Microsoft Copilot: Features, Pricing, and How to Use It (2026)

Introduction

Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft’s AI assistant for everyday work and study. You can talk to it on the web, in Windows, and on your phone, and if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, it also works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.

For a different take on everyday AI help, see YourAssistantLive.

The name covers more than one product, though. There is a free Copilot chat app, Copilot inside Microsoft 365 apps, and a separate Copilot for businesses. The price, features, and limits depend on which one you use. This guide explains what Copilot can do in 2026, what it costs, and how to get started.

What Is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant you ask in plain language. It answers questions, drafts text, summarises documents, creates images, and helps you work with files and email.

You can use it at copilot.microsoft.com, in the Copilot app for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, and in the Edge browser. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, it can connect to OneDrive, Outlook, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts, so you can ask it to find a file, check an email, or look up an appointment.

Inside Microsoft 365, Copilot appears as a button in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. There it can draft a document, rewrite a paragraph, analyse a table, build a presentation outline, or summarise a long email thread.

Key Features

1. Chat With Different Modes

Copilot chat offers several modes. Quick Response is for fast, direct answers. Think Deeper takes longer and uses a reasoning model for harder questions. Study and Learn gives guided explanations and quizzes. Smart chooses how long to think for you, and Search gives up-to-date answers from the web with sources. You choose a mode before you send a message, and it stays active for follow-ups until you change it.

2. Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

This is where Copilot is most useful for office work. In Word, it can draft, edit, and summarise documents. In Excel, it can analyse data and explain patterns. In PowerPoint, it can help build a presentation from an outline. In Outlook, it can summarise emails and help draft replies. One practical condition is worth knowing: Copilot in Excel needs AutoSave, which means the file must be saved to OneDrive.

Copilot also helps with creative work. For AI video and creative content, see DeepSeekPlay.

3. Voice and Vision

You can talk to Copilot by voice instead of typing. During a voice conversation, Vision lets you share your desktop screen or your phone camera and ask Copilot about what it sees. When you stop sharing, Vision stops, but the voice conversation can continue.

4. Image Creation and File Help

The free Copilot app can create images from a text description, answer questions about a photo or file you upload, and help rewrite or summarise text. Exact limits depend on your plan and on available capacity, so heavy use may be limited on the free plan.

5. Connectors for Your Files and Email

When signed in, Copilot can connect to OneDrive, Outlook.com, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts. To turn connectors on, go to Copilot.com, select the plus icon and then Use Connectors, or in the mobile app go to your profile, then Connectors. Your Microsoft account must match the account you use for OneDrive or Outlook.

Microsoft Copilot Pricing in 2026

The free Copilot app costs nothing, but it has usage limits. You can chat, get web answers, create images, and use voice, subject to available capacity. You do not get Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook on the free plan.

Copilot in the Microsoft 365 apps comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription. The US prices reported on Microsoft’s pricing pages in October 2026 were: Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99 a month, or $99.99 a year; Family $12.99 a month, or $129.99 a year; Premium $19.99 a month, or $199.99 a year; and Pro $99.99 a month. Prices can change, and prices in Pakistan and other countries differ because they depend on local pricing and currency. Always check the current price on Microsoft’s official website before you buy.

On Family and Premium, only the subscription owner gets the Copilot AI features in the Office apps, not every family member. Premium is the highest-usage consumer plan and includes research and analysis agents. The old standalone Copilot Pro subscription is no longer sold in the same way; Microsoft stopped selling it at the end of 2025, and Premium is now the replacement for heavy users. For businesses, Copilot is sold as a per-user add-on, with business plans reported from $18 per user a month.

If you only need occasional help, the free app is usually enough. If you work in Word, Excel, and Outlook every day, Personal is the lowest-cost way to get Copilot inside those apps.

How to Use Microsoft Copilot: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Open Copilot. Go to copilot.microsoft.com, or download the Copilot app from the Microsoft Store, the Mac App Store, or your phone’s app store. You can try it without signing in, but signing in gives you more features and lets you connect files and email.

Step 2: Choose a mode. For a quick question, leave it on Quick Response. For a complex problem, choose Think Deeper or Smart. For study help, choose Study and Learn. For current news or facts, choose Search.

Step 3: Write a clear prompt. Write your task in plain language with enough detail. Instead of “Write an email,” try “Write a short, polite email to my manager asking for two days of leave next week, and keep it under 100 words.” If the first answer is not quite right, reply with a follow-up such as “Make it shorter.”

Step 4: Use Copilot in Word, Excel, and Outlook. If you have Microsoft 365, open Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook and look for the Copilot button. In Word, ask it to draft or rewrite. In Excel, ask it to explain a table. In Outlook, ask it to summarise a thread before you reply.

Step 5: Check your privacy settings. Before you share sensitive information, check the privacy settings in your Microsoft account. Avoid pasting passwords, bank details, or other private information into any AI chat tool.

Pros and Cons

Pros: free chat app for everyday questions, writing, and images; works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote with Microsoft 365; voice and Vision for hands-free and visual tasks; connects to OneDrive, Outlook, Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar; Search mode gives answers with sources.

Cons: the free plan has usage limits; Copilot in Office apps needs a paid Microsoft 365 subscription; on Family and Premium, only the subscription owner gets the AI features; Copilot in Excel needs files saved to OneDrive; some new features roll out gradually.

Is Microsoft Copilot Worth It?

Copilot is a good choice if you already use Windows and Microsoft 365. The free app is useful for questions, drafting, and images, and Personal is a reasonable upgrade if you want AI help inside Word and Excel every day. It is less useful if you do not use Microsoft apps, or if you only need an AI chatbot occasionally. Try the free app for a week on real tasks — emails, documents, study notes, and everyday questions. If you find yourself wishing Copilot was inside Word or Outlook, that is a sign a paid plan may be worth it.

Copilot can also draft stories, but a dedicated tool goes further. Try the Perchance Story Generator.

Final thoughts

Microsoft Copilot is a practical AI assistant for people who work in Microsoft apps, and a useful free chatbot for everyone else. The free version handles everyday questions, writing, and images, while a Microsoft 365 subscription adds Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Start with the free app, learn the different modes, and try clear, detailed prompts. If Copilot saves you time in your daily work, the paid plan may be worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Microsoft Copilot free?
Yes, the Copilot chat app is free with a Microsoft account, with daily usage limits. Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, starting from $9.99 a month for Personal in the US.

What is the difference between Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Copilot is the free chat app on the web, Windows, and mobile. Microsoft 365 Copilot is the version built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, and it comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Can I use Copilot without a Microsoft account?
You can try some features without signing in, but signing in gives you more features, higher limits, and the ability to connect OneDrive, Outlook, Gmail, and other services.

Does Copilot work on Mac and mobile?
Yes. There is a Copilot app for Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, and you can also use it in a web browser at copilot.microsoft.com.

Is Copilot Pro still available?
Microsoft stopped selling the standalone Copilot Pro subscription at the end of 2025. It was replaced by Microsoft 365 Premium, which costs $19.99 a month in the US.

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