Microsoft’s assistant, free standalone and bundled into Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
- Starting price
- $9.99/month (Microsoft 365 Personal)
- Pricing model
- Freemium
- User rating
- 4.2 / 5
- Best for
- AI inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams
Microsoft Copilot is AI built into the software most offices already run. It sits inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams rather than in a separate chat window, and that is the whole argument for it.
Who Microsoft Copilot is for
Organisations already paying for Microsoft 365. Copilot reads your mail, files and meetings in place, which no standalone assistant can do without connectors and setup.
If you do not use Office, there is little reason to choose it. The free web version is a general assistant with nothing special about it.
Which Copilot plan should you pick?
For individuals, Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year now bundles Copilot with the desktop apps. Family is $12.99 a month, though the AI features only work for the subscription owner.
For businesses, the Copilot Business add-on is $18 per user a month on annual billing, down from $21, and requires a qualifying Microsoft 365 licence underneath it.
Bundled business plans are simpler: Business Standard with Copilot at $23.50 per user a month, or Business Premium with Copilot at $32, both billed yearly.
Microsoft Copilot pricing and plans
Copilot Free
$0
per month
General web and mobile assistant.
- Chat on web, Windows and mobile
- Basic image generation
- Web search
- No Office file integration
Microsoft 365 Personal
$9.99
per month
$99.99 a year. One person.
- Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Advanced Copilot chat with higher limits
- 1 TB OneDrive storage
- Desktop apps included
Microsoft 365 Family
$12.99
per month
$129.99 a year. AI features are owner-only.
- Everything in Personal
- Up to 6 people
- 6 TB OneDrive total
- AI limited to the subscription owner
Copilot Business add-on
$18
per user, per month
Billed yearly, down from $21. Needs a qualifying M365 licence.
- Copilot across Office apps
- Microsoft 365 Chat
- Meeting summaries in Teams
- Enterprise data protection
Business Standard with Copilot
$23.50
per user, per month
$28.20 billed monthly. Licence and Copilot in one.
- Office apps and Teams
- Copilot included
- Business email
- No separate add-on needed
Business Premium with Copilot
$32
per user, per month
$38.40 billed monthly.
- Everything in Standard
- Advanced security and device management
- Intune
- Copilot included
Pricing checked against the official Microsoft Copilot pricing page on 5 September 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm before you buy.
What Microsoft Copilot actually does
- Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Meeting recap and summaries in Teams
- Microsoft 365 Chat across your files and mail
- Image generation
- Copilot in Windows
- Enterprise data protection on business plans
- Admin controls and usage reporting
- Free web and mobile assistant
Pros and cons
What works well
- Works inside the apps most offices already use
- Now bundled with Microsoft 365 Personal at no extra cost
- Business add-on price cut from $21 to $18
- Enterprise data protection on business plans
- Meeting summaries in Teams are genuinely useful
What to watch out for
- Licensing is complicated, with add-ons layered on base plans
- Family AI features only work for the subscription owner
- Little value if you do not use Office
- Free tier has no file integration at all
Microsoft Copilot FAQs
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
There is a free version on web, Windows and mobile for general chat and image generation. It does not work inside your Office files.
How much does Copilot cost for individuals?
Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year and now includes Copilot in the desktop apps. Family is $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year.
Do all family members get the AI features?
No. Microsoft states that AI features in Family plans are available only to the subscription owner and cannot be shared.
How much is Copilot for business?
The Copilot Business add-on is $18 per user a month billed yearly, reduced from $21. It needs a qualifying Microsoft 365 licence underneath.
Is there a cheaper way to buy it for a team?
Bundled plans are usually simpler. Business Standard with Copilot is $23.50 per user a month billed yearly, which covers both the licence and the AI.
Does Copilot read my company files?
On business plans it works across the files, mail and meetings your account can already reach, inside Microsoft’s enterprise data protection boundary.
Is it worth it if we do not use Office?
Rarely. The value is the in-app integration. Without Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, a standalone assistant will usually serve you better for less.
Where does the 4.2 rating come from?
It is the aggregate score from 73 reviewers on G2, checked 12 August 2026. It is not our own hands-on test score.
Weighing up other options? Read our roundup of AI tool alternatives.
Ready to try Microsoft Copilot?
Go to Microsoft Copilot