Microsoft Copilot Versions: Pricing, Use Cases and More
- Colin McCall, Modern Workplace Analyst
- Read Time: 7 mins
If you’ve been blissfully unplugged, you may not have heard of Microsoft Copilot yet. If you’re a bit confused about what it is, where to find it, how it works, and which version of Copilot is which—that’s understandable. It’s hard to know everything the tech giant’s AI product does—what’s more, Microsoft Copilot isn’t one thing—it’s a family of AI tools built to boost productivity across Microsoft’s ecosystem.
From Windows and Bing to Microsoft 365, Azure, and Security, each version of Copilot is designed for a different type of user, workload, or use case.
Some versions are free. Others cost $20, $30, or even more. Some are built for personal use, others for enterprise teams—and a few are tailored to specific roles like sales, service, or security.
We want to clear up some of the confusion surrounding Copilot. We’ll break down each Copilot version, what it does, what it costs, and who it’s built for—so you can decide what makes sense for your organization.
What Is Microsoft Copilot?
Copilot combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with real-time access to enterprise data. Built on OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform—which Microsoft has invested north of $12 billion to back—Copilot launched in July 2023 and now runs on GPT-4o. Microsoft plans to transition to OpenAI o1 in the future.
Copilot is a lot more than just a ChatGPT chatbot. It is embedded across Microsoft’s ecosystem to help users ask better questions, generate content faster, and get work done more efficiently—using natural language. As an example—when paired with Microsoft Graph, it can pull insights from your calendar, emails, documents, meetings, and more, giving you context-aware assistance that’s grounded in your organization’s data.
The Three Core Versions of Copilot
1. Microsoft Copilot (Free) – The general-use version, embedded in Bing, Edge, Windows, and Microsoft 365 apps for consumers and small businesses. Included in your Microsoft licensing.
2. Copilot Pro ($20/user/month) – Aimed at individuals needing advanced AI capabilities, including priority access to GPT-4 Turbo and enhanced Microsoft 365 integration. No business applications.
3. Copilot for Microsoft 365 ($30/user/month) – The enterprise-grade version offering deeper integration into Microsoft 365 apps and AI-driven business chat.
While the free and Pro versions of Copilot rely on publicly available internet data, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is grounded in your organization’s data—and only your data. That means more accurate, relevant, and secure results tailored to your people and your workflows.
Both consumer and enterprise Copilots integrate with Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. But Copilot for Microsoft 365 goes further. It adds Microsoft 365 Chat (formerly Business Chat), which works across your internal emails, calendars, documents, meetings, and chats to deliver personalized, real-time insights.
Over time, Microsoft has continued to expand how and where Copilot shows up—adding deeper integration across OneDrive, rolling out dedicated Copilot keys on Surface devices, and introducing AI-powered PCs that can run Copilot tasks locally.
Breakdown of the Core Copilot Versions
1. Microsoft Copilot (Free)
Microsoft Copilot is the base-level AI assistant available via Bing, Edge, Windows, and non-enterprise Microsoft 365 apps.
- AI-powered chat for general inquiries
- Image generation with DALL-E 3
- Task automation within Windows
- Follows enterprise data protection, so anything you chat about—or documents you upload—will not be recorded by Microsoft or used to train any models
- Pay-as-you-go consumption model for agents—allowing users to build agents and select from approved data sources like SharePoint
- Collaborate with others using Copilot Pages and Loop
2. Copilot Pro ($20/user/month)
Designed for individual power users, this version offers:
- Priority access to GPT-4 Turbo
- Advanced AI image generation
- Enhanced AI capabilities in Microsoft 365 Personal & Family subscriptions
- Early access to Copilot GPT Builder
- Securely reference your personal OneDrive data
3. Copilot for Microsoft 365 ($30/user/month)
Tailored for business users—with no seat minimums as of January 2024—and integrates with:
- Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and more
- Enterprise-specific data within Microsoft 365
- AI-driven business chat for cross-app insights
Copilot Versions in Role-Specific and Advanced Workflows
While many know Copilot as a tool for writing emails or summarizing documents, Microsoft has built specialized Copilot versions for deeper, role-based use cases. These tools go far beyond general productivity—helping teams automate workflows, manage customer relationships, analyze data, build custom bots, and secure their environment.
Let’s break down what each of these purpose-built Copilot versions can do, with examples that bring them to life.
Power Platform Copilot
Built into Power Apps and Power Automate, this version helps users build solutions without needing to code.
- Example: A business analyst can describe a workflow in natural language—like “send an approval email when a SharePoint list is updated”—and Copilot will build the automation for them.
- License Required: Power Apps or Power Automate license
Copilot for Sales & Service
Integrates with Dynamics 365 or Salesforce to give frontline teams the AI support they need.
- Example: A sales rep can ask Copilot to summarize a customer’s recent activity and draft a personalized follow-up email based on CRM data.
- Price: $50/user/month
- CRM Required: Dynamics 365 or Salesforce
Dynamics 365 Copilot
Tailored for users of Dynamics 365 apps across departments.
- Example: A service manager can use Copilot to review incoming tickets, suggest responses, and flag recurring issues—all inside D365 Service.
- Price: $50/user/month (plus D365 license)
Copilot Studio (Custom Bots & Agents)
For organizations that want to build their own AI assistants.
- Example: HR teams can create a self-service bot to help employees request PTO, find policy documents, or reset passwords.
- Development: Free with M365 Copilot license
- Deployment: $200 for 25,000 messages/month or $0.01 per message (PAYGO)
Copilot for Security
Delivers AI-driven support to security operations teams through Microsoft’s Security solutions.
- Example: A security analyst can ask Copilot to summarize a threat alert, recommend next steps, or even draft a response plan.
- Price: $4/hour per Security Compute Unit (SCU); ~$2,920/month per SCU
- Starter Guidance: Microsoft recommends starting with 3 SCUs
GitHub Copilot
Designed for developers and software teams, GitHub Copilot assists with writing, reviewing, and understanding code.
- Example: A developer typing a function in Python can receive autocomplete suggestions, inline documentation, and bug fixes in real time.
- Pricing: Pro ($10), Team ($19), Enterprise ($39) per user/month
Copilot for Data & Analytics
Built into Microsoft Fabric and Power BI, this version helps analysts interact with complex data using natural language.
- Example: An analyst can ask, “Show me last quarter’s revenue by product line,” and Copilot will generate the chart instantly in Power BI.
- License: Fabric F64+ SKU (~$5K/month and up)
Copilot for Azure
Currently in preview, Copilot for Azure helps IT professionals manage and optimize cloud infrastructure.
- Example: An admin could ask Copilot, “Which virtual machines haven’t been used in 30 days?” and get answers with suggestions for cost savings.
- Pricing: Free during preview; pricing to be announced
Microsoft Copilot in Windows & AI PCs
Microsoft is building Copilot directly into the operating system—making it part of the everyday desktop experience. In Windows 11, Copilot is available from the taskbar or with a simple keyboard shortcut. On newer Copilot+ PCs, there’s even a dedicated Copilot key to launch it instantly.
Copilot+PCs »
- Equipped with specialized silicon capable of performing over 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This enables advanced AI features like real-time translations and image creation—right from your machine.
- Advanced security features, including the Microsoft Pluton security processor and Secured-core PC technology, which help safeguard data.
- AI features are integrated into various creative apps like Adobe, DaVinci Resolve Studio, and CapCut, enhancing productivity and creativity.
- Allow for extensive personalization of AI features, such as Windows Studio Effects and Cocreator in Paint, which can be accessed directly within the applications
This version of Copilot is designed to act like a digital assistant for your device. It can handle common tasks like adjusting settings, connecting to Wi-Fi, launching accessibility tools, and pulling system details like battery life or storage usage—all through natural language.
New features like “Click to Do” let you hold the Windows key and click on text or images to trigger suggested AI actions. In Paint, you can upscale blurry images to 4K or use AI to edit and enhance visuals directly.
As Copilot becomes more tightly integrated with Windows, Microsoft’s vision of AI is abundantly clear—it’s more than just a tool, it’s how we interact with our devices day to day.
The Future of Microsoft Copilot and Your Organization
As Microsoft expands Copilot’s capabilities, you’ll want to determine which version aligns best with your business goals and needs. Whether it’s streamlining productivity, automating workflows, or securing enterprise environments, Copilot offers tailored AI solutions for nearly all organizations.
Need guidance on choosing the right Copilot? Wondering if a custom AI assistant is the better route? HBS can help you navigate the options and maximize value.
