Key facts at a glance
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Swipe across the table to compare all columns →
| Option | Official reference | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Try the official service | Open Copilot ↗ | Official service link, separate from the optional Amazon hardware links. |
| Copilot free | Limited free access | Try the assistant before choosing a subscription. |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | US$9.99/month | One person; Microsoft apps with Copilot and higher AI usage than Free. |
| Microsoft 365 Family | US$12.99/month | Up to six people; AI benefits for subscription owner only on the current page. |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | US$19.99/month | Higher allowances and additional advanced Copilot features. |
| Work plans | Separate eligibility and licensing | A personal subscription is not the same as a business Copilot license. |
| Official reference | Microsoft individual plans | US monthly reference checked 16 October 2026; check taxes, local terms and renewal price. |
Which Copilot subscription do you actually need?
| The short answer | Name the app and task first: browser chat, a Word draft or a spreadsheet workflow. Check that the current plan includes that feature for your account. Similar product names do not mean the same app access, usage allowance or business-data controls. |
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Microsoft Copilot comparison: free and Microsoft 365
What is Microsoft Copilot useful for?
| Documents and messages | Begin with a rough draft you understand. Ask for a shorter introduction, a clearer request or a tidy list of actions. Keep any names, dates and amounts unchanged. Read the finished version aloud before sending. A confident corporate tone can hide the fact that a simple message has become less direct. |
|---|---|
| Spreadsheets | Choose a small example with totals you can verify yourself. Explain what each column means and what answer you need. Ask for an explanation of the proposed formula before using it on the full sheet. Work on a copy so an incorrect change does not damage the original calculation. |
| Presentations | Start with the audience and the decision you want the presentation to support. Ask for a short slide outline, then supply the evidence behind each point. Check that charts use the right values and that the text is readable on the screen where the deck will be shown. |
Copilot prompts for Word, Excel and PowerPoint
| A Word editing prompt | Try: Rewrite this introduction for a new customer using short sentences. Keep the service details and all dates unchanged. Remove repeated phrases. Give me one version under 100 words. Compare the result with your notes, especially anything that sounds like a new promise or a change to the offer. |
|---|---|
| An Excel checking prompt | Try: Explain how to total only the rows that match this category. Use these sample columns and show one formula with an explanation. Verify the result with a few hand-counted rows before extending the formula. Check blank cells and different date formats as well as the obvious normal case. |
| A PowerPoint planning prompt | Try: Make a five-slide outline for a ten-minute beginner talk. Each slide needs one main point and one example. Put the action on the final slide. Review the flow before adding images. A good-looking deck still needs accurate content and a clear reason for each slide. |
Copilot free vs Microsoft 365: should you pay?
| Check what you already own | Look at the exact subscription in your Microsoft account and the account signed into each app. A household member may have access to apps without receiving the owner’s AI benefits. Verify the named feature in the account you will actually use before buying another plan. |
|---|---|
| Compare complete value | If you already need the desktop apps, compare the incremental cost of the plan with the AI features you use. If you only want occasional chat, start with the free option. Avoid buying a larger household package solely from an assumption that every member receives the same AI allowance. |
| Keep renewal terms visible | Record the monthly or annual charge, the renewal date and the cancellation route. A free trial can turn into a paid subscription. Compare local checkout totals in the US, UK, Canada or Australia rather than converting one US price and presenting it as another country’s official price. |
Microsoft Copilot, GitHub Copilot and Copilot+ PCs
| Name the product first | When comparing an offer, write down the full product name and what it includes. A chat assistant, a coding subscription and a computer feature package answer different needs. The word Copilot alone is not enough to establish which app, license or hardware requirement applies to the feature you saw. |
|---|---|
| For a coding task | Choose a small project and define how you will test the change. Keep a working copy before accepting generated edits. Check dependencies and read the changed code. Use the relevant coding product’s own documentation rather than assuming every feature in a consumer Copilot plan applies to development tools. |
| For a new laptop | Decide the normal laptop requirements first: screen, ports, memory, battery routine and local service. Then check the exact AI feature and its supported hardware. Our Windows laptop guide helps compare the whole machine. An AI label should not distract from a keyboard or display you dislike. |
Optional spreadsheet workspace: compare monitors on Amazon.com ↗Affiliate link · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Search results can include other models. Check the model, condition, seller, current price, compatibility and delivery to your country.
Work files, privacy and missing features
| Keep work in an approved account | Ask your organization which account and tools it permits for its documents. Test with a harmless sample before connecting a real workspace. Personal and organizational subscriptions can differ in access and administration. Do not paste confidential material into a different account simply to get a feature working. |
|---|---|
| If a button is absent | Confirm the app version, account, plan and current Microsoft requirements. Check whether you are using web, mobile or desktop. Read the official support page linked below before changing subscriptions. Save the exact error message so you can describe the problem clearly to support. |
| Before accepting an action | Review the destination, recipients and exact changes. Keep a recoverable copy of the original document. For email, inspect addresses and attachments as well as the text. A useful assistant should help you see what will happen before an important action is completed. |
Copilot buying questions
| Is Premium necessary? | Upgrade only when its listed feature or additional allowance solves a problem you encounter. Keep a week’s record of the tasks you finish and where you reach a limit. An occasional user and someone working in documents every day may make different sensible choices. |
|---|---|
| Will a better computer improve answers? | Choose hardware for the work you perform locally, such as typing, calls or large spreadsheets. The optional accessories here do not buy Copilot access or guarantee better answers. Use what you own until you can name the limitation a purchase would fix. |
| What is a fair comparison? | Give Gemini and ChatGPT the same non-private test, then compare correctness and editing time. Also check where the final file needs to live. The most convenient tool for your actual workflow may be more useful than a broad model ranking. |
Microsoft Copilot Free and pricing: direct answers
| Where do I try Copilot Free? | Use the official Copilot link in the first table. Test a normal question or a short writing task. The free assistant and Copilot inside eligible Microsoft 365 apps have different access and allowances. |
|---|---|
| Do all Family members receive AI benefits? | No. The checked Microsoft Family comparison says AI benefits are for the subscription owner. Sharing access to the apps does not mean every household member gets the same Copilot entitlement. |
| Is this GitHub Copilot pricing? | No. This page covers Microsoft Copilot and individual Microsoft 365 plans. If you want a coding subscription, inspect the GitHub product’s own checkout and license. Similar names do not establish identical features. |
| Personal or Premium? | Personal may fit someone who needs the listed apps and higher access than Free. Compare Premium when its additional feature or allowance fixes a limit you actually reach. Check the plan in the account that will use it before changing subscriptions. |
Microsoft 365 prices in the US, UK, Canada and Australia
| United States | The opening comparison gives a checked USD reference. Read the final checkout total and any applicable tax before subscribing. |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Select the UK in the official service or billing flow and read the displayed GBP offer. A converted US price is not an official UK price. |
| Canada | Check the displayed CAD offer and applicable checkout taxes. Compare monthly and annual billing using the same account and subscription tier. |
| Australia | Read the displayed AUD amount, billing period and renewal terms. Compare the features available in your own account before accepting an introductory offer. |
| Check the current offer | Open the official Microsoft 365 service or plan page ↗. No local-currency price is invented when the source does not provide a verified local checkout amount. |
Explore related guides
| More to compare | ChatGPT · Google Gemini · Claude · Perplexity |
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Optional daily-use gear: compare mice on Amazon.com ↗Affiliate link · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Search results can include other models. Check the model, condition, seller, current price, compatibility and delivery to your country.
Official sources and corrections
| Microsoft Copilot individual pricing | Microsoft Copilot individual pricing ↗ |
|---|---|
| Microsoft plan differences | Microsoft plan differences ↗ |
| Editorial note | Official pages checked 16 October 2026. Manufacturer ratings are not our test results. The buying advice is NextAIGen Editorial analysis. Report a correction privately. |