- Copilot is Microsoft’s assistant. It sits inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, so it works on the file or the inbox you already have open.
- ChatGPT is OpenAI’s assistant. It is its own app, with add-ins for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets, and it can run a task on a schedule.
- For a quick question they are close. Both are free to start.
The one real difference
You might expect Copilot to be the only one inside Office. It is not. OpenAI now lists add-ins for Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
So the split has moved. Microsoft lists Copilot inside Outlook and Teams, which means your inbox and your meetings. OpenAI’s plan table lists Google Sheets and scheduled tasks.
Which one for which job?
| The job | Open | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Catch up on a long email thread | Copilot | Microsoft lists summaries inside Outlook |
| Catch up after a meeting | Copilot | It is built into Teams |
| A first draft in a Word file you already have open | Copilot | It writes in the document, so nothing to paste |
| Work in Google Sheets | ChatGPT | OpenAI lists a Google Sheets extension |
| A task that runs again every week | ChatGPT | Scheduled tasks, on Go and above |
| Studying a subject step by step | ChatGPT | Study mode is on every plan |
| A spreadsheet in Excel or slides in PowerPoint | Either | Both work inside those apps |
| An image | Either | Both make images in the chat |
| A quick everyday question | Either | Whichever is already open |
From Microsoft’s Copilot page and OpenAI’s plans page, read 14 November 2026. What to notice: Copilot wins the jobs that start in your inbox or a meeting. ChatGPT wins the jobs outside Microsoft.
Pick one in three questions
One thing that settles it for a lot of people: if you already pay for Microsoft 365, you already have Copilot. Microsoft’s plans page lists it in the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps on the Personal plan.
Try that before you pay for anything else.
Where Claude fits
Claude is the third option, and it is the one I use most. It is made by Anthropic.
Here is the part most comparisons miss. Microsoft says the Copilot app lets you “switch between leading OpenAI and Anthropic models”. So the engine under Copilot can be the same family as ChatGPT, or the same family as Claude.
That is why I would not pick on which one is smarter. Pick on where it sits and what it can reach.
Claude runs things in my business: files, notes, writing, everything behind the scenes. ChatGPT does design.
They share one set of notes about my business, so neither starts from zero.
More on that pair: Claude vs ChatGPT. And if cost is the question: is Claude free?
Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude side by side
| Copilot | ChatGPT | Claude | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made by | Microsoft | OpenAI | Anthropic |
| Free version | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Web and phone apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inside office apps | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams | Extensions for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets | Microsoft 365 and Outlook, on paid plans |
| What you pay for | A Microsoft 365 plan: Personal, Family, Premium or Pro | A ChatGPT plan: Go, Plus or Pro | A Claude plan: Pro, Max or Ultra |
| The engine underneath | OpenAI and Anthropic models. You can switch | OpenAI models | Anthropic models |
Each column is from the maker’s own pages, read 14 November 2026: Microsoft, Copilot plans and the Copilot app; OpenAI; Anthropic. Microsoft notes that some Copilot features need a certain licence. This compares what each maker lists. I did not run a speed or quality test. On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see Claude.
Try both in ten minutes
What to notice: step three is the real test. A slightly better answer is not worth it if you paste ten times a day to get it.
Quick answers
Is Copilot better than ChatGPT?
Not across the board. Copilot is the better pick when your work is in Outlook, Teams and Word, because it is already inside them.
ChatGPT is the better pick if you work in Google Sheets or want a task to run on a schedule. For a quick question they are close.
Is Copilot the same as ChatGPT?
No. Microsoft makes Copilot and OpenAI makes ChatGPT. They are separate products with separate plans.
They can share an engine. Microsoft says the Copilot app lets you switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models. What differs is where each one sits.
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
There is a free version. Microsoft describes paid chat as “higher usage than free”.
The paid version comes inside a Microsoft 365 plan: Personal is $9.99 a month, Family $12.99, Premium $19.99 and Pro $99.99. Those are US list prices from Microsoft’s plans page on 14 November 2026. Microsoft was running a first-month discount that day, so check the page.
On the Family plan, the AI features are for the person who owns the subscription.
Is ChatGPT free?
Yes. The Free plan is $0. Go is $8 a month, Plus is $20 a month and Pro starts at $100 a month.
Those are US prices from OpenAI’s plans page on 14 November 2026. OpenAI says the Go plan may include ads.
Can ChatGPT work inside Word and Excel?
Yes. OpenAI lists extensions for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets.
They are limited on the Free and Go plans and open up on Plus.
Is this the same as GitHub Copilot?
No. GitHub Copilot is a coding tool for developers. This page is about Microsoft Copilot, the assistant in Microsoft 365.
Why does Copilot not work in my Excel file?
Check where the file is saved. Microsoft says Copilot in Excel needs AutoSave on, which means the file has to be saved to OneDrive.
Should I use Copilot, ChatGPT or Claude?
Use Copilot if your day is in Outlook, Word and Teams. Use ChatGPT if you work outside Microsoft or want tasks on a schedule.
I use Claude for long writing in my voice and for work inside my own files. Start with one and use it daily before you pay for a second.
Next: Claude vs ChatGPT, Grok vs ChatGPT, and is Claude free?
AI Foundations starts here: give AI a clear picture of your business in a form you can reuse, so you stop explaining from zero.
Background: Microsoft: Copilot for individuals · Microsoft: Copilot plans for individuals · Microsoft: the Copilot app · OpenAI: ChatGPT plans and pricing · Anthropic: Claude plans and pricing. Checked 14 November 2026.