Microsoft 365 Copilot vs DeepSeek
Microsoft 365 Copilot and DeepSeek sit in the same category. The verdict below is calculated for each role from the tasks, the role fit and the price.
Short answer
Microsoft 365 Copilot wins for 20 of 20 roles in our data. Microsoft 365 Copilot starts at $20/mo; DeepSeek publishes no fixed price.
Verdict by role
| Role | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Accountant | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 4 tasks relevant to this role against 1; built for this role |
| Lawyer | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 3 tasks relevant to this role against 0; built for this role |
| HR manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 4 tasks relevant to this role against 1; built for this role |
| Finance manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 5 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Marketer | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Sales manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Data analyst | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 5 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Teacher | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Executive assistant | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1; part of the role's core toolkit |
| Logistics manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Procurement manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 5 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Secretary | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Recruiter | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 4 tasks relevant to this role against 1; built for this role |
| HR administrator | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 4 tasks relevant to this role against 1; built for this role |
| Tax consultant | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 4 tasks relevant to this role against 1; built for this role |
| Auditor | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 4 tasks relevant to this role against 1; built for this role |
| Economist | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 5 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Project manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
| Social media manager | Microsoft 365 Copilot | covers 6 tasks relevant to this role against 1 |
Side by side
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | DeepSeek | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Microsoft | DeepSeek |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| 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 | Yes: A free chat; at peak hours the service is slow or temporarily unavailable |
| Cheapest paid plan | Copilot Pro, $20/mo | price on request |
| Top plan | Microsoft 365 Copilot, $30/mo | price on request |
| Tasks covered | 6 | 1 |
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Assistant inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint with access to company data.
DeepSeek: Free chat with DeepSeek reasoning models that are strong in math and code.
Only Microsoft 365 Copilot covers
- Build a quarterly results presentation
- Write meeting minutes from an audio recording
- Write a business letter
- Write a weekly report to your manager
- Analyze budget variances, actual versus plan
- Find a document in your drive by its content
Only DeepSeek covers
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
DeepSeek
- Data is stored on servers in China and accessible under Chinese law: keep out personal data, company documents, contracts and financial reports
- Answers on the war, China and politics are censored, so the service is unsuitable for such questions
- Many governments and companies have banned DeepSeek on work devices: check your company's rules before installing the app
FAQ
Is Microsoft 365 Copilot or DeepSeek better for work?
In our data Microsoft 365 Copilot is the better choice for 20 of 20 roles. The table above shows the reason for each role.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft 365 Copilot or DeepSeek?
Microsoft 365 Copilot starts at $20/mo; DeepSeek publishes no fixed price.
Do Microsoft 365 Copilot and DeepSeek 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. DeepSeek: Yes. A free chat; at peak hours the service is slow or temporarily unavailable.
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 Claude
- Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Notion AI
Compare DeepSeek with
- DeepSeek vs Qwen Chat
- DeepSeek vs ChatGPT
- DeepSeek vs Claude
- DeepSeek vs Gemini
- DeepSeek vs Kagi Assistant
Alternatives to Microsoft 365 Copilot · Alternatives to DeepSeek · Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing · DeepSeek pricing
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