Claude vs Microsoft 365 Copilot
Claude and Microsoft 365 Copilot sit in the same category and share 1 task. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.
Short answer
Claude wins for 20 of 20 roles in our data. Claude starts at $20/mo and Microsoft 365 Copilot at $20/mo on the cheapest paid plan.
Verdict by role
| Role | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant | Claude | covers 14 of this role's tasks against 4; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Lawyer | Claude | covers 23 of this role's tasks against 3; part of the role's core toolkit |
| HR manager | Claude | covers 20 of this role's tasks against 4; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Finance manager | Claude | covers 15 of this role's tasks against 5; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Manager | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 6 |
| Marketer | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 6; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Sales manager | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 6; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Data analyst | Claude | covers 16 of this role's tasks against 5; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Teacher | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 6; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Executive assistant | Claude | covers 31 of this role's tasks against 6 |
| Logistics manager | Claude | covers 31 of this role's tasks against 6; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Procurement manager | Claude | covers 16 of this role's tasks against 5; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Secretary | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 6 |
| Recruiter | Claude | covers 20 of this role's tasks against 4; part of the role's core toolkit |
| HR administrator | Claude | covers 20 of this role's tasks against 4; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Tax consultant | Claude | covers 16 of this role's tasks against 4; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Auditor | Claude | covers 15 of this role's tasks against 4; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Economist | Claude | covers 15 of this role's tasks against 5; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Project manager | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 6 |
| Social media manager | Claude | covers 30 of this role's tasks against 6; part of the role's core toolkit |
Side by side
| Claude | Microsoft 365 Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Anthropic | Microsoft |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Free plan | Yes: Several dozen messages a day depending on load, analysis of uploaded files and images, no Projects with large knowledge bases and no extended reasoning mode | Yes: Free Copilot in the browser and the Microsoft Copilot app, with no access to company files, no work inside Word and Excel, and limited strong models at peak hours |
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro, $20/mo | Copilot Pro, $20/mo |
| Top plan | Max 20x, $200/mo | Microsoft 365 Copilot, $30/mo |
| Tasks covered | 54 | 6 |
Claude: Assistant for long documents, contracts and careful writing, with a Project for each matter.
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Assistant inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint with access to company data.
Tasks both handle
Only Claude covers
- Compare two versions of a contract
- Run a risk review of a contract for your side
- Write a structured legal memo
- Write a formal claim letter to a counterparty
- Screen resumes fairly and without bias
- Prepare a reply to a tax authority request
- Draft a personal data processing policy
- Categorize a bank statement by cash flow line
Only Microsoft 365 Copilot covers
- Build a quarterly results presentation
- Write meeting minutes from an audio recording
- Write a weekly report to your manager
- Analyze budget variances, actual versus plan
- Find a document in your drive by its content
Pitfalls to watch at work
Claude
- On the free and personal paid plans, check Settings, Privacy: training on chats should be off before a work document goes in
- Contracts and correspondence go in only with parties, amounts and details anonymized: [Buyer], [Supplier], [amount]
- The limit is measured by conversation size rather than message count: a long chat with a large file uses up the quota in a few questions, so open a separate chat for each document
Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Copilot sees everything your account can access, including folders colleagues shared by mistake: review SharePoint and OneDrive permissions before rollout
- A Teams meeting summary is built from the transcript and may credit a decision to the wrong person: check it against the recording before sending
- Free Copilot in the browser and business Copilot in Word are different products with different data protection: work documents go only into the business version
FAQ
Is Claude or Microsoft 365 Copilot better for work?
In our data Claude is the better choice for 20 of 20 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.
Which is cheaper, Claude or Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Claude starts at $20/mo and Microsoft 365 Copilot at $20/mo on the cheapest paid plan.
Do Claude and Microsoft 365 Copilot have free plans?
Claude: Yes. Several dozen messages a day depending on load, analysis of uploaded files and images, no Projects with large knowledge bases and no extended reasoning mode. Microsoft 365 Copilot: Yes. Free Copilot in the browser and the Microsoft Copilot app, with no access to company files, no work inside Word and Excel, and limited strong models at peak hours.
Compare Claude with
- Claude vs ChatGPT
- Claude vs NotebookLM
- Claude vs Copilot in Word
- Claude vs Gemini
- Claude vs Gemini in Google Docs
Compare Microsoft 365 Copilot with
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs ChatGPT
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Copilot in Word
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Gemini in Google Docs
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Notion AI
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Read AI
Alternatives to Claude · Alternatives to Microsoft 365 Copilot · Claude pricing · Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing
AI tools weekly for your role
One email a week: new tools, price changes and one tested prompt for your job. Free, unsubscribe in one click.