Comparison · 8 shared capabilities
Microsoft 365 vs Microsoft 365 Copilot
They overlap on 8 things. Microsoft 365 is stronger at 2 of them, Microsoft 365 Copilot at 3, and they're roughly equal on 3. If you pay for both, check whether you use the parts that don't overlap.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft's business suite of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive, with Copilot Chat included.
From $7/seat/mo Verified
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft's AI assistant inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, grounded in your organisation's Microsoft 365 data.
From $9.99/mo Verified
Capability by capability
| Capability | Microsoft 365 | Microsoft 365 Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Analyse data and spreadsheets | StrongDesktop Excel (best for analysis) needs Business Standard or above | StrongWorks best on clean, well-structured tables |
| Ask questions across company documents | PartialAI answers grounded in work data need Microsoft 365 Copilot | Core featureWeaker for content stored outside Microsoft 365 unless connectors are set up |
| Create presentation decks | Core featureFull desktop PowerPoint needs Business Standard or above | StrongLayouts often need manual polish |
| General-purpose AI assistant | StrongCopilot Chat is web-grounded; grounding in your emails and files and Copilot inside Word/Excel/PowerPoint need Microsoft 365 Copilot (add-on) | StrongFree Copilot Chat does not reason over your Microsoft Graph data the way the paid add-on does |
| Proofread and improve writing | PartialOnly inside Microsoft apps | PartialOnly inside Microsoft apps |
| Transcribe and summarise meetings | PartialAI meeting summaries and recaps need the paid Copilot add-on | StrongTeams use requires a Teams license |
| Write documents and notes | Core featureBusiness Basic has web and mobile apps only | StrongThe document tools themselves come from the base Microsoft 365 plan |
| Write marketing and business copy | PartialIn-app drafting in Word and Outlook needs the Copilot add-on | StrongCreative marketing copy is less distinctive than top standalone assistants |
| Store structured data in a shared database or spreadsheet | StrongLists is simpler than Airtable for relational data | — |
| Build dashboards from spreadsheets and data | PartialPower BI is sold separately | — |
| Collect information with forms and surveys | StrongLimited branding and advanced survey logic | — |
| Hold video meetings | Core featureNot included in 'no Teams' versions or Apps for business | — |
| Run an internal knowledge base / wiki | PartialSharePoint is powerful but hard for non-experts to structure well | — |
| Build internal tools and lightweight apps | PartialPremium connectors need separate Power Apps licences | — |
| Automate simple app-to-app workflows | PartialPremium connectors and advanced flows need separate Power Automate licences | — |
| Manage projects and tasks | PartialBasic compared with dedicated project management tools | — |
| Edit videos | PartialSimple edits only | — |
| Research a topic on the web with citations | — | StrongCitation checking still needed |
| Run AI agents that complete multi-step tasks | — | StrongAdvanced agents and heavy usage may incur extra Copilot Studio costs not covered here |
| Generate images from text | — | PartialNot a focus of the business product |
| Extract data from documents and PDFs | — | PartialNo batch pipeline or validation queue |
Choose Microsoft 365 if…
- • you need strong write documents and notes
- • you need strong create presentation decks
- • you rely on store structured data in a shared database or spreadsheet (the other doesn't do it)
- • you rely on build dashboards from spreadsheets and data (the other doesn't do it)
- • you rely on collect information with forms and surveys (the other doesn't do it)
- • you rely on hold video meetings (the other doesn't do it)
- • Complex Excel models, macros and PowerPoint templates rely on desktop Office
- • Exchange email, calendars and Teams history are core infrastructure
Choose Microsoft 365 Copilot if…
- • you need strong transcribe and summarise meetings
- • you need strong write marketing and business copy
- • you need strong ask questions across company documents
- • you rely on research a topic on the web with citations (the other doesn't do it)
- • you rely on run ai agents that complete multi-step tasks (the other doesn't do it)
- • you rely on generate images from text (the other doesn't do it)
- • you rely on extract data from documents and pdfs (the other doesn't do it)
- • Access to company data in Microsoft Graph with existing permissions
- • Works where staff already write, meet and email, so adoption needs little training
Switch between them
- Consolidate overlapping AI assistant subscriptions (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, Copilot)If you pay for two to four AI assistants, run a one-week, side-by-side test on your real tasks with a provided prompt set and scoring sheet, check which assistant your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 plan already includes, and cancel the rest at their renewal dates. Some heavy users will rightly keep two; the test tells you which.easy1 hour to set up$0 extrauses
- Drop Grammarly when you already pay for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or CopilotIf you already pay for an AI assistant, prompts handle rewrites, tone and careful proofreading, and built-in checkers (Google Docs, Microsoft Editor, Apple Writing Tools) cover everyday spelling and grammar. What you genuinely lose is Grammarly's real-time underlines everywhere you type, plus plagiarism checks, AI detection and team style guides on paid plans.easy30–45 minutes$0 extrauses
- Stop paying for Otter: use the transcription and AI notes already in Meet, Teams or ZoomMany business plans already include meeting transcripts and AI notes: Google Meet transcripts and 'Take notes for me' on eligible Workspace editions, Teams transcription (with AI notes via Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot), and Zoom's built-in meeting summaries on eligible paid plans. Check what you have, fill gaps with a transcript-to-action-items prompt, and handle recording consent properly.easy30–60 minutes$0 extrauses
Fit levels are editorial judgements based on each product's documented features. See each tool page for sources and verification dates.