ChatGPT is a standalone conversational AI with broader accessibility and deeper reasoning capabilities, while Microsoft Copilot is deeply integrated into Windows, Microsoft 365, and Bing with seamless enterprise adoption. ChatGPT leads in pure conversational ability; Copilot excels in productivity workflows.
Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Advanced conversational AI model by OpenAI with reasoning and code capabilities
Microsoft's AI assistant integrated across Windows, Microsoft 365, and Bing with real-time search and native productivity features.
Primary Access Method. Base Model Capability. Enterprise Integration. Free Tier Usage Limits. Monthly Subscription Cost. Document/File Integration. Global Monthly Active Users (2024)
Choose ChatGPT if you need the most advanced reasoning models (o1), prefer a standalone tool, or want maximum flexibility across devices and platforms. Choose Microsoft Copilot if you use Windows, Microsoft 365, or work in an enterprise environment where seamless Office integration and admin governance matter—it eliminates friction in existing workflows without additional tool-switching.
ChatGPT: GPT-3.5 (basic) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Not favored | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Moderate | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Faster | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Broader ecosystem | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Conversational assistance & content generation | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: o1/o3 advanced reasoning series | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Hundreds of plugins and integrations | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Knowledge cutoff with occasional browsing | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Projects feature | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Limited or subscription-only | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Available but not primary focus | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Custom GPTs with established ecosystem | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Single model per session | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-5.2 advanced context | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Web access in Plus tier | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Superior synthesis and judgment | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 128,000 | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-4, GPT-4o, o1, and newer models | Microsoft Copilot: GPT-4 Turbo
ChatGPT: No | Microsoft Copilot: Yes (via Bing)
Minimum Monthly Cost for Advanced Features
ChatGPT: $20 (Plus tier) | Microsoft Copilot: $0 (included with Windows/Microsoft 365)
ChatGPT: Yes; extensive custom GPT ecosystem | Microsoft Copilot: Limited; basic customization
ChatGPT: Thousands via Zapier and API | Microsoft Copilot: Native to Microsoft 365; limited outside
ChatGPT: Yes, via GPT-4 Vision in Plus/Pro tiers | Microsoft Copilot: Yes, integrated with Windows UI
ChatGPT: Yes (ChatGPT Enterprise custom terms) | Microsoft Copilot: Yes (Microsoft contracts)
ChatGPT: $0.05-3.00 (varies by model) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Strong (GPT-4o/5.4 capable) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Text, image, voice, video | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: $5 (ChatGPT Go) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Limited (enterprise only) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Consumer-friendly, polished | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 1,500+ | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: November 2022 | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: No (knowledge cutoff) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Web, iOS, Android, API | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: $240 (ChatGPT Plus) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Very Strong (GPT-4o) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: $20 (Plus) / $200 (Pro) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Advanced (image, video, text, document analysis) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 1 (standalone web/app) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-4o: Superior accuracy on technical/logic problems | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 5-10 (account creation, app download) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Excellent - follows detailed creative prompts precisely | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: $240 (Plus annually) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: $20/month | Microsoft Copilot: $30/month
ChatGPT: Manual copy-paste only | Microsoft Copilot: Full native integration
ChatGPT: Thousands via Zapier | Microsoft Copilot: M365 suite only
ChatGPT: Separate application | Microsoft Copilot: Native system-level integration
ChatGPT: GPT-5.2 | Microsoft Copilot: Work IQ architecture
ChatGPT: Processes public web data only | Microsoft Copilot: Processes proprietary data within M365
ChatGPT: Available (full GPT-3.5) | Microsoft Copilot: Yes (with Microsoft 365 or Bing)
ChatGPT: $15.00 | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 3 (text, image, voice) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 10,000+ | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-5.5 (Plus/Pro) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Strong (GPT-5.5) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Yes (browse mode) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Strong across 50+ languages | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Strict JSON mode + tool calling | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: ~2025 (browse compensates) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Yes (DALL-E 3) | Microsoft Copilot: DALL-E 3 (Copilot Pro only)
ChatGPT: Yes — Advanced Voice | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Operator agent | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Largest (GPTs, Operator) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Polished, top-rated | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Automatic on supported models | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-5.5-class + 4o-mini | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Cloud-only (Azure OpenAI closest) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: ~500 RPM / 90K TPM (GPT-5.5) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-5.5 mini (rate-limited) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: ChatGPT Plus $20/mo | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Pro $100/mo · Pro Max $200/mo | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: ~$30/user/mo | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-5.5: ~$2.50 | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-4o / o1 (advanced) | Microsoft Copilot: GPT-4 (Copilot Pro) / Bing model (standard)
ChatGPT: 40 messages (GPT-4); unlimited (GPT-3.5) | Microsoft Copilot: 15 messages/day
ChatGPT: No—manual upload required | Microsoft Copilot: Yes—OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams access
ChatGPT: $20 | Microsoft Copilot: $20 (Copilot Pro, separate from 365)
ChatGPT: No—requires web/app | Microsoft Copilot: Yes—built into taskbar
ChatGPT: Yes—Custom GPTs | Microsoft Copilot: Limited—Copilot settings only
ChatGPT: Basic (via API keys) | Microsoft Copilot: Full—Azure AD, DLP, audit logs
ChatGPT: $20 (ChatGPT Plus) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Yes | Microsoft Copilot: Built-in Bing integration
ChatGPT: No - requires manual import | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Full API with fine-tuning | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 3-6 seconds average | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 95+ languages | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Advanced custom instructions system | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 200+ million | Microsoft Copilot: ~160 million (via Windows + Microsoft 365)
ChatGPT: Limited messages (no dedicated search) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: No (Plus only) | Microsoft Copilot: Requires Pro subscription
ChatGPT: GPT-4o & o1 reasoning | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Available (not default) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Extensive (10,000+ GPTs & plugins) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: April 2024 | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: $20/month (ChatGPT Plus) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 1,200-2,000ms (requires API call and context setup) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 20+ languages | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 128,000 tokens (~96,000 words) | Microsoft Copilot: 32,000 tokens
ChatGPT: 0 (web and API only) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 67% correct on HumanEval benchmark | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 15-30 seconds (copy code, switch tabs, paste results) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Current (December 2024) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Advanced (GPT-4V with OCR, charts, diagrams) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 8-12 seconds | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Available (vision-enabled) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: External (API + plugins) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 200+ million | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: April 2024 cutoff | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Strict safety guidelines | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: $15 (GPT-4 Turbo) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Yes (voice input/output) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-4o mini (capable) | Microsoft Copilot: Limited GPT-4o access
ChatGPT: 128,000 tokens | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Yes (GPT-4 Turbo with browsing) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
Coding Task Accuracy (HumanEval Benchmark)
ChatGPT: 40-50 (approximate) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 12,000 tokens (GPT-4 Turbo) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: GPT-4o | Microsoft Copilot: GPT-4 Turbo (limited)
ChatGPT: No (requires Plus) | Microsoft Copilot: Yes (included)
ChatGPT: $20 (Plus) | Microsoft Copilot: $20 (Pro)
ChatGPT: 500,000+ | Microsoft Copilot: Limited (<1,000)
ChatGPT: No | Microsoft Copilot: Yes (Windows 11/12)
ChatGPT: DALL-E 3 (free + paid) | Microsoft Copilot: Yes (DALL-E 3)
ChatGPT: 87% | Microsoft Copilot: 72% (HumanEval)
ChatGPT: $20/month (Plus) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Yes (Plus/Pro users) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Yes (GPT-3.5 free tier with limited queries) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 200,000 tokens (GPT-4o Turbo) | Microsoft Copilot: 128K tokens
ChatGPT: 1,000+ (via API, Zapier, Make, native integrations) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: Advanced (multi-file, architecture design, debugging) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 120 MB per file (ChatGPT Plus) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 2-5 seconds (depends on query complexity) | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: 50+ programming and markup languages | Microsoft Copilot: N/A
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 9.5/10
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Bing integration only
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Limited context-based only
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: GitHub Copilot in 15+ IDEs
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Market leader in enterprise
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 120+ million Copilot Users
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Free (with ads) or Copilot Pro $20
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 128,000 tokens (GPT-4 Turbo)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 35+ languages (Visual Studio optimized)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Cloud + On-premises + Sovereign Cloud
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams data
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 99.9% (Microsoft 365 SLA)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: iOS, Android (Copilot app + Teams)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro/Premium Tier)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: $20/month
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Premium only ($20/month)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: $20 (Copilot Pro)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: $20 (Copilot Pro standalone) or included
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Advanced (GPT-4 class, real-time in Office suite)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Deep (Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 150+ via Copilot plugins (limited scope)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 40+ built-in templates
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Full offline in desktop Microsoft apps
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 300+ million (via Microsoft 365)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 5 minutes (familiar Microsoft interface)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 88% accuracy
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Unlimited basic; limited advanced features
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Full integration (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: GPT-4o (OpenAI)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Minimal citations (10-20%)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 100+ million (Windows users)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 81/100
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 78/100
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Native across Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: <1 second (local)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Limited (varied)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Windows 11, Web, Teams, Outlook, Edge
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: FedRAMP Authorized, HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: DALL-E 3
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 90% (GPT-4 Turbo)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 5+ core Office applications
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Image and document analysis
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 1-2 citations
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Unlimited (Bing Chat)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 88.3% (GPT-4 Turbo)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 15+ (Windows, Office, Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, Visual Studio)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: iOS/Android (limited features)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: $20 (Copilot Pro standalone)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: $30+ (requires Microsoft 365 base)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 5 (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, Windows 11)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Limited (varies by Microsoft 365 license)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: GPT-4 (in Copilot Pro)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Limited, with reduced GPT-4 access
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 200,000 tokens
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: GPT-4 Turbo / GPT-4o
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: DALL-E 3 (highest rated)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 5 platforms (Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Full (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Proprietary (Closed)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: $20.00 (Copilot Pro)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 73% (built into Windows 11)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Not Available
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 8+ (Windows, Edge, Office 365, Mobile, Web, ChatGPT)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: GPT-4 Turbo with web search, DALL-E 3, plugins
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Native in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 150 chats/day
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 100,000
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Built-in Copilot key + Copilot+ devices
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: DALL-E 3 integration
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Deep Office 365 (Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 128,000
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 128,000 (GPT-4 Turbo)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: Native (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
User Reported Reasoning Quality (Scale 1-10)
ChatGPT: N/A | Microsoft Copilot: 8.2/10
How to choose between ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT. Contains 247 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT.
Can I use Copilot if I don't have Microsoft 365?
Yes. Microsoft Copilot is free in Windows 11/12 and Bing with unlimited daily usage. However, document integration (OneDrive, SharePoint) requires Microsoft 365. Copilot Pro ($20/month) adds GPT-4 access but still needs 365 for full document features.
Is ChatGPT or Copilot better for work productivity?
Copilot wins for Microsoft 365 users because it accesses Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams natively without uploading files. ChatGPT is better if you use non-Microsoft tools or need advanced reasoning (o1 model) for complex analysis.
Both have different trade-offs. ChatGPT allows opt-out of training data usage; Copilot integrates with Microsoft's enterprise compliance (DLP, audit logs) for organizations. ChatGPT data goes to OpenAI; Copilot data stays within Microsoft's ecosystem by default.
Yes. Many users use both—Copilot for quick Office tasks and ChatGPT for advanced reasoning or standalone work. They're complementary rather than competitive.
Copilot on Mac is available through the browser (bing.com/copilot) and ChatGPT app, but not as a native system tool like Windows. Linux users access both via web only. For native integration, Windows/Microsoft ecosystem users have the advantage.
How to Choose Between ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot
Primary Access Method: ChatGPT has Web, iOS, Android, desktop apps, API, while Microsoft Copilot has Built into Windows 11/12, Microsoft 365, Bing, Edge sidebar.
Base Model Capability: ChatGPT has GPT-4o (faster) / o1 (advanced reasoning), while Microsoft Copilot has Copilot Pro uses GPT-4, standard Copilot uses Bing's model.
Enterprise Integration: ChatGPT has API-based, requires separate implementation, while Microsoft Copilot has Native to 365, Teams, Outlook, Excel, Word with admin controls.
Free Tier Usage Limits: ChatGPT has 40 messages/3 hours (GPT-4 limited); unlimited GPT-3.5, while Microsoft Copilot has Unlimited daily usage in Windows and Bing.
Monthly Subscription Cost: ChatGPT has $20 (ChatGPT Plus); $200 (Pro tier with o1), while Microsoft Copilot has $20 (Copilot Pro); $30/month per user (Microsoft 365 E5).
Document/File Integration: ChatGPT has Requires manual upload; no native Office integration, while Microsoft Copilot has Direct access to OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams documents without uploading.
Consider: Global Monthly Active Users (2024)
Global Monthly Active Users (2024): ChatGPT has 180 million+ users, while Microsoft Copilot has 100 million+ users.