Compare/Head to head

ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

ChatGPT

$8/mo Free tier

OpenAI's AI assistant for recruiting writing, research and analysis. Free plan; Go $8/mo, Plus $20/mo, Pro from $100/mo, Business from $20/user/mo billed annually.

Where ChatGPT fits

  • Recruiters drafting outreach, job ads and Boolean strings every day
  • Agency desks that want one project per req with the JD and notes attached
  • Teams that work in Excel, Word, Slack or Teams
  • Anyone new to AI who wants to start on a free plan

Microsoft Copilot

$9.99/mo Free tier 30 day free trial

Microsoft's AI assistant inside Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel. Free app; Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/mo; Microsoft 365 Copilot Business $21/user/mo billed annually ($18 first-year offer).

Where Microsoft Copilot fits

  • Recruiting teams whose company runs on Outlook, Teams and Excel
  • Summarising Teams interviews and long email threads
  • HR and TA teams that need IT-approved AI with enterprise data protection

At a glance

DetailChatGPTMicrosoft Copilot
Starting price$8/mo$9.99/mo
Free tier✓Yes✓Yes
Free trialNot on record30 day free trial
MCP server–No–No
Public API✓Yes–No
Listed underAI assistantsAI assistants

Where they pull apart

ChatGPT

Stands out: ChatGPT packs the widest set of everyday tools into one plan: projects, scheduled tasks, custom GPTs, deep research, voice and Office extensions. Most recruiting prompt guides, including the prompt library on this site, are written with it in mind.

Watch out: Personal plans use your chats for training unless you opt out, so keep candidate personal data out of Free, Go and Plus, or move the team to Business, where data is never used for training. It cannot reach LinkedIn or your ATS on its own.

Not the right fit for

  • Finding candidate contact data or LinkedIn profiles
  • Teams handling candidate data on personal accounts instead of a Business workspace

Microsoft Copilot

Stands out: With a Microsoft 365 Copilot license, Copilot draws on your work email, calendar, files and Teams meetings, so it can answer a question such as what a hiring manager said in last week's meeting without you pasting anything in.

Watch out: Several products are called Copilot. The free app and Copilot Chat do not see your mailbox and files the way a Microsoft 365 Copilot license does, and the business add-on requires an existing Microsoft 365 business plan.

Not the right fit for

  • Teams on Google Workspace
  • Solo recruiters who only want a chat assistant

Pros and cons

ChatGPT

  • Free plan with unlimited everyday text chats
  • Projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs on paid plans
  • Extensions for Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Sheets
  • Free and Go plans limit uploads, images and deep research
  • The Go plan may show ads
  • Personal plans can train on your chats unless you opt out

Microsoft Copilot

  • Free Copilot app, plus Copilot Chat included with eligible Microsoft 365 plans
  • Works inside Outlook, Teams, Word and Excel with your work data
  • One-month free trial on business plans
  • The business add-on needs a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan
  • The discounted price needs an annual commitment
  • Several products share the Copilot name, which makes buying confusing

What each one costs

ChatGPT

$8/mo

The Free plan costs nothing and includes unlimited everyday text chats, with tighter limits on uploads, images and deep research. Go is $8/mo and may show ads, Plus is $20/mo, and Pro comes in three monthly tiers at $100, $200 and $500. ChatGPT Business costs $20/user/mo billed annually ($25 monthly) for Standard seats and $100/user/mo billed annually for Premium seats, with a two-seat minimum; Enterprise is quoted. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Oct 2026

Microsoft Copilot

$9.99/mo

The Copilot app is free, and Microsoft 365 Personal ($9.99/mo), Family ($12.99/mo) and Premium ($19.99/mo) add Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. For businesses, Microsoft 365 Copilot Business is an add-on for an existing Microsoft 365 business plan at $21/user/mo billed annually, discounted to $18 for the first year on offers made through December 31, 2026, or $25.20 billed monthly. Bundles start at $23.50/user/mo billed annually for Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot. Business plans come with a one-month free trial. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 7 Oct 2026

Common questions

Is ChatGPT cheaper than Microsoft Copilot?
ChatGPT starts lower, at $8/mo against $9.99/mo for Microsoft Copilot. That is the entry plan on each side, so the real number depends on seats and the tier you land on.
Can you try ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot for free?
ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot carry a free tier on our listing. Microsoft Copilot offers a 30 day free trial.

Not the pair you wanted?

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 7 Oct 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?