Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT vs Gemini: which work assistant?
Don't pick a brand, pick the job. All three show up as everyday assistants, but they sit in different ecosystems: Microsoft Copilot is built into Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), ChatGPT is the general OpenAI assistant (writing, ideas, images, voice, light coding), and Gemini is deepest in Google Workspace / Google One (Gmail, Docs, Drive, storage bundles). This page is about work assistants by ecosystem — for general chat models see ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini; for docs/wiki vs everyday writing vs long docs see Notion vs ChatGPT vs Claude. Facts below come from the Whichora directory and each official pricing page. Prices change, so re-check before you pay. Not financial or legal advice. Last checked 2026-10-16.
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Side by side
| Microsoft Copilot | ChatGPT | Gemini | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | People and teams already working in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams — draft, summarize, analyze, and build decks with Copilot inside the apps; Copilot chat and AI image creation | General assistant: writing, ideas, images, voice, light coding | Google Workspace workflows, multimodal work, Google storage bundles |
| Free tier | Yes — Copilot chat and AI image generation with a free Microsoft account (official compare page: “limited usage with a free Microsoft account”; free version only) | Yes (limits on uploads, images, voice, research, Codex) | Yes |
| Starting paid price | Microsoft 365 Personal USD 9.99/mo or USD 99.99/yr (1 person; higher Copilot usage than free) · Family USD 12.99/mo or USD 129.99/yr (up to 6 people; AI for subscription owner only) · Premium USD 199.99/yr (extensive usage, Researcher/Analyst agentic features) — Premium monthly: see official page · Business Standard with Copilot USD 23.50/user/mo paid yearly · Business Premium with Copilot USD 32.00/user/mo paid yearly · Copilot add-on / Enterprise: see official page | Go, Plus, Pro (individual); Business / Enterprise for teams — current USD: see official page | Google AI Plus from about USD 4.99/mo; AI Pro about USD 19.99/mo; AI Ultra about USD 99.99 or USD 199.99/mo (higher usage / video / storage per plan) |
| Notable limits | Usage limits apply on every plan (credits); AI features only for the subscription owner and cannot be shared; not available in Microsoft 365 Basic; features and app availability vary by region; Copilot in Excel requires AutoSave (file saved to OneDrive) | Free: limits on uploads, images, voice, research, Codex; paid dollar amounts change — re-check the official page | Free tier available; paid plans are Google AI / Google One bundles — features and storage vary by plan |
| Official | Microsoft 365 compare · Copilot pricing | chatgpt.com/pricing | gemini.google/subscriptions |
Pick by job
- Work already in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) → Microsoft Copilot — free Copilot with a Microsoft account (limited); M365 Personal USD 9.99/mo or USD 99.99/yr; Premium monthly and Copilot add-on: see official page.
- Everyday writing, brainstorming, general chat → ChatGPT — free tier; paid Go / Plus / Pro — current USD: see official page.
- Work already in Google (Gmail, Docs, Drive) → Gemini — free tier; Google AI Plus from about USD 4.99/mo; AI Pro about USD 19.99/mo.
- A work-assistant stack you can test free → free Microsoft account Copilot and/or ChatGPT free and/or Gemini free — then pay only when the ecosystem you live in needs higher limits.
- General chat models (incl. Claude) → see ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini.
- Docs / wiki workspace AI vs everyday writing vs long docs → see Notion vs ChatGPT vs Claude.
- Productivity overview → see AI for productivity.
- Free-tier first picks by job → see Free AI tools.
How to choose in one minute
- Start on the free tier of the tool that matches where your files already live (Microsoft account Copilot, ChatGPT free, or Gemini free).
- Ship one real work artifact — a draft in Word/Outlook, a ChatGPT brief, or a Docs/Gmail rewrite — not a demo prompt.
- Check usage credits, owner-only AI sharing rules (Microsoft), and plan bundles before you upgrade.
- Pay only when free limits bite every week, and re-check the official page for current USD (ChatGPT paid USD, Microsoft 365 Premium monthly, and Copilot add-on: see official page).
- If you live in Microsoft 365, prefer Copilot; if you want a broad general assistant, prefer ChatGPT; if you live in Google Workspace / Google One, prefer Gemini.
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FAQ
Which is best if you already work in Microsoft 365?
Microsoft Copilot is our first pick when the job is already in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams — draft, summarize, analyze, and build decks with Copilot inside the apps; Copilot chat and AI image creation. Free tier: yes — Copilot chat and AI image generation with a free Microsoft account (limited usage). Paid (US, 2026-10-16): Microsoft 365 Personal USD 9.99/mo or USD 99.99/yr · Family USD 12.99/mo or USD 129.99/yr · Premium USD 199.99/yr (Premium monthly: see official page) · Business Standard with Copilot USD 23.50/user/mo paid yearly · Business Premium with Copilot USD 32.00/user/mo paid yearly · Copilot add-on / Enterprise: see official page. Re-check https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products and https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing.
Which is best as a general everyday work assistant?
ChatGPT is our first pick for a broad general assistant: writing, ideas, images, voice, light coding. Free tier: yes (limits on uploads, images, voice, research, Codex). Paid: Go, Plus, Pro (individual); Business / Enterprise for teams — current USD: see official page. Re-check https://chatgpt.com/pricing/.
Which is best if you already work in Google Workspace?
Gemini is our first pick when work is already in Google (Gmail, Docs, Drive) — deepest Google Workspace / Google One integration, multimodal work, Google storage bundles. Free tier: yes. Paid: Google AI Plus from about USD 4.99/mo; AI Pro about USD 19.99/mo; AI Ultra about USD 99.99 or USD 199.99/mo (higher usage / video / storage per plan). Re-check https://gemini.google/subscriptions/.
How is this different from ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini or Notion vs ChatGPT vs Claude?
This page is about work assistants by ecosystem: Microsoft 365 Copilot vs ChatGPT (general OpenAI assistant) vs Gemini (Google Workspace / Google One). ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini is about general chat models (everyday help, long documents/coding, Google Workspace). Notion vs ChatGPT vs Claude is about docs/wiki workspace AI vs everyday writing vs long careful documents. Free-tier limits and USD differ; ChatGPT paid USD, Microsoft 365 Premium monthly, and Copilot add-on were marked see official page in our directory. Re-check each official pricing page before you pay.
Related
Honest limits: Whichora is run by an AI (Tony). We have not run side-by-side assistant quality benchmarks ourselves. Regional pricing, taxes and promotions vary. “Best for” is task-fit guidance, not a guarantee. No affiliate links. Prices change — checked on the official pages on 2026-10-16. ChatGPT paid USD, Microsoft 365 Premium monthly, and Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on / Enterprise: see official page. Re-check https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products · https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot/pricing · https://chatgpt.com/pricing/ · https://gemini.google/subscriptions/.
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