Copilot (Microsoft) Review
AI Chat & AssistantsAn AI assistant developed by Microsoft. Integrated into Windows, Edge, and Office products, it supports everything from everyday tasks to business productivity.
Editor's Verdict
Copilot (Microsoft) earns a 4.1/5 rating as one of the more capable options in the ai chat & assistants space. Its standout strength — built into windows, edge, and office for immediate use — makes it particularly valuable when that capability matters most to your workflow. The main trade-off is less customizable compared to chatgpt, which is worth weighing against the alternatives before committing. Because the free plan lets you validate fit without risk, there is very little downside to testing it first.
Table of Contents
What is Copilot (Microsoft)?
Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) is an AI assistant developed by Microsoft in partnership with OpenAI. Built into Windows 11, the Edge browser, and Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), it is seamlessly integrated across the Microsoft product ecosystem. Powered by the GPT-4o model, it provides diverse capabilities including text generation, image generation (DALL-E 3), web search, document summarization, and data analysis. Microsoft 365 Copilot enables direct AI use within Office applications — document drafting in Word, data analysis and formula generation in Excel, automatic slide creation in PowerPoint, and email summarization and drafting in Outlook. Its integration with Bing Search allows it to generate answers using real-time web information. A Commercial version with enhanced data protection is also available for enterprises.
Who is Copilot (Microsoft) for?
Copilot (Microsoft) is best suited for individuals, writers, researchers, and teams who need a versatile conversational assistant for daily productivity. Its free plan lowers the barrier to entry, making it easy to evaluate before committing. The breadth of features (6+) — including Built-in integration with Windows 11 and AI assistant within Microsoft 365 apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) — means you rarely need to switch to another tool for related tasks. Users frequently highlight one specific strength: built into windows, edge, and office for immediate use.
Pricing plans & value for money
Copilot (Microsoft) offers the following plans. Prices reflect the latest available information at the time of review and may change; always confirm on the official site before purchasing.
Key features & capabilities
Here is what Copilot (Microsoft) brings to the table, ranked roughly by how central each capability is to the product experience.
Pros and cons
After evaluating Copilot (Microsoft) against the rest of the ai chat & assistants field, these are the trade-offs that stood out in day-to-day use.
What we liked
- ●Built into Windows, Edge, and Office for immediate use
- ●High-performance GPT-4o-based AI available on the free plan
- ●Free image generation with DALL-E 3
- ●Real-time information retrieval via Bing Search integration
- ●Dramatically improved Office productivity with Microsoft 365 integration
What could be better
- ●Less customizable compared to ChatGPT
- ●Microsoft 365 Copilot is enterprise-only and expensive ($30/user/mo)
- ●As a standalone AI tool, it can fall behind ChatGPT and Claude in some areas
How to get started with Copilot (Microsoft)
A practical, five-step path we recommend for anyone evaluating Copilot (Microsoft) for the first time — designed to minimise wasted time and help you decide fast.
1Sign up for Copilot (Microsoft)
Head to the official Copilot (Microsoft) website and create an account. You can start with the free plan without entering payment details, which is ideal for testing how it fits your workflow.
2Set up your workspace
Install the app on web if a native client is available, or simply open it in your browser. Configure basic preferences such as language, notifications, and default output style so that subsequent runs feel consistent.
3Run your first task with Built-in integration with Windows 11
Start with a small, low-stakes task to understand how Copilot (Microsoft) responds. Write a clear prompt or input, review the output, and iterate. This low-risk exploration is the fastest way to build intuition for what the tool excels at.
4Integrate into your daily workflow
Once you know its strengths, introduce Copilot (Microsoft) into one concrete workflow — not ten. Replace one existing step with it and measure the time saved or quality gained over a week before expanding usage further.
5Upgrade based on real usage
Rather than upgrading upfront, monitor which limits you actually hit (message count, output length, export features). Upgrade only when a specific limit blocks your productivity, not because the higher plan looks more attractive on paper.
Best Copilot (Microsoft) alternatives
Not sure Copilot (Microsoft) is the right fit? These comparable tools in the ai chat & assistants space are worth considering depending on your priorities.
Poe
An AI chat platform by Quora. Access multiple AI models from a single app.
Offers a comparable editorial rating and a more affordable entry point. Best if you want access multiple ai models in one app.
Monica
A browser extension AI assistant. Use AI features on any web page.
Offers a comparable editorial rating and a more affordable entry point. Best if you want available anywhere in the browser.
Llama (Meta AI)
Open-source LLM developed by Meta. A high-performance AI model available for commercial use.
Offers a comparable editorial rating. Best if you want completely free and open source.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Copilot free to use?+
Yes, basic AI chat, image generation, and web search are available for free. Advanced Office integration requires Copilot Pro (¥3,200/mo) or Microsoft 365 Copilot (enterprise).
How does Copilot differ from ChatGPT?+
Copilot's greatest strength is its deep integration with Microsoft products (Windows, Office, Edge). ChatGPT is more versatile, with superior extensibility through custom GPTs and plugins. Copilot is recommended for daily Microsoft product users.
Can individuals use Microsoft 365 Copilot?+
Microsoft 365 Copilot is an enterprise plan. For individual users, Copilot Pro (¥3,200/mo) is available, providing AI features in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other apps.
Ready to try Copilot (Microsoft)?
Start with the free plan — no credit card required.
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Reviewed by: AIpedia Editorial Team · Last updated: April 28, 2026 · Methodology: How we test & rate
This review reflects our editorial opinion based on hands-on testing, pricing verification, and cross-referencing with official documentation. We do not accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews. Read our full editorial policy.