Copilot vs ChatGPT: which should you use?

Copilot vs ChatGPT: both are capable AI assistants, so neither is a wrong choice. Choose Copilot if you use Windows or Microsoft apps like Word and Outlook, especially at work, because it lives right inside them. Choose ChatGPT if you want a flexible, general-purpose assistant that works the same wherever you open it.

In this guide, you’ll learn how the two differ, why the Copilot you meet at work may not be the same as the one on your home computer, and how to pick the one that suits what you want to do.

Both are a chatbot: a tool you type or talk to, and it replies. Underneath, each runs on a large language model, the kind of AI that has learned to work with language by reading enormous amounts of text.

What is the difference between Copilot and ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is made by OpenAI. It is the best-known AI chat tool, and you use it through its own website or app. It is a general assistant: good at drafting, explaining, planning, and answering questions, and able to search the web when a question needs up-to-date information.

Copilot is made by Microsoft. Microsoft works closely with OpenAI, and Copilot draws on AI from several makers, including OpenAI. So the two can feel alike. The big difference is where Copilot lives: it is built into Windows, the Edge browser, and Microsoft’s work apps.

Copilot vs ChatGPT at a glance

	Copilot	ChatGPT
Made by	Microsoft	OpenAI
Where you use it	Windows, Edge, the Copilot app and website, and inside Microsoft work apps	Its own website and apps
Free version	Yes	Yes
Searches the web	Yes	Yes
Stand-out strength	Sits inside the Microsoft tools many people already use	A flexible all-rounder with lots of tutorials and tips
Best for	People whose day runs through Microsoft apps	Anyone wanting a general assistant in one place

Why is Copilot at work different from Copilot at home?

This is the part that confuses a lot of people, so it is worth taking slowly. “Copilot” is a name Microsoft uses for more than one thing.

There is the free Copilot you can open on the web, from the Windows taskbar, or in Edge with a personal Microsoft account. It answers questions, helps you write, and draws on the web. It does not see your work files or email.

Then there is Copilot inside work apps, which your employer usually pays for and switches on. This version can sit inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, and it can work with the documents, email, and meetings you already have permission to see. So it might summarise a long email thread or draft a reply using the files in your company’s system.

That second kind is powerful, and it also means your organisation has set rules about it. Before you use any AI tool with work information, it is worth reading does your employer allow AI?

Which should you choose?

If you use Microsoft apps at work

If your workplace has switched on Copilot, it is often the most convenient choice for work tasks, because it can help without you copying and pasting anything between apps. It is also the tool your employer has approved, which matters.

If you want an all-round assistant at home

ChatGPT is a comfortable pick for everyday help: planning a trip, explaining a confusing letter, or drafting a birthday message. Its popularity means there is a tutorial for almost anything you want to try.

If you already use Windows or Edge

The free Copilot is already on many Windows computers, so it is an easy way to start without signing up for anything new. If it suits you, there may be no need to look further.

If you are not sure

Try both with the same task. Neither is a lifelong commitment, and the differences in tone and layout are easier to feel than to describe. Our guide on how to use Copilot walks you through getting started with Microsoft’s tool.

Try it yourself

Open the free Copilot and ChatGPT in two browser tabs, then paste this into each:

I need to tell my neighbour that their hedge is blocking light to my
garden. Draft a short, friendly note that keeps things on good terms
and suggests we talk about it this weekend.

Read both replies side by side. Which one sounds more like you? Which would you rather send? There is no right answer here, only the one that suits you better.

A common first instinct

A common first instinct is to assume that because Copilot and ChatGPT share some of the same underlying AI, they must be identical. They overlap, but the apps around them, where they live, and what they can see make a real difference to how useful each one feels day to day.

The other instinct is to paste work documents into whichever tool is closest. You’ll be on much safer ground if you check your workplace’s rules first and stick to the tools it has approved.

Next steps

If you want to see how ChatGPT compares with the other big names, have a look at Claude vs ChatGPT and Gemini vs ChatGPT. And if you are weighing up whether to try something else entirely, our round-up of ChatGPT alternatives covers the main options.