ChatGPT vs Copilot in Word

ChatGPT and Copilot in Word overlap on work tasks and share 13 tasks. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.

Short answer

ChatGPT wins for 20 of 20 roles in our data. ChatGPT starts at $20/mo and Copilot in Word at $20/mo on the cheapest paid plan.

Verdict by role

Side by side

ChatGPT: All-purpose chat assistant with web search, file and spreadsheet analysis, voice and custom GPTs.

Copilot in Word: Drafts, rewrites and summaries of documents in Word, drawing on other company files.

Tasks both handle

• Write a business letter
• Write a sales proposal
• Compare two versions of a contract
• Explain the numbers to the business owner
• Write a formal claim letter to a counterparty
• Write an overdue payment reminder
• Write a weekly report to your manager
• Draft an internal company order
• Draft a request for a private tax ruling
• Write a management letter after an audit
• Draft an HR order
• Write a formal role description
• Prepare a cover letter for a document pack

Only ChatGPT covers

• Categorize a bank statement by cash flow line
• Get a spreadsheet formula from a plain-language request
• Analyze budget variances, actual versus plan
• Write a job ad and a job description
• Write a customer FAQ
• Reconcile the trial balance with the bank and source documents
• Prepare a reply to a tax authority request
• Run a risk review of a contract for your side

Only Copilot in Word covers

• Write up an audit working paper
• Update the accounting policy document
• Redline a contract with tracked changes

Pitfalls to watch at work

ChatGPT

• On the free and personal paid plans, chats may be used for training by default: in Settings, Data controls, turn off Improve the model for everyone before your first work task
• Employee names and tax IDs, account details, amounts and contract terms go into the chat only anonymized: replace them with [Employee 1], [Counterparty], [X]
• The model invents statute numbers, court decisions and links in a confident tone: check every such fact in the primary source

Copilot in Word

• Compare two versions of a contract with Word's built-in Compare and ask Copilot to explain the changes found: on its own it misses some edits
• Rewriting in a different tone also changes the content: after Rewrite, check amounts, dates and party names against the original
• In the business version Copilot may pull a passage from someone else's document you have access to: check the sources in the answer

FAQ

Is ChatGPT or Copilot in Word better for work?

In our data ChatGPT is the better choice for 20 of 20 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT or Copilot in Word?

ChatGPT starts at $20/mo and Copilot in Word at $20/mo on the cheapest paid plan.

Do ChatGPT and Copilot in Word have free plans?

ChatGPT: Yes. The default model with a limited number of messages every few hours, after which it switches to a lighter model; file uploads and image generation with small limits; no Projects with large files and no full Deep Research. Copilot in Word: No.

Compare ChatGPT with

• ChatGPT vs Claude
• ChatGPT vs Gemini in Google Sheets
• ChatGPT vs NotebookLM
• ChatGPT vs Gemini
• ChatGPT vs Copilot in Excel

Compare Copilot in Word with

• Copilot in Word vs Claude
• Copilot in Word vs Gemini in Google Docs
• Copilot in Word vs LanguageTool
• Copilot in Word vs NotebookLM
• Copilot in Word vs Gemini in Gmail

Alternatives to ChatGPT · Alternatives to Copilot in Word · ChatGPT pricing · Copilot in Word pricing