Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT: What's the Difference?

Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT are both generative AI assistants, but they are designed around different ecosystems and ways of working. ChatGPT is OpenAI’s general-purpose conversational AI assistant, designed to help with a wide range of tasks including research, writing, analysis, problem solving, coding and working with files. Microsoft Copilot is a family of Microsoft AI experiences, with Microsoft 365 Copilot designed specifically to work alongside applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams and, where licensed and permitted, use organisational Microsoft 365 data to provide work-relevant responses.

For many people, the choice is not simply “Copilot or ChatGPT”. The better question is which tool fits the task, the organisation and the information you need to work with?

Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT at a glance

• ChatGPT: a broad AI assistant for asking questions, researching topics, drafting content, analysing information, solving problems, coding and completing multi-step tasks.
• Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft's family of AI assistants, with particularly close integration into Microsoft products and services.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot: the workplace version designed to work with Microsoft 365 apps and organisational content a user already has permission to access.
• Copilot Chat: Microsoft's secure work and education AI chat experience, which can be grounded in the web and allows users to provide work content without requiring the full Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on licence.
• Best fit: ChatGPT is especially useful when you want a flexible general-purpose AI workspace, while Microsoft 365 Copilot can be particularly useful when your work already lives inside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an AI assistant developed by OpenAI. It understands natural-language instructions and can help with a wide range of everyday and professional tasks.

Typical uses include:

• answering questions and explaining complex subjects
• drafting, rewriting and summarising content
• brainstorming ideas
• analysing uploaded documents and data
• researching current information using web search where available
• solving problems and working through decisions
• writing and explaining code
• creating structured outputs such as reports, briefs and plans
• working through longer multi-step tasks using available tools

Its strength is breadth. You do not need to be working in Word, Excel or another particular software package to find it useful. You can describe an objective in natural language and use the conversation to refine the result.

What is Microsoft Copilot?

“Microsoft Copilot” can be confusing because Microsoft uses the Copilot name across several products and experiences.

At a high level, Copilot refers to Microsoft's AI assistants. Depending on the product and licence, that can include the consumer Microsoft Copilot experience, Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, GitHub Copilot and other specialised Copilot products.

For most office-based organisations comparing Copilot with ChatGPT, the most relevant distinction is between Microsoft 365 Copilot and ChatGPT.

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed to help people complete work inside the Microsoft 365 environment. Microsoft describes it as an AI-powered work tool that pairs with familiar productivity applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.

With the appropriate licence, Microsoft 365 Copilot can use information from Microsoft Graph, including work content such as emails, chats and documents that the individual user already has permission to access. This is one of the most significant differences between it and a general web-grounded AI chat.

Examples include:

• drafting or rewriting a document in Word
• working with formulas and data in Excel
• creating or refining a presentation in PowerPoint
• summarising an email thread in Outlook
• summarising meetings or conversations in Teams
• finding information across permitted Microsoft 365 content
• creating or using agents connected to organisational data sources

What is Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat?

Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is worth separating from the full Microsoft 365 Copilot licence.

Copilot Chat provides secure AI chat for work and education. Microsoft currently describes the standard chat experience as being grounded primarily in web information rather than automatically grounding every response in organisational files, emails and chats. Users can still upload or supply work content and use features such as files, pages, images and agents, depending on their environment.

The full Microsoft 365 Copilot licence goes further by integrating organisational data and Microsoft 365 app experiences more deeply into the workflow.

What is the main difference between Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT?

The clearest practical distinction is integration versus general flexibility.

Microsoft 365 Copilot's major advantage is that it sits inside an organisation's Microsoft 365 environment. If your day revolves around Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and SharePoint, Copilot can reduce the need to move information between applications and an external AI workspace.

ChatGPT's major advantage is that it is designed as a broad AI environment rather than primarily as an extension of one productivity suite. It can be used for research, analysis, drafting, planning, reasoning, coding, file work and many other tasks regardless of whether the final output is destined for Microsoft 365.

Copilot vs ChatGPT for Word and document creation

Both can help write documents, but the workflow differs.

Microsoft 365 Copilot

Copilot can work directly inside Word, helping you draft, rewrite, summarise and work with document content in the application where the finished document already lives.

This can be particularly convenient when you need to:

• create a first draft from existing Microsoft 365 information
• summarise a long document
• rewrite sections for tone or clarity
• use another permitted file as context
• continue working without leaving Word

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is also strong at drafting and rewriting, particularly when the task requires extensive iteration, exploration of alternatives or a longer conversation about the objective.

You might use it to:

• develop the structure of a report
• compare several ways of presenting an argument
• research background information before writing
• turn notes into a complete draft
• review a document for gaps, clarity and logic
• produce several versions for different audiences

The final text can then be moved into Word or another publishing system.

Copilot vs ChatGPT for Excel

This is one area where Microsoft 365 Copilot's application integration can be particularly useful.

Copilot in Excel can help users work with spreadsheet content in context. Depending on the current feature set and licence, it can assist with formulas, analysis, trends and workbook tasks without requiring the user to describe every part of the spreadsheet separately.

ChatGPT can also be extremely useful for Excel, especially for:

• explaining formulas
• designing formulas from a described requirement
• troubleshooting errors
• suggesting Power Query approaches
• explaining PivotTables, Power Pivot or DAX
• analysing uploaded spreadsheet data
• helping decide whether a task is better suited to formulas, Power Query or Power BI

The key difference is context. Copilot can operate within the Microsoft application, while ChatGPT is often used as a separate analytical and problem-solving environment.

Copilot vs ChatGPT for PowerPoint

Microsoft 365 Copilot can be useful when you want to create or modify a presentation directly inside PowerPoint, particularly when source material already exists in Microsoft 365.

ChatGPT can be useful earlier in the process when you want to develop the story, audience, structure and message before building the actual slides.

A productive workflow might therefore be:

1. Use ChatGPT to clarify the objective, audience and narrative.
2. Develop an outline and challenge weak arguments.
3. Use Microsoft 365 Copilot in PowerPoint to turn approved content into a presentation.
4. Review the final slides manually for accuracy, design and suitability.

This illustrates why the tools can complement rather than simply replace one another.

Copilot vs ChatGPT for Outlook and email

Microsoft 365 Copilot has an obvious advantage when the information you need is already in Outlook. It can help summarise email threads and draft replies in the context of the conversation.

ChatGPT is useful when you want more deliberate control over the communication itself. For example, you could ask it to produce three versions of a difficult client email, critique the tone, shorten it and explain how different wording might be interpreted.

For routine inbox work, Copilot's integration can save steps. For deeper drafting, analysis or coaching, a conversational workspace such as ChatGPT can be particularly valuable.

Copilot vs ChatGPT for Teams and meetings

Microsoft 365 Copilot is closely integrated with Teams and can help users catch up on conversations and meetings, subject to the organisation's configuration, licence and permissions.

This is difficult for a standalone AI assistant to reproduce unless meeting information is explicitly supplied or an approved integration makes it available.

ChatGPT may nevertheless be useful after a meeting for taking approved notes or summaries and turning them into:

• a project plan
• a client proposal
• a risk register
• a communications plan
• an options analysis
• training materials

Again, one tool may be better at retrieving work context while the other may be useful for developing the resulting work further.

Which is better for research?

Both products can use current web information in supported experiences, but they should not be treated as infallible search engines.

For research tasks, whichever tool you use, good practice includes:

• asking for sources
• opening important sources yourself
• checking publication dates
• preferring primary or authoritative sources
• verifying numbers, legal requirements and technical specifications
• distinguishing evidence from AI-generated interpretation

ChatGPT is particularly useful when research needs to turn into a larger analytical task, such as comparing sources, building a decision framework or producing a structured report.

Which is better for working with organisational data?

Microsoft 365 Copilot has a major advantage where an organisation's work already lives in Microsoft 365 and appropriate permissions and licensing are in place.

Microsoft states that Copilot uses Microsoft Graph to personalise responses using content such as work emails, chats and documents, and only surfaces content the user has permission to access.

That can make prompts such as these much more practical:

• “Summarise the latest information about Project X.”
• “What decisions were made in last week's meetings?”
• “Draft a status update using the latest project material.”

With ChatGPT, the relevant information must be available to the ChatGPT workspace through files, user-provided context or an approved connected data source. The precise capability depends on the plan and environment being used.

Which is better for coding?

ChatGPT is a capable general-purpose coding assistant and can help explain code, debug problems, design solutions and work across many programming languages.

Within Microsoft's ecosystem, it is important to distinguish Microsoft 365 Copilot from GitHub Copilot. GitHub Copilot is the specialised Copilot product designed for software development workflows.

ExperTrain offers a GitHub Copilot (GH-300) course for developers and technical professionals who want to use AI assistance effectively while maintaining appropriate review, security and professional judgement.

What about Copilot agents and custom AI assistants?

Microsoft is increasingly positioning agents as part of the Copilot ecosystem. Organisations can create agents designed around specific tasks and data sources, while Microsoft Copilot Studio provides a dedicated environment for creating and managing more tailored agent experiences.

ChatGPT also supports more specialised AI workflows and configurable experiences depending on the user's plan and available features.

The important organisational question is not simply which platform can create an agent. It is:

• what information the agent needs
• where that information resides
• what users are permitted to access
• what actions the agent should be allowed to perform
• how its output will be reviewed
• which platform fits the organisation's governance model

For practical Microsoft training, ExperTrain offers Create Agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio (PL-7008).

Is Microsoft Copilot powered by OpenAI?

The relationship is more nuanced than saying that Copilot and ChatGPT are the same product.

Microsoft uses large language models from multiple sources within its Copilot services and currently lists OpenAI as a subprocessor for Microsoft Online Services. Microsoft also controls the Microsoft 365 application integration, Microsoft Graph grounding, enterprise controls and surrounding Copilot service.

ChatGPT is an OpenAI product with its own interfaces, plans, tools and product capabilities.

Even where underlying AI model technology overlaps, the surrounding product, data connections, user experience and governance can be very different.

Are Copilot and ChatGPT the same thing?

No. They are separate products from different companies.

They may sometimes offer similar capabilities, such as:

• answering questions
• summarising information
• generating text
• working with files
• creating images
• using web information
• helping users brainstorm and solve problems

However, feature overlap does not make them interchangeable. How each tool accesses information and fits into a user's workflow can matter more than the basic fact that both can generate text.

Which is better for a Microsoft 365 organisation?

If most day-to-day work lives in Microsoft 365, Microsoft 365 Copilot deserves serious consideration because its integration can remove a great deal of manual copying, searching and context-setting.

Examples include a manager who needs to catch up on Teams meetings, an employee working through a large Outlook thread, or someone creating a Word document based on existing SharePoint or OneDrive material.

ChatGPT may still be valuable to the same organisation for broader research, analysis, creative work, problem solving, specialist workflows or longer tasks that extend beyond Microsoft 365.

It is therefore entirely reasonable for an organisation to evaluate both rather than assume that adopting one automatically eliminates the need for the other.

Which is better for an individual?

For an individual who wants a flexible AI assistant for many different purposes, ChatGPT may be the more natural starting point because its usefulness is not dependent on living inside Microsoft's workplace ecosystem.

For someone whose day is dominated by Microsoft 365 and who has access to the relevant Copilot features, Copilot's convenience inside familiar applications may be more important.

The decision should be driven by tasks rather than brand:

• Where does your information live?
• Which applications do you use all day?
• Do you mainly want integrated productivity assistance or a broad AI workspace?
• Do you need access to organisational emails, chats and documents?
• What does your employer permit you to use?

Can you use Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT together?

Yes, and in many cases this is the most sensible approach.

For example, you might:

1. Use Microsoft 365 Copilot to locate and summarise permitted information across a project.
2. Use ChatGPT to explore strategic options or turn an approved summary into a more detailed plan.
3. Return to Word or PowerPoint and use Copilot to help format or develop the final deliverable within Microsoft 365.

The exact workflow should reflect your organisation's AI policy and data-handling requirements.

Data protection and privacy: which is safer?

There is no useful one-word answer to this question because the relevant protections depend on the exact product, plan, account type, configuration and organisational controls.

Businesses should compare the enterprise terms and privacy controls of the products they are actually considering rather than relying on assumptions based on consumer versions.

Important questions include:

• Which account and subscription is being used?
• How is business data handled?
• What administrative controls are available?
• What information can the tool access?
• Are prompts or outputs used for model improvement under that product's terms?
• What retention settings apply?
• Which internal information is employees permitted to submit?
• How are access permissions governed?

The safest operational rule is that employees should follow their organisation's approved AI tools, policies and data-classification requirements rather than making assumptions themselves.

Do AI assistants still make mistakes?

Yes. Both ChatGPT and Copilot can produce incorrect, incomplete or misleading information.

Generative AI output should therefore be reviewed according to the risk of the task. A brainstorming suggestion requires less verification than a legal statement, financial calculation, technical configuration or customer commitment.

A good workplace review process checks:

• facts
• figures
• sources
• dates
• names
• tone
• confidentiality
• assumptions
• whether the output actually answers the original requirement

Practical scenario: preparing a management briefing

Imagine you need to prepare a management briefing on a project.

Using Microsoft 365 Copilot

You could ask Copilot to help find recent emails, documents and meeting information related to the project, provided you have permission to access that content. You could then draft a briefing in Word and use PowerPoint to create presentation material.

Using ChatGPT

You could supply the approved project information and ask ChatGPT to challenge the analysis, identify unanswered questions, compare options, highlight risks and create several versions of the executive summary.

Using both

Copilot can reduce the effort involved in assembling organisational context, while ChatGPT can provide an additional workspace for analysis and development. A human still reviews the final briefing.

Practical scenario: analysing an Excel reporting process

Suppose a finance team spends several hours every month combining workbooks and updating reports.

Copilot in Excel may be able to assist with the workbook in context. ChatGPT could help the team step back and ask a broader question: should the process use formulas, Power Query, Power Pivot, Power BI or some combination?

That broader process analysis can be more valuable than simply automating the existing manual method.

Related ExperTrain resources include Power Query vs Power Pivot and Power BI vs Excel.

How should a business decide between Copilot and ChatGPT?

A structured pilot is usually more useful than comparing feature lists.

Select a representative group of real tasks and assess:

1. Time saved: does the tool meaningfully reduce effort?
2. Output quality: is the result good enough after reasonable review?
3. Integration: does it fit naturally into existing workflows?
4. Data access: can it use the information employees actually need?
5. Governance: can the organisation control use appropriately?
6. User adoption: can staff learn to use it effectively?
7. Cost: does the value justify licensing and implementation?

The answer can differ by department. A communications team, software development team, finance team and service desk may benefit from different AI tools.

Which should you learn first?

The most transferable skill is not memorising one product interface. It is learning how to work effectively with generative AI.

That includes:

• writing clear prompts
• providing appropriate context
• breaking complicated tasks into stages
• asking the AI to critique its own first draft
• verifying claims
• protecting sensitive information
• understanding where human judgement is essential

Once those habits are in place, moving between ChatGPT, Copilot and other AI assistants becomes much easier.

Frequently asked questions

Is Microsoft Copilot better than ChatGPT?

Neither is universally better. Microsoft 365 Copilot can be particularly valuable for people working heavily within Microsoft 365 and organisational content. ChatGPT is a broad general-purpose AI assistant suited to research, writing, analysis, problem solving and many tasks beyond one software ecosystem.

Does Microsoft Copilot use ChatGPT?

Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT are separate products. Microsoft uses OpenAI technology within parts of its AI ecosystem, but Copilot includes Microsoft's own application integrations, services, controls and data-grounding architecture. The products should not be treated as identical.

Can Copilot access my work emails?

With the appropriate Microsoft 365 Copilot licence and permissions, Copilot can use Microsoft Graph content including work emails, chats and documents that the user is already authorised to access.

Can ChatGPT work with my files?

Yes, supported ChatGPT plans and experiences can work with uploaded files and may provide additional connected-data capabilities. Organisations should check the precise plan, security controls and data policy before using business information.

Is Copilot Chat the same as Microsoft 365 Copilot?

No. Microsoft distinguishes Copilot Chat from the full Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. Copilot Chat provides secure AI chat for work and education, while Microsoft 365 Copilot adds deeper grounding in organisational Microsoft 365 content and integrated app capabilities.

Can both tools browse the web?

Both have experiences that can use current web information. Availability and behaviour depend on the specific product and plan.

Should a company allow staff to choose whichever AI tool they want?

Usually not without governance. Organisations should define approved tools, acceptable information, review requirements and accountability so employees understand where and how generative AI may be used.

Will Copilot or ChatGPT replace Microsoft Office skills?

No. AI can make many tasks faster, but users still benefit from understanding Excel, Word, PowerPoint, data analysis and other underlying skills. Without that knowledge it is harder to judge whether an AI-generated result is correct or appropriate.

Develop your AI and Copilot skills with ExperTrain

ExperTrain offers instructor-led training for professionals who want to understand and apply AI effectively in the workplace.

For Microsoft 365 users, the Empower your workforce with Copilot for Microsoft 365 use cases (MS-4004) course focuses on practical use across business roles and Microsoft 365 applications.

For broader AI knowledge, the EXIN BCS Artificial Intelligence Essentials course introduces core AI and machine learning concepts, opportunities, risks and workplace implications.

You can also explore the wider Artificial Intelligence training category and the Artificial Intelligence glossary.

Further reading

• Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 Copilot overview
• Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat overview
• OpenAI: ChatGPT capabilities overview