In one sentence
The easiest AI to try if you already live in Windows, Word, Excel and Outlook: chat free, and pay for Microsoft 365 if you want Copilot inside your documents.
Free vs paid (as of Oct 15, 2026)
| Plan | Price (US) | Copilot you get |
|---|---|---|
| Copilot (free) | $0 | Limited chat, “subject to available capacity and limits”, on the web, Windows, Mac and phones |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99/month | Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook; more usage than free (uses AI credits) |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99/month | Same as Personal for up to 6 people, but Copilot is for the subscription owner only |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | $199.99/year | Extensive usage plus Researcher, Analyst and limited agent tasks |
| Microsoft 365 Pro | See Microsoft's page | Highest usage limits, 5 TB storage |
What about Copilot Pro? Microsoft's individual pricing page no longer lists Copilot Pro as a separate plan; its benefits now sit in Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro. If you already pay for Copilot Pro, check your Microsoft account for what happens at renewal (we couldn't confirm this from official pages). One-month trials of Personal, Family and Premium are offered, with terms that vary by region.
Copilot in Windows
Every Windows 11 PC can use the Copilot app for chat, voice and “Vision” (letting it see your screen or camera). On Windows it can show recently used files and open web pages in a side pane. It doesn't scan your PC or upload files on its own, per Microsoft.
Copilot+ PCs
Copilot+ PCs are newer Windows 11 laptops with a fast AI chip (an NPU doing 40+ trillion operations per second). Minimum specs: 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, 40+ TOPS NPU, Windows 11 24H2 or newer. Many use Snapdragon X chips; Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI models also qualify. Extra features that run on the device:
- Click to Do: select text or images on screen to summarize, rewrite or send them to an app (text actions run on a small local model, Phi Silica).
- Recall: search what you've seen on your PC by describing it. It's opt-in, stores snapshots locally, and needs Windows Hello and encryption.
- Improved Windows search, Live Captions and more. Availability varies by device and region.
Full guide: AI on Windows PCs.
Agent features
Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro include limited “agentic” usage (Researcher, Analyst and Cowork in preview). Personal and Family don't. See Best AI agent tools.
Privacy
- Signed-in users can opt out of having Copilot chats used for AI training; Microsoft says it doesn't train on chats inside Microsoft 365 Personal/Family apps, or for signed-out users and under-18s.
- Chats are saved for 18 months by default; you can delete them.
- Some chats may be reviewed by people for safety, with no opt-out.
Best for
Windows and Microsoft 365 users who want AI inside documents, spreadsheets and email. For pure chat, compare it with ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini or take the quiz.
More: Grok Bot vs Microsoft Copilot · AI on Macs
Sources
- Microsoft: Copilot plans for individuals (incl. "Is Copilot free?" FAQ): last checked Oct 15, 2026
- Microsoft Store: Microsoft 365 Premium: last checked Oct 15, 2026
- Microsoft Support: How AI usage works across Microsoft 365 subscriptions: last checked Oct 15, 2026
- Microsoft Support: Privacy FAQ for Microsoft Copilot: last checked Oct 15, 2026
- Microsoft: Copilot+ PCs vs Windows PCs, the differences: last checked Oct 15, 2026
- Microsoft Support: Click to Do (requirements): last checked Oct 15, 2026
- Microsoft Support: Retrace your steps with Recall: last checked Oct 15, 2026
Prices and plans change often. Always confirm on the official site before you buy.