Key takeaways
- As of October 28, 2026, ChatGPT costs $8 (Go), $20 (Plus) and from $100 (Pro) a month; consumer Copilot comes with Microsoft 365 at $9.99 to $99.99.
- At work, Microsoft Copilot Business is $23.50 per user a month and Enterprise is $30, both billed yearly; ChatGPT Business is $20 to $25.
- Neither company publishes chat prompt counts, and OpenAI publishes five-hour estimates only for Codex.
Copilot vs ChatGPT comes down to what you are buying. As of October 28, 2026, ChatGPT sells chat plans at $8, $20 and from $100 a month, while Microsoft Copilot for individuals comes bundled with Microsoft 365 at $9.99, $12.99, $19.99 and $99.99. At work, Microsoft 365 Copilot is a per-seat add-on at $23.50 or $30 a month.
This comparison is based on the products' docs and published results. Neither product was tested for it.
Copilot vs ChatGPT plans and prices
All prices are US dollars, as read on October 28, 2026. Microsoft's come from its Copilot page and consumer plans page. OpenAI's come from its Codex pricing page, because chatgpt.com/pricing blocked the request.
| Tier | Microsoft Copilot | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Copilot app is free, limits not published | $0, GPT-6 Luna at standard speed, subject to rollout |
| Entry paid | Microsoft 365 Personal, $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year | Go, $8 |
| Family | Microsoft 365 Family, $12.99 a month or $129.99 a year, up to 6 people, Copilot AI for the owner only | None listed |
| Main paid | Microsoft 365 Premium, $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year | Plus, $20 |
| Heavy use | Microsoft 365 Pro, $99.99 a month, no yearly option | Pro, from $100; $200 and $500 tiers also listed |
| Teams | Copilot Business, $23.50 per user a month, billed yearly | Business, $20 per user a month billed annually, or $25 billed monthly (2 or more users) |
| Large companies | Enterprise, $30.00 per user a month, billed yearly | Enterprise and Edu, contact sales |
The big difference is what the money covers. A Microsoft 365 plan includes desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook with Copilot, plus cloud storage: 1 TB on Personal, 2 TB shared on Family and 5 TB on Pro. ChatGPT plans are for ChatGPT itself, with Codex included from Plus up.
What you get with Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft's page says Personal gives advanced Copilot chat, visual AI, audio (English only) and image creation at "higher usage than free." Premium adds "extensive usage" and Copilot features exclusive to Premium and Pro, with "limited usage" of agentic AI such as advanced research and analytics. Pro lists the "highest usage." Personal, Family and Premium include a one-month free trial. Pro lists none.
For work, Microsoft Learn says Microsoft Copilot is available with Microsoft 365 E7 or as an add-on to eligible plans, and was last updated on October 19, 2026 (license options). Copilot Business is an add-on for organizations with up to 300 users that have eligible Microsoft 365 Business licenses, with an annual commitment. Larger organizations use the enterprise options.
Our guide on whether Copilot is free covers the free Copilot Chat at work and GitHub Copilot, which this comparison leaves out.
What you get with ChatGPT
Free and Go list GPT-6 Luna. Plus lists GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna, with GPT-6.1 Terra also available, plus Codex on the web, in the CLI, in the IDE extension and on iOS. Pro includes everything in Plus, and the $500 tier adds Ultrafast mode. Business adds a dedicated workspace, admin controls, SAML SSO and MFA, and OpenAI says it does not train on business data by default. Enterprise adds SCIM, audit logs through the Compliance API and data residency controls.
OpenAI's pricing page covers Codex, so it lists little about chat features. Our guide on whether ChatGPT is free covers the free tier in more detail.
Copilot vs ChatGPT usage limits
Neither company publishes a prompt count for its chat app. Microsoft describes usage only in relative terms: higher than free, extensive, highest. The free Copilot limits are not given.
OpenAI publishes five-hour estimates for Codex only. On Plus and standard Business, as of October 28, 2026, that is 15 to 160 local messages for GPT-6.1 Sol, 35 to 285 for GPT-6.1 Terra and 350 to 3,000 for GPT-6 Luna. OpenAI calls them estimates, says weekly limits may also apply and says Pro plans currently have no five-hour limit. Enterprise and Edu plans without flexible pricing get the same per-seat limits as Plus for most features.
Microsoft's Copilot harness is for developers
On October 28, Microsoft also introduced the Microsoft Copilot harness, a runtime that gives an AI agent its instructions, context, execution environment and controls. Developers and enterprises can run it through Microsoft Foundry. Microsoft says it supports more than 20 frontier models and bring-your-own-key. The post does not mention pricing, and it changes nothing in the plans above.
What the pricing pages do not say
Microsoft publishes no numeric limits for any consumer plan, and OpenAI's page publishes no chat message counts. The consumer Microsoft pages did not mention a free Copilot tier on the pages we read, so the free limits are unconfirmed. Prices may differ by country. Check both pricing pages before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Is Copilot cheaper than ChatGPT?
It depends on what you need. As of October 28, 2026, Microsoft 365 Personal with Copilot is $9.99 a month against $8 for ChatGPT Go and $20 for Plus, but Microsoft's plan also includes Office apps and storage.
Is Microsoft 365 Copilot the same as the Copilot app?
No. The Copilot app for individuals comes with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium or Pro. Microsoft 365 Copilot for work is a per-user add-on, $23.50 for Business or $30.00 for Enterprise, billed yearly.
Do Copilot and ChatGPT have free plans?
ChatGPT Free costs $0 and lists GPT-6 Luna at standard speed. Microsoft's consumer pages we read did not publish free-tier limits.
What are the usage limits on Copilot and ChatGPT?
Neither publishes chat prompt counts. Microsoft uses labels such as higher, extensive and highest usage. OpenAI gives five-hour Codex estimates, for example 15 to 160 GPT-6.1 Sol messages on Plus.
Sources
- Microsoft Copilot plans and pricingMicrosoft
- Copilot for individualsMicrosoft
- License options for Microsoft CopilotMicrosoft Learn
- Introducing the Microsoft Copilot harnessMicrosoft
- Codex pricing (ChatGPT plans)OpenAI
- Is Copilot free?ClaudeGPT Si
- Is ChatGPT free?ClaudeGPT Si
