Side by side
Prices are in US dollars, quoted from each vendor's own page and checked on October 17, 2026. Microsoft shows prices by market, and its page marks some plans as not available in some markets, so confirm yours before you buy.
| Row | ChatGPT Business (OpenAI) | Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (Microsoft) |
|---|---|---|
| Price per user, annual plan | $20 a month for a standard seat. At least 2 seats. | $18 a month as an add-on to a Microsoft 365 plan. Microsoft shows $21 as the earlier starting price. |
| Price per user, monthly plan | $25 a month for a standard seat. | $25.20 a month for the add-on. |
| What you must already have | Nothing. It is its own workspace, so it works whatever email and documents you use. | A Microsoft 365 business plan. The Copilot Business plan is an add-on to one. Business Standard with Copilot is $23.50 a month and Business Premium with Copilot is $32 a month, both on an annual plan. |
| Where you use it | In ChatGPT on web, desktop and mobile. OpenAI also lists extensions for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets. | Inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, where your team already works. |
| Sees your company files | Business lists Apps and Company Knowledge, which you connect and manage. | Microsoft says its chat is connected to your work data in Microsoft 365. |
| A free way to try it | The free ChatGPT plan, which is limited. | Copilot Chat: Microsoft says it comes at no additional cost with eligible Microsoft 365 plans. Sign in with your work account. |
| Training on your content | OpenAI says it will not train on your Business workspace data. | Microsoft lists Enterprise Data Protection under security. Read its terms for the exact promise before you roll it out. |
| You use Google Workspace, not MicrosoftWhere I say no | Fits. It does not depend on your email system. | Does not fit. Copilot Business is an add-on to Microsoft 365. |
| Whether it will save your team hoursWhere I say no | Neither product guarantees it. The seat gives you access, not a changed week. | Same. A license gives access, and someone still has to show the team what to hand over. |
The shaded rows are where one product does not fit you, or where a license alone will not change your week.
Who should pick which
Pick Copilot if
Your team already lives in Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams on a Microsoft 365 plan. Start with the free Copilot Chat, then add the license for the few people who would use it daily.
Pick ChatGPT if
You use Google Workspace, a mix of tools, or no company suite at all, or your team already works in ChatGPT and likes it.
Pick neither, yet, if
You cannot name the one task you want to hand over. A seat on either side is money spent on access to nothing in particular.
Pick me if
You own the license and the hours have not come back. I look at your week, choose the task, and set up the tool you already pay for.
The part a license does not cover
Both vendors sell access. Neither one picks the task for your team, sets up the habits, or checks that the work got faster. When I set one of these up, I start from your week, time the task, and hand over a tool your team can run without me.
Sources
- Microsoft 365 Copilot plans and pricing (Microsoft), checked 2026-10-17
- ChatGPT Business overview and seat prices (OpenAI Help Center), checked 2026-10-17
- ChatGPT plans and pricing (OpenAI), checked 2026-10-17