Pick ChatGPT if…
- You're buying seats: Business (standard seat) is $25/seat/mo on monthly billing (vs Microsoft Copilot $25.2).
- You also need writing assistant and image generation (from what its own site says it does).
Usage limits compared (ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot): message caps, reset windows and which plan you need → AI usage limits: which plan do you need?
See alternatives: ChatGPT alternatives · Microsoft Copilot alternatives
ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot compared with prices from official pricing pages (per-tool checked dates): plans, free tiers and which is better value.
Pick ChatGPT if price matters: $1.99/mo ($23.88/yr) less than Microsoft Copilot on monthly billing.
Free plan, refunds, privacy and more: see what else differs ↓
Rule: we only compare prices when the tools do the same main job (from what each official site says it does), and only on the same billing (monthly with monthly, billed-yearly with billed-yearly). A real free plan on only one tool comes first. Prices from official pricing pages, each with its own checked date below. No ratings or reviews. The cheaper pick comes from price alone; the Best Value label is shown separately and never replaces it — the same rule as on each tool page.
| ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | General-purpose AI assistant: writing, research, images, voice. | Microsoft's assistant; paid AI features come with Microsoft 365 plans. |
| All plans | Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro from $100/mo (3 tiers); Business $25/seat/mo ($20 billed annually); monthly billing | Copilot Pro no longer sold; Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/mo ($99.99/yr); Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/mo ($199.99/yr), advanced Copilot (US prices) |
| Free tier | Free: $0 (unlimited text chats on GPT-6, limits on tools) | Free Copilot available |
| Checked | 2026-10-24 · pricing page | 2026-10-20 · pricing page |
Free plan limits, yearly savings, student and team deals, refunds and whether your data trains their AI, side by side. Every fact is from the tool's official page, with its source and the date we read it.
What matters to you?
Tap what matters to you. We tally which tool is ahead using only the facts in the table below.
| What you get | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan Free plan limits → | Yes: Free: $0 (unlimited text chats on GPT-6, limits on tools)source for ChatGPT (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-24 | Yes: Free Copilot availablesource for Microsoft Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-20 |
| Yearly billing Monthly or yearly? → | Plus: $20/mo, monthly only (no yearly plan)source for ChatGPT (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-11-01 | Not in our checks yet |
| Student deal Student discounts → | None on its official pagesource for ChatGPT (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-24 | Ahead 50% off: 50% off Microsoft 365 Personal (includes Copilot)source for Microsoft Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-24 |
| Team plan Team plan costs → | Ahead Business (standard seat): $25/seat/mo monthly ($20 billed yearly); from 2 seatssource for ChatGPT (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-26 | Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on): $25.2/seat/mo monthly ($21 billed yearly) Add-on: you also need a Microsoft 365 business plan (not included), so it isn't ranked. Yearly list price $21; the page shows a limited offer of $18.source for Microsoft Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-26 |
| Refunds and cancelling Refund rules → | Refund window: Possible within 7 days of the charge, if the subscription is unused (their call). Cancel: Settings → Billing (or Account) → Cancel plan → Cancel (at least 24 hours before your next billing date)source for ChatGPT (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-27 | Not in our checks yet |
| Trains on your data? Data privacy → | Yes, by default (you can switch it off) Free, Plus and Pro: OpenAI may use your chats to train its models unless you turn it off. Opt out: Settings → Data controls → turn off “Improve the model for everyone”. Or ask “Do not train on my content” in OpenAI's Privacy Portal. Temporary chats aren't used for training. Team plans: not used for training by defaultsource for ChatGPT (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-29 | Ahead No (doesn't train on your content) New Copilot app (from August 18, 2026), personal account: your prompts, responses and files aren't used to train foundation models. Team plans: not used for training by defaultsource for Microsoft Copilot (opens in a new tab) · checked 2026-10-29 |
“Ahead” means better on that row only, by a fixed rule: a free plan beats none; the bigger yearly saving; free student plan, then discount; the lower per-seat price on the same billing; a stated refund window, then case by case, then none; not training on your data, then opt-in, then opt-out, then no opt-out. No row is called when a tool hasn't been checked. See how we pick.
More: best AI ai assistants tools · all ai assistants tools · cost calculator
Per its official pricing page (checked 2026-10-24): Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro from $100/mo (3 tiers); Business $25/seat/mo ($20 billed annually); monthly billing.
Free: $0 (unlimited text chats on GPT-6, limits on tools) (checked 2026-10-24).
Per its official pricing page (checked 2026-10-20): Copilot Pro no longer sold; Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/mo ($99.99/yr); Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/mo ($199.99/yr), advanced Copilot (US prices).
Free Copilot available (checked 2026-10-20).
Le Chat (Mistral): Pro at $14.99/mo, plus a free plan.
Pick ChatGPT if price matters: $1.99/mo ($23.88/yr) less than Microsoft Copilot on monthly billing (ToolPick rule using prices checked on official pricing pages).
Writing about this? Embed this price card — it updates when we re-check prices.