper comparison of quality and prices, see ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini vs Grok.
Privacy and Safety
- Personal accounts: your chats are stored in your Microsoft account history. You can review and delete conversations and change personalisation settings in Copilot’s settings.
- Work accounts: Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot include enterprise data protection, and the add-on only shows data you already have permission to see.
- Don’t paste secrets: avoid sharing passwords, card numbers or sensitive personal data in any AI chat.
- Check the output: AI can make mistakes or produce outdated information.
How to Turn Copilot Off
Not a fan? You can remove or hide Copilot in most places: uninstall the Copilot app from Windows settings, hide the Copilot button in Edge, and turn off Copilot in Word, Excel and other apps through their privacy or Copilot settings. Our step-by-step guide to turning off Copilot in Windows 11 covers every switch.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No Copilot button in Word or Excel | No eligible Microsoft 365 plan, or not the subscription owner | Check your plan; on Family, only the owner gets Copilot in the apps; update Office |
| “You’ve reached your limit” | Usage limit or AI credits used up | Wait for the reset, or upgrade to a plan with higher limits |
| Can’t create images | Not signed in | Sign in with a Microsoft account |
| Copilot not available in your country | Regional rollout | Check Microsoft’s supported regions; some features roll out gradually |
| Work Copilot can’t see your files | You only have Copilot Chat, not the add-on | Ask your IT admin about a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence |
| Wrong or outdated answer | AI error | Ask it to cite sources, then check them |
My Take
Think of Copilot as three things: a free ChatGPT-style chatbot from Microsoft, AI built into Office for paying Microsoft 365 users, and a business tool that understands your company’s data. If you just want to try AI, the free app is a perfectly good start.
If you live in Word, Excel and Outlook, a Microsoft 365 plan makes Copilot genuinely useful because it works right where your documents are.
FAQ
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
Yes. The basic Copilot app and website are free, with or without signing in. Copilot inside Office apps and the business add-on are paid.
Is Copilot the same as ChatGPT?
No. Copilot is Microsoft’s product. It uses large language models including OpenAI’s, but it has its own features, limits and integrations with Windows and Microsoft 365.
What happened to Copilot Pro?
Microsoft stopped selling Copilot Pro and moved its features into the Microsoft 365 Premium plan.
Do I need Windows to use Copilot?
No. Copilot works in any web browser and has apps for macOS, iPhone and Android as well as Windows.
What is the difference between Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Copilot is the free consumer assistant. Microsoft 365 Copilot is the paid business add-on that works with your organisation’s files, email, meetings and chats.
Is GitHub Copilot part of Microsoft Copilot?
GitHub Copilot is a separate product for programmers, made by GitHub (owned by Microsoft). It has its own plans.
Can I remove Copilot from Windows 11?
Yes. You can uninstall the Copilot app and hide Copilot buttons. See our turn-off guide for each setting.
