Copilot vs Microsoft 365 Copilot in 2026: The Product Got a New Name, the Licence Kept the Old One

Disclosure: NOXI publishes this page. NOXI makes documents and decks; it is not a Copilot tier, so this page gives it no row and no score, and it appears once, in the build-it section at the end. Every rule, weight and cell source is printed so that you can check each number against Microsoft's own pages.

One note on Microsoft Learn changed what this search means: Microsoft 365 Copilot is now named Microsoft Copilot, and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is now Microsoft Copilot Chat. The Manage Copilot Chat page carries it with a metadata date of 28 October 2026, and the requirements page, last updated 5 November 2026, repeats it [2][3]. So the employee who sees Copilot in Word at work and Copilot on a home laptop now has two products under nearly one name, while Microsoft's price pages still sell the old names [6][7]. This page maps the names, scores ten tiers on seven printed rules and prints every price as served on 5 November 2026. Microsoft Ignite runs 17 to 20 November 2026, so we re-check on 21 November [19]. For Copilot against other assistants, see ChatGPT vs Copilot and Copilot vs Gemini.

Copilot vs Microsoft 365 Copilot at a glance: ten tiers, one score each

For a person, "Copilot" is the free app (40) or Copilot inside Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium or Pro (43 to 53). "Microsoft 365 Copilot", now named Microsoft Copilot, is the work licence (70), and Microsoft Copilot Business gives the same capabilities to companies of up to 300 users (70). Those two are the tiers grounded in your mail, calendar and files with enterprise data protection.

The top two are level. Microsoft Copilot Business and the Microsoft Copilot work licence score the same on all seven rules (70). Business is listed first only because our tie rule ends on the name. Business is for companies of up to 300 users; larger organisations use the work licence [5]. Copilot Cowork and Copilot Code (Frontier) are add-on lines, not tiers: at work both need a Copilot licence underneath.

Which Copilot to pick: six lines, one documented fact each

The right tier depends on the account you sign in with and on who pays. Each line rests on one fact from Microsoft's or GitHub's pages, read 5 November 2026.

• If you pay nothing and use a personal account, pick the free Microsoft Copilot app. Microsoft says it is available at no cost at copilot.cloud.microsoft [16].
• If you want Copilot inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint at home, pick Microsoft 365 Personal or Family. Both put Copilot in the desktop apps, from "$9.99" a month; on Family the AI is for the owner only [11][12].
• If one person wants the most Copilot, pick Microsoft 365 Premium. Microsoft's limits table gives it "Extensive usage" of Researcher and Analyst, which Personal and Family lack [13].
• If your company wants AI chat with data protection at no extra cost, use Microsoft Copilot Chat. Microsoft lists it as included with an eligible Microsoft 365 plan [6].
• If Copilot must read your mail, meetings and files, buy the Microsoft Copilot work licence, or Microsoft Copilot Business for up to 300 users. Learn says Business supports up to 300 licensed users per tenant [5].
• If you came here about code, you want GitHub Copilot, a different product. GitHub prints GitHub Copilot Pro at "$10 USD per month" [20].

Key numbers

The scores are this page's arithmetic on printed rules: documented capability, not answer quality.

Microsoft Copilot rename: the old and new names in one table

Microsoft renamed the product, not the licences. Microsoft Learn now says that Microsoft 365 Copilot is now named Microsoft Copilot, and that Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is now named Microsoft Copilot Chat. The note sits on Learn's Manage Copilot Chat page, dated 28 October 2026 in its metadata, and on the Microsoft Copilot requirements page, last updated 5 November 2026. The same Learn site still compares a "Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic) license" and a "Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) license" under the heading "Compare Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses", and Microsoft's price page still sells "Microsoft 365 Copilot (add-on)" at $30.00 per user a month, paid yearly. So the app and the product are called Microsoft Copilot, while the licence your company buys is still named Microsoft 365 Copilot. Checked 5 November 2026 [1][2][3][6].

Four price pages still used the old names on 5 November (enterprise, business, Copilot Studio and the compare page), and Learn's release notes are still titled "Release Notes for Microsoft 365 Copilot" [6][7][8][12][18]. Microsoft prints no launch day for the rename, so we date it by the pages that carry it.

Microsoft Copilot vs Microsoft 365 Copilot: one app, two kinds of account

One Microsoft Copilot app now takes both sign-ins. Learn says you can sign in with a work or school account or a personal Microsoft account, and that chats, files, permissions and protections stay separate by the account you used; Microsoft Support calls the two accounts distinct by design [3][15]. Same app, two separate worlds inside it. The address is moving to copilot.cloud.microsoft (the requirements page says "is changing to", the manage page "is") [2][3]. Microsoft Support asks users to sign in to the updated app by 31 December 2026 to keep their eligible chats and content, and records that Deep Research retired in the Copilot app on 18 August 2026 [15].

How we scored ten Copilot tiers

Every tier is scored on documented capability from Microsoft's own Learn, support and price pages, opened signed out on 5 November 2026, on seven rules worth 100 points, so a cell moves only when a Microsoft sentence moves.

Half marks and ties. The weights add to 100. A middle level is half the weight on M1 (10) and M5 (5); M4's middle level is printed as 8, not 7.5, and we keep it as printed. Every cell that is neither full nor zero says why in the scorecard. On an equal total the higher M1 comes first, then the higher M4, then the name, alphabetically.

Which rows count. The work rows follow Learn's own licence table on "What is Microsoft Copilot?": Copilot Chat (Basic), Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic), Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium), and a fourth column for usage-based billing. The personal rows are the plans on "Microsoft Copilot Plans for Individuals", plus Family and the free app; Business and Studio are separate licences Microsoft prices. The usage-based column needs the Premium licence underneath, so Cowork and Code are add-on lines, a ruling applied to every row alike [1].

What changed recently

Five dated movements on Microsoft's pages in the eight days before we read them.

The scorecard: seven rules, ten tiers, every cell sourced

Microsoft Copilot Business and the work licence lead on 70, seven points above Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic) on 63, and the gap is one trade: the licence reads your mail, calendar and files (M2 +15), Basic costs nothing extra (M4 +8).

The arithmetic. Business and the work licence: 20 + 15 + 15 + 0 + 10 + 10 + 0 = 70 each. Basic: 20 + 0 + 15 + 8 + 10 + 10 + 0 = 63. Premium and Pro: 20 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 10 + 0 + 15 = 53. Copilot Chat: 10 + 0 + 15 + 8 + 10 + 10 + 0 = 53. Family and Personal: 20 + 0 + 0 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 15 = 43. Free app: 10 + 0 + 0 + 15 + 0 + 0 + 15 = 40. Studio: 0 + 15 + 0 + 0 + 10 + 10 + 0 = 35.

Four ties, and what settled each. Business and the work licence at 70: level on every rule, so the name decides. Premium and Pro at 53: the name. Pro and Copilot Chat at 53: M1, 20 against 10. Family and Personal at 43: the name.

The cells that carry the order

• M2 splits the field. Only Business, the work licence and Studio ground answers in work data. Learn says the Premium licence does it automatically through Microsoft Graph and Work IQ; both Basic columns answer from the public web and files you upload [1].
• M3 follows the account, not the price. Learn lists enterprise data protection for the three work licences when you sign in with a Microsoft Entra account. A $99.99 personal plan sits on consumer terms, so Pro scores 0 here while the free Copilot Chat at work scores 15 [1].
• M7 runs the other way. Every work tier needs a work or school account in Microsoft Entra ID; the personal plans and the free app take the full 15 [2].
• Studio's M3 is a named blank. Studio's governance page lists data loss prevention, certifications and compliance, and does not name enterprise data protection; if a Studio page adds it, Studio reaches 50 [10].

Gaps between neighbours. Basic sits 10 above Copilot Chat, all of it M1. Premium, Pro and Copilot Chat are level at 53 but opposite in shape: in-app Copilot and a personal account on one side, data protection and an admin center on the other.

Copilot Chat vs Microsoft 365 Copilot: free at work, or licensed

Copilot Chat scores 53 and the Microsoft 365 Copilot work licence 70, and Learn's own table explains the 17 points: the licence adds Copilot inside the Office apps and answers grounded in your organisation's data, while both keep enterprise data protection.

All four columns read "Yes" for enterprise data protection and the European Union Data Boundary in Learn's data-security table [1]. That is why the work chat, at no extra cost, and the paid licence tie on M3.

Microsoft Copilot vs Copilot Chat: what the $30.00 licence adds

Microsoft's enterprise FAQ answers it directly: Copilot Chat is a web-grounded assistant at no additional cost with eligible plans, and the licence adds Work IQ, Copilot in Teams and the Microsoft 365 apps, and prebuilt agents such as Researcher, Analyst and Facilitator [6]. Its compare table meters agent use on Chat and includes it on the licence. On our rules that is three cells: M1 from 10 to 20 (Copilot inside the apps), M2 from 0 to 15 (mail, calendar, chats and files without uploading), and M4 from 8 to 0, because the licence needs "a separate license" on top of a qualifying plan [6]. Net: 70 against 53.

Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic): the row most pages miss

Learn's second column is for work users without the add-on who still get standard access to Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Learn adds that these experiences are more limited, might lack full chat integration or priority access, and depend on service capacity through the day [1]. Microsoft sells nothing under this name; the enterprise page folds it into the Copilot Chat card, with a footnote that in-app availability may vary by market and customer licensing [6]. If your company has Copilot Chat, open Word and look for the Copilot button: that is the test.

Copilot Business or the work licence: same cells, different buyers

Learn says Microsoft Copilot Business provides the same Microsoft Copilot capabilities, for organisations with up to 300 users on eligible Business plans (Business Premium, Standard and Basic, Apps for Business, Teams Essentials), on an annual commitment [5]. The business page adds that it is only for existing Microsoft 365 customers with an eligible Business plan [7]. Above 300 users the work licence is the route, as an add-on or inside Microsoft 365 E7, which Learn says includes Microsoft Copilot [5]. We read no E7 price.

Copilot for one person: the free app, Personal, Family, Premium, Pro

On a personal account Copilot runs from 40 for the free app to 53 for Premium and Pro, and the 13 points between them are Copilot inside the Office apps (M1 +10) and documented agents (M5 +10), less the price step (M4, 15 to 8).

The free app. Microsoft Support says it is available at no cost, sign-in is optional, and signing in adds chat history, image creation, longer conversations and voice [16]. Chat, images and uploads are free subject to capacity and limits; for agents or multi-step tasks Microsoft points you to a Microsoft 365 subscription [15].

Personal and Family. Both put Copilot inside the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps [11][12]. Family covers one to six people, but the AI is for the subscription owner only [12]. Neither gets Researcher or Analyst, and Microsoft Support says Personal and Family subscribers lose access to the Cowork preview [13][15].

Premium and Pro. Premium is everything in Personal plus features Microsoft reserves for Premium and Pro: Researcher and Analyst at "Extensive usage", and the Cowork preview at "Limited usage" on Premium and "Highest usage" on Pro, in the US and Canada only [11][13]. Pro is billed monthly only [11].

What none of them do. A personal plan does not reach a company mailbox, carries no enterprise data protection and has no admin center [1][11]. Its connectors to personal email, calendar and storage score 0 on M2, which counts work data through Microsoft Graph [15]. If you want Word or PowerPoint itself rather than Copilot, see how to get PowerPoint for free; for who sees the Copilot button in slides, see Copilot in PowerPoint.

Microsoft 365 Copilot price, tier by tier, as Microsoft serves it

The cheapest paid Copilot is Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month; the work licence is $30.00 a user a month, paid yearly; and Copilot Business is $18.00 a user a month, paid yearly, a promotion until 31 December 2026 that replaces $21.00. All US dollars on Microsoft's en-us pages, 5 November 2026.

The ladder. Every figure is in the summary table at the top, with its page [6][7][8][11][12]. The business page also sells Business Standard with Copilot at "$23.50" and Business Premium with Copilot at "$32.00" a user a month, paid yearly; those include the Microsoft 365 plan itself, so they do not compare with the add-ons [7].

Monthly against yearly, on Microsoft's own figures. Personal paid monthly is 12 × $9.99 = $119.88 a year against $99.99, $19.89 more. Premium monthly is 12 × $19.99 = $239.88 against $199.99, $39.89 more. One Copilot Business seat paid monthly is 12 × $25.20 = $302.40 a year, against 12 × $18.00 = $216.00 on the yearly promotion, $86.40 more; at the original $21.00 the yearly seat is $252.00.

What Microsoft does not price. The enterprise page shows the $30.00 work licence as a yearly price only. There is no price for Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic), which work plans include without the add-on. Cowork and Code are billed in Copilot Credits by use, with no unit price on the pages we read [1][6][7]. And the "$200.00" credit on the Studio page is Azure's new-account credit, not the Studio price [8].

What is Copilot Cowork, and who gets it

Copilot Cowork is Microsoft's agent that carries out multi-step tasks for you and asks you to approve each action first; at work it needs a Copilot licence underneath and is billed by use, so this page prints it as an add-on line, not a tier [1][4].

What it does. Learn says Cowork builds Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and PDFs, and edits existing Office files in OneDrive and SharePoint; it runs in the browser, the desktop app and the mobile app [4]. Learn's release notes list delegating complex work to Cowork in the entry dated 23 September 2026 [18].

At work. Cowork for work or school accounts is generally available [4]. Learn says usage-based capabilities need the Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) licence, and the enterprise page says all Cowork usage is metered [1][6]. The business page lists Cowork as usage-based on Copilot Business too, billed in Copilot Credits so you pay for actual use; admins manage that in Cost Management in the Microsoft 365 admin center [7].

For personal accounts. Cowork is in preview: "Limited usage" on Premium, "Highest usage" on Pro, not available on Personal and Family, and currently only in the US and Canada [4][13]. Personal Cowork runs in the browser at m365.cloud.microsoft and in the desktop app, with a personal account on an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription [14].

Why it is a line and not a row. Cowork changes no cell of any tier it sits on: the work licence already has full marks on M1, M2, M3, M5 and M6, and its M4 and M7 stay 0 with Cowork on top; Premium and Pro already have M5 from Researcher and Analyst. Scored as a standalone tier, Cowork would total 75 and sit above both 70s, which is exactly why it is not ranked: it cannot be bought or used without a tier underneath.

Copilot Code (Frontier), the second add-on line

The same usage-based column gives access to Copilot Code, which turns what you describe into working software and, with your permission, uses your Microsoft 365 documents, mail, meetings and calendar as context [1][17]. It is a Frontier preview, for members of that early-access programme. A work account needs a Microsoft Copilot licence and the Code tab enabled; a personal account needs "a supported Microsoft Copilot consumer plan", which Microsoft does not name, and no price is printed [17].

GitHub Copilot is a different product

Learn lists GitHub Copilot under Copilot products licensed independently, with no Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) licence needed [1]. GitHub's plans page, read 5 November 2026, prints GitHub Copilot Pro at "$10 USD per month (free for some users)", Pro+ at $39, Max at $100, Business at $19 and Enterprise at $39 per granted seat a month [20].

How firm the order is: five cells, three readings, two reweightings

The leaders hold under equal weights and without the heaviest rule, but first place is a name step today, so a single cell on either 70 would break the tie.

• Work licence M4 from 0 to 8 (reading Microsoft 365 E7, which includes Microsoft Copilot, as a subscription you already pay for): the work licence reaches 78 and leads alone.
• Business M4 from 0 to 8 (reading the Business Standard with Copilot bundle as a subscription): Business reaches 78 and leads alone.
• Basic M1 from 20 to 10 (capacity-dependent access read as not fully inside the apps): Basic falls to 53, fifth.
• Copilot Chat M1 from 10 to 20 (if Learn gave it in-app access): Chat reaches 63, fourth, behind Basic on the name.
• Studio M3 from 0 to 15 (if a Studio page documented enterprise data protection): Studio reaches 50, seventh.
• Researcher and Analyst as prebuilt only, the Cowork preview not counted: Premium and Pro fall to 48 and Copilot Chat moves to fourth.
• Personal connectors as work data (M2 = 15 for the free app and the four personal plans): Premium and Pro reach 68 and pass Basic, Family and Personal reach 58, the free app 55, and Copilot Chat drops to ninth. The leaders do not change; the rule says Microsoft Graph and work data, which is why the printed cell is 0.
• The Agent Store as prebuilt agents for the free app, Personal and Family: each gains 5 and no place changes (carried from our research; not re-opened).

Equal weights (each cell as a share of its maximum, averaged): Business 0.71, work licence 0.71, Basic 0.65, Copilot Chat 0.58, Premium 0.50, Pro 0.50, Studio 0.43, Family, Personal and free 0.36. Copilot Chat rises to fourth and Studio to seventh because M1 loses weight. Without M1, out of 80: Business 50, work licence 50, Basic 43, Copilot Chat 43, Studio 35, Premium 33, Pro 33, free 30, Family 23, Personal 23. The leaders do not change in either reading.

Worked example: one firm, three teams, three Copilots

For a fictional 140-person firm on Microsoft 365 Business Standard, the answer after the rename is three Copilots, not one: 18 Copilot Business seats at $3,888.00 a year on the promotional price, Copilot Chat for the other 122 at no extra cost, and Cowork only after a usage budget is set.

Step one, what everyone already has. Microsoft says Copilot Chat is included at no additional cost with eligible Microsoft 365 plans, and that work customers without Copilot licences can use it by signing in with a work account [6][7]. Marcus confirms in the admin center that Business Standard qualifies, so all 140 people get web-grounded chat with enterprise data protection. Marcus opens Word on three laptops to see whether the Copilot button appears (the Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic) experience), because Microsoft says in-app availability varies by market and licensing [1][6].

Step two, who needs Copilot to read their mail. Six partners and twelve project managers live in Outlook, Teams meetings and SharePoint. For them M2 is the point: answers grounded in mail, calendar, chats and files [1][7]. Ridgeline has fewer than 300 users and an eligible Business plan, so Copilot Business is the route, with the same capabilities as the $30.00 work licence [5].

Step three, the arithmetic, checked twice. 18 × 18.00 = 324.00 a month, × 12 = 3,888.00. 18 × 21.00 = 378.00, × 12 = 4,536.00, so the promotion saves 648.00 a year. 18 × 25.20 = 453.60, × 12 = 5,443.20, which is 1,555.20 more than the yearly promotion. Licensing all 140 would cost 30,240.00 − 3,888.00 = 26,352.00 more than licensing the 18. The offer runs until 31 December 2026, the date Marcus puts on the partners' decision [7].

Step four, Cowork and home. Two project managers want Cowork. Microsoft bills it in Copilot Credits with no unit price printed, so Marcus sets a limit in Cost Management first and enables it for those two only [7]. One engineer pays for Microsoft 365 Family at $129.99 a year and asks whether her husband gets Copilot too: no, the AI is for the subscription owner only [12]. Her work and home Copilots share one app on separate accounts [3].

Decision. 18 Copilot Business seats on the yearly promotion before 31 December 2026; Copilot Chat for everyone else; a two-person Cowork pilot under a set budget; a staff briefing on which Copilot each team has. Review on 21 November 2026, after Ignite. The briefing is the build-it flow below.

What these rules don't measure

Seven rules about access, data, price and accounts leave out most of what decides whether a Copilot is good for you, and several gaps favour the lower rows.

• Answer quality, speed and the models behind each tier. Microsoft's price pages name models inconsistently, so we print none and score none. For assistants scored on their sources, see the best AI with citations.
• Usage limits. Microsoft describes personal limits in words ("Extensive usage", "Highest usage") and the free app as subject to capacity, with no numbers to score [13][15].
• Publishing agents outside your company. Microsoft says the agent building in Microsoft Copilot is for use inside your organisation, and a standalone Studio plan publishes agents to outside channels [8]. No rule covers that, one reason Studio sits last.
• Compliance beyond enterprise data protection. Data residency, the EU Data Boundary, certifications and regulatory controls can decide a company purchase [1][10].
• Regional availability. The personal Cowork preview is US and Canada only, and in-app access for Basic users varies by market [6][13].
• Other assistants. This page compares Microsoft with Microsoft. For two research assistants side by side, see Gemini vs Perplexity; for Copilot against Anthropic's assistant, Claude vs Copilot.

What would change this ranking

Three things would move the rows or the prices, each checkable on a named Microsoft page.

• 1. Microsoft Ignite, 17 to 20 November 2026, changes names, prices or tiers. If the enterprise pricing page no longer shows "$30.00" a user a month, paid yearly, or Learn's overview stops heading its table "Compare Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses" or adds a column, the rows and prices are re-scored. We re-check on 21 November 2026.
• 2. Learn's Basic columns change. If the Copilot Chat (Basic) column stops saying it has no access to Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, Copilot Chat goes to 63 and fourth. If the Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic) column drops standard access, Basic goes to 53 and fifth. Page: learn.microsoft.com, What is Microsoft Copilot. We re-check on 21 November 2026.
• 3. First place moves off the name step. If the business pricing page sells Copilot Business only inside a Business plan, or Microsoft prints the work licence as included at no extra cost in a plan people already pay for, that row's M4 becomes 8 and it leads alone at 78. Separately, the Business promotion ends on 31 December 2026: the price column moves, no cell does. We re-check on 1 January 2027.

Build it in NOXI: a six-slide staff briefing on the rename

Whoever reads this page is often the one explaining the rename to colleagues on Monday. A short deck does it fastest, built from this page's facts and your own team list in NOXI's Presentation format, one of the 14 formats in NOXI 2.0. One flow, six steps:

Copilot vs Microsoft 365 Copilot: FAQ

What is the difference between Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Copilot usually means the free Microsoft Copilot app or Copilot inside Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium or Pro, scored 40 to 53 here. Microsoft 365 Copilot, now named Microsoft Copilot on Learn, is the $30.00 work licence, scored 70: it reads your mail, calendar and files under enterprise data protection. Checked 5 November 2026.

Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Copilot: is it the same thing now?

In name, partly. Microsoft Learn says Microsoft 365 Copilot is now named Microsoft Copilot, on pages dated 28 October and 5 November 2026. The licences keep the old name: Learn compares Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic) and (Premium) licences, and the price page sells Microsoft 365 Copilot (add-on) at $30.00 a user a month, paid yearly.

What is Microsoft Copilot Chat?

Microsoft Copilot Chat, formerly Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, is the AI chat for work and school accounts, at no additional cost with an eligible Microsoft 365 plan. It answers from the web and from files you upload, under enterprise data protection, with admin controls. It scores 53 on our seven rules, checked 5 November 2026.

What does Microsoft Copilot do that Copilot Chat does not?

The Microsoft Copilot work licence grounds answers in your organisation's mail, calendar, chats and files through Microsoft Graph and Work IQ, and gives priority access to Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, plus the Researcher, Analyst and Facilitator agents. Copilot Chat uses web data and your uploads only. Scores: 70 against 53, 5 November 2026.

Is Microsoft 365 Copilot free?

Not the licence: Microsoft sells it at $30.00 a user a month, paid yearly, and Copilot Business at a promotional $18.00 until 31 December 2026, originally $21.00. What costs nothing extra: Copilot Chat with an eligible work plan, Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic) in-app access where a company has it, and the free consumer Copilot app. Checked 5 November 2026.

How much is Microsoft 365 Copilot?

On Microsoft's en-us pages on 5 November 2026, the work add-on is $30.00 a user a month, paid yearly, with no monthly figure shown. Copilot Business is $18.00 paid yearly, a promotion until 31 December 2026 that replaces $21.00, or $25.20 monthly. For one person, Copilot comes inside Microsoft 365 from $9.99 a month.

When did Microsoft rename Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft prints no launch day. The rename note first carries a date on Learn's Manage Copilot Chat page, 28 October 2026 in its metadata, and the Microsoft Copilot requirements page repeats it, last updated 5 November 2026. Microsoft's price pages and release notes still used the old name when we read them on 5 November.

What is Copilot Cowork?

Copilot Cowork is Microsoft's agent that carries out multi-step tasks on your behalf and asks you to approve each action. At work it is generally available, billed by use in Copilot Credits, and needs a Copilot licence underneath. For personal accounts it is a preview in Premium and Pro, in the US and Canada only.

Is Copilot Business the same as Microsoft 365 Copilot?

In capability, yes: Microsoft Learn says Microsoft Copilot Business provides the same Microsoft Copilot capabilities, for organisations with up to 300 users on eligible Business plans. Both score 70 on all seven rules here. The difference is who can buy it and the price: $18.00 promotional against $30.00 a user a month, paid yearly.

Is GitHub Copilot part of Microsoft 365 Copilot?

No. Microsoft Learn lists GitHub Copilot among Copilot products that are licensed separately and need no Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) licence. GitHub's plans page, read 5 November 2026, prints GitHub Copilot Pro at $10 USD a month, Pro+ at $39 and Business at $19 per granted seat. It is not scored on this page.

Sources & methodology

Every price, plan line, licence name and date here comes from Microsoft's or GitHub's own pages, opened signed out in one browser tab on 5 November 2026 between 15:35 and 15:43 UTC. No page refused. Prices are as served in US dollars on the en-us pages, never converted. The scores are documented capability on printed rules, not a new hands-on test. Ridgeline Civil and Marcus Okafor are fictional, and every calculation was recomputed a second time.

• [1] Title "What is Microsoft Copilot?"; the table "Compare Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses" with four columns, Copilot Chat (Basic), Microsoft 365 Copilot (Basic), Microsoft 365 Copilot (Premium) and usage-based billing; enterprise data protection "Yes" in all four; Premium grounding "automatic via Microsoft Graph and Work IQ"; Basic standard access "subject to service capacity"; usage-based billing needs the Premium licence; GitHub Copilot and Copilot Studio under other Copilot products; metadata date 2026-10-28, "Last updated on 11/04/2026"; opened 15:35 and 15:41 UTC · Microsoft Learn, What is Microsoft Copilot.
• [2] The rename note "Microsoft 365 Copilot is now named Microsoft Copilot"; the app's primary URL "is changing to copilot.cloud.microsoft"; "Users must have a work or school account in Microsoft Entra ID."; metadata date 2026-11-04, "Last updated on 11/05/2026"; opened 15:35 UTC · Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Copilot requirements.
• [3] The same rename note; the primary URL "is copilot.cloud.microsoft"; sign-in with a work or school account or a personal Microsoft account, with chats, files and protections kept separate by account; metadata date 2026-10-28, "Last updated on 11/04/2026"; opened 15:36 UTC · Microsoft Learn, Manage Copilot Chat.
• [4] "Microsoft Copilot Cowork can carry out tasks on your behalf."; each action approved first; builds and edits Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files; generally available for work or school accounts, "in preview" for personal accounts; browser, desktop and mobile apps; metadata date 2026-11-03, "Last updated on 11/03/2026"; opened 15:36 UTC · Microsoft Learn, Copilot Cowork overview.
• [5] Microsoft Copilot available with Microsoft 365 E7 or as an add-on; Microsoft Copilot Business "provides the same Microsoft Copilot capabilities", "supports up to 300 licensed users per tenant", annual commitment, eligible Business plans listed; licences assigned in the Microsoft 365 admin center; metadata date 2026-10-19, "Last updated on 11/04/2026"; opened 15:36 UTC · Microsoft Learn, licence options for Microsoft Copilot.
• [6] Copilot Chat "Included", at no additional cost with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription, with a footnote that in-app availability may vary by market and licensing; "Microsoft 365 Copilot (add-on)" "$30.00" "user/month, paid yearly"; "A separate license for a qualifying Microsoft 365 plan is required."; Cowork access needs a licence and "all Cowork usage is metered"; the compare table and FAQ on Chat against the add-on; US dollars; no visible date; opened 15:36 UTC · Microsoft, Copilot enterprise pricing.
• [7] "Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on)" "Originally starting from $21.00 now starting from $18.00" "user/month, paid yearly", "$25.20" monthly; the offer "available between July 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026"; available only to existing customers with an eligible Business plan; bundles "$23.50" and "$32.00" yearly; "AI chat grounded in your work data"; Copilot Chat included at no additional cost with eligible plans, and open to work customers without Copilot licences who sign in with a work account; Cowork "Usage-based"; Copilot Credits; Cost Management in the admin center; US dollars; opened 15:37 UTC · Microsoft, Copilot business pricing.
• [8] "priced at $200.00/pack/month" for packs of "25,000 Copilot Credits", or a pay-as-you-go meter; standalone Studio plans to publish agents to outside channels; a separate Azure "$200.00 credit" line; "Microsoft 365 Copilot (add-on)" named; US dollars; opened 15:37 UTC · Microsoft, Copilot Studio pricing.
• [9] A standalone Copilot Studio subscription from the Microsoft 365 admin center; a personal address rejected for the trial, "use a work or school account"; "Last updated on 10/27/2026"; opened 15:38 UTC · Microsoft Learn, get access to Copilot Studio.
• [10] Studio's controls listed as data residency, data loss prevention, standards certifications and regulatory compliance; no mention of enterprise data protection on the page; "Last updated on 10/07/2026"; opened 15:38 UTC · Microsoft Learn, Copilot Studio security and governance.
• [11] Title "Microsoft Copilot Plans for Individuals"; Personal "$9.99" "/month" ("$99.99 /year"), Premium "$19.99" ("$199.99 /year"), Pro "$99.99" "Monthly billing only."; desktop apps "with Microsoft Copilot"; Premium and Pro exclusives; AI for the subscription owner only; US dollars; opened 15:38 UTC · Microsoft, Copilot plans for individuals.
• [12] Personal "$99.99/year" or "$9.99/month"; Family "$129.99/year" or "$12.99/month", "For 1 to 6 people (AI for subscription owner only)"; Premium "$199.99/year" or "$19.99/month"; a row headed "Microsoft 365 Copilot (AI for account holder only)"; US dollars; opened 15:39 UTC · Microsoft, compare all Microsoft 365 plans.
• [13] Researcher and Analyst "Not available" on Personal and Family, "Extensive usage" on Premium and Pro; "Cowork (in preview)" "Limited usage" on Premium, "Highest usage" on Pro; "Currently only available in the US and Canada."; "Last updated: October 2026"; opened 15:39 UTC · Microsoft Support, how AI usage works across Microsoft 365 plans for individuals.
• [14] Cowork for personal accounts "currently in Preview"; runs in the browser at m365.cloud.microsoft and in the desktop app; a personal account with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription; metadata modified 2026-10-30; opened 15:39 UTC · Microsoft Support, get started with Cowork for personal accounts.
• [15] Sign in to the updated Copilot app "by December 31, 2026"; chat, images and uploads free, subject to capacity and limits; agents and multi-step tasks need a Microsoft 365 subscription; "Deep Research retired in the Copilot app on August 18, 2026."; Personal or Family "will lose access to Cowork"; personal connectors to email, calendar and cloud storage; personal and work accounts "distinct by design"; metadata modified 2026-11-03; opened 15:39 UTC · Microsoft Support, Copilot app updates.
• [16] "Microsoft Copilot is available at no cost at copilot.cloud.microsoft."; sign-in not required, with history, images, longer conversations and voice after sign-in; web-search answers; metadata modified 2026-10-30; opened 15:40 UTC · Microsoft Support, Microsoft Copilot (free) and Copilot in Microsoft 365.
• [17] Copilot Code (Frontier): a preview, Frontier programme for early access, uses Microsoft 365 documents, mail, meetings and calendar as context with permission; work accounts need a Microsoft Copilot licence and the Code tab enabled; personal accounts need "A supported Microsoft Copilot consumer plan."; no price; "Last updated on 10/06/2026"; opened 15:41 UTC · Microsoft Learn, Copilot Code (Frontier) and its requirements.
• [18] Title "Release Notes for Microsoft 365 Copilot"; entry "November 4, 2026" for updates from 28 October to 3 November, including Cowork's local Edge browser use and an agents usage report; entry "September 23, 2026" introducing delegated work with Copilot Cowork; opened 15:41 UTC · Microsoft Learn, release notes.
• [19] Microsoft Ignite, 17 to 20 November 2026, San Francisco, Moscone Center (the page writes the range with a hyphen); opened 15:42 UTC · Microsoft Ignite.
• [20] "Copilot Pro $10 USD per month (free for some users)"; Pro+ $39, Max $100 a month; Business $19 and Enterprise $39 per granted seat a month; no visible date; opened 15:42 UTC · GitHub Docs, plans for GitHub Copilot.
• [21] NOXI 2.0, published 3 November 2026: 14 formats from one request, Presentation among the six tiles on Home; every page sketched first, then designed in one of more than ninety styles; reads the document through and fixes what does not agree; edit by chat or by hand, every change undoable; PDF, PowerPoint and Word export compared with the pages before download; free plan of five documents a month, no credit card to start. Linked in the build-it section above.