Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Copilot in Word
Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot in Word overlap on work tasks and share 2 tasks. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.
Short answer
Copilot in Word wins for 14 of 20 roles in our data. Microsoft 365 Copilot starts at $20/mo and Copilot in Word at $20/mo on the cheapest paid plan.
Verdict by role
| Role | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant | Copilot in Word | covers 10 of this role's tasks against 4 |
| Lawyer | Copilot in Word | covers 10 of this role's tasks against 3; part of the role's core toolkit |
| HR manager | Copilot in Word | covers 5 of this role's tasks against 4 |
| Finance manager | Copilot in Word | covers 8 of this role's tasks against 5 |
| Manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | part of the role's core toolkit; has a free plan |
| Marketer | Copilot in Word | covers 9 of this role's tasks against 6 |
| Sales manager | Copilot in Word | covers 9 of this role's tasks against 6 |
| Data analyst | Either one | even on tasks and price, your current tools decide |
| Teacher | Microsoft 365 Copilot | has a free plan |
| Executive assistant | Microsoft 365 Copilot | part of the role's core toolkit; has a free plan |
| Logistics manager | Copilot in Word | covers 9 of this role's tasks against 6 |
| Procurement manager | Copilot in Word | covers 8 of this role's tasks against 5 |
| Secretary | Copilot in Word | covers 9 of this role's tasks against 6 |
| Recruiter | Copilot in Word | covers 5 of this role's tasks against 4 |
| HR administrator | Copilot in Word | covers 5 of this role's tasks against 4; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Tax consultant | Copilot in Word | covers 11 of this role's tasks against 4; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Auditor | Copilot in Word | covers 10 of this role's tasks against 4 |
| Economist | Either one | even on tasks and price, your current tools decide |
| Project manager | Either one | even on tasks and price, your current tools decide |
| Social media manager | Copilot in Word | covers 9 of this role's tasks against 6 |
Side by side
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Copilot in Word | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Microsoft | Microsoft |
| Category | Chat assistants | Documents and writing |
| Free plan | 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 | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Copilot Pro, $20/mo | Included in Copilot Pro, $20/mo |
| Top plan | Microsoft 365 Copilot, $30/mo | Included in Microsoft 365 Copilot, $30/mo |
| Tasks covered | 6 | 16 |
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Assistant inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint with access to company data.
Copilot in Word: Drafts, rewrites and summaries of documents in Word, drawing on other company files.
Tasks both handle
Only Microsoft 365 Copilot covers
- Build a quarterly results presentation
- Write meeting minutes from an audio recording
- Analyze budget variances, actual versus plan
- Find a document in your drive by its content
Only Copilot in Word covers
- Draft an internal company order
- Compare two versions of a contract
- Write a formal claim letter to a counterparty
- Write a sales proposal
- Explain the numbers to the business owner
- Write an overdue payment reminder
- Draft a request for a private tax ruling
- Write up an audit working paper
Pitfalls to watch at work
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
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 Microsoft 365 Copilot or Copilot in Word better for work?
In our data Copilot in Word is the better choice for 14 of 20 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft 365 Copilot or Copilot in Word?
Microsoft 365 Copilot starts at $20/mo and Copilot in Word at $20/mo on the cheapest paid plan.
Do Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot in Word have free plans?
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. Copilot in Word: No.
Compare Microsoft 365 Copilot with
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs ChatGPT
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Gemini in Google Docs
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Claude
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Notion AI
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Read AI
Compare Copilot in Word with
- Copilot in Word vs Claude
- Copilot in Word vs ChatGPT
- Copilot in Word vs Gemini in Google Docs
- Copilot in Word vs LanguageTool
- Copilot in Word vs NotebookLM
Alternatives to Microsoft 365 Copilot · Alternatives to Copilot in Word · Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing · Copilot in Word pricing
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