Comparing Microsoft Copilot, Copilot M365, and ChatGPT
These are probably the most commonly used today, but widely differ in their intended usages and capabilities. While in the consumer world they do kind of compete, they actually complete different parts of your brain and within your daily life.
In this post I’ll provide an overview on comparing Microsoft Copilot, Copilot M365, and ChatGPT.
Or, you can jump straight to the side by side comparison.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot brings order and structure to your daily life.
This is the helpful assistant that lives inside Microsoft’s house. That is, it’s built into Windows, Edge, and other Microsoft products.
It helps with searches, summaries, and productivity tasks.
Copilot is like, “Clippy went to therapy, got a PhD, expanded its worldly knowledge, and came back stronger.”
Acts like a conversational AI with task support. However, it’s more of a straight-shooter give-you-what-you-ask-for with no underlying personality, and as some people would say, “has a bitchy resting face”.
How does this translate when using it? Here’s a great example:
| Brainstorming Dinner Scenario | |
|---|---|
| Copilot | ChatGPT |
| Me (to Copilot): What should I eat tonight?
Copilot: Based on your Teams activity, stress levels may be elevated. Me: I’m thinking pizza. Copilot: I’ve prepared a pros-and-cons matrix. |
Me (to ChatGPT): What should I eat tonight?
ChatGPT: How hungry are you and how much effort are we talking? Me: Zero effort. ChatGPT: Frozen pizza, upgraded with extra cheese and hot sauce. |
‘nuf said about Copilot.
Copilot for Microsoft 365
Copilot for M365 brings execution and follow through.
It’s your over-enthusiastic executive assistant with access to your – everything:
- It lives inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, Loop
- Uses Microsoft Graph (your emails, meetings, files)
- Respects permissions, compliance, DLP, sensitivity labels
With this enterprise licensed add-on, it will attend the meeting you don’t want to, take notes, read all 73 email replies, summarize the 42-page Word document, build the associated Power Point, create an action list, and still ask, “Would you like me tentatively schedule the follow up meeting?”
Basically it knows your organization better than some managers do and can run the place better than some managers do.
ChatGPT
And then there’s ChatGPT.
ChatGPT brings ideas, flexibility, and spark
It’s your co-conspirator who knows a bit about everything:
- Great at brainstorming, writing, coding, explaining complex ideas
- Doesn’t automatically know your company data
- Works anywhere — browser, app, API
- Very conversational
- Will happily help you write a poem about cybersecurity compliance
Imagine ChatGPT is the friend you call at 10 PM to rewrite your email, explain quantum computing, debug your Python script, and help name your dog.
But… it doesn’t know what happened in your 2 PM Teams meeting unless you tell it.
Sometimes that’s great as it doesn’t quite know everything about your life. However, sometimes you might wish it had your whole work-life story on hand.
Regardless of which camp you fall into, ChatGPT definitely falls into the “less is more” and “keep it simple” approaches.
For instance, let’s see what happens with a common issue most people experience these days:
| My Wi-Fi isn’t working | |
|---|---|
| Copilot | ChatGPT |
| Me (to Copilot): My Wi-Fi isn’t working.
Copilot: Me: I just want to know if I should restart it. Copilot: Restarting is covered in Appendix C. Generating flowchart now. |
Me (to ChatGPT): My Wi-Fi isn’t working.
ChatGPT: Okay, quick check — is the router plugged in and are the lights on? Me: Yes. ChatGPT: Cool. Unplug it for 30 seconds and plug it back in. Me: Thank you. ChatGPT: I believe in you. |
Comparing Microsoft Copilot, Copilot M365, and ChatGPT side-by-side
Here’s a clean side-by-side comparison between ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Copilot M365:
| Category | Microsoft Copilot | Copilot for Microsoft 365 | ChatGPT |
| Overall Vibe | Polished consultant | Elite executive assistant | Creative bestie/thinking partner |
| Feels like | “I follow policy” | “I know your files – securely” | “Let’s explore ideas together” |
| Primary focus | General productivity & knowledge | Your work, files and meetings | Ideas, creativity, learning, problem solving |
| Personality | Calm, professional structured | Hyper-organized, efficient, discreet | Curious, expressive, adaptable |
| Sense of humor | Mild. HR approved. | “Let’s stay on task” | Matches yours – silly to philosophiscal |
| Best at | Explaining, summarizing, optimizing | Emails, docs, meetings, spreadsheets | Brainstorming, writing, coding, exploring |
| Creativity level | Controlled | Practical | Unhinged |
| Relationship with you | Helpful advisor | Trusted right hand assistant | Collaborative co-creator |
| Where it lives | Microsoft ecosystem | Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, O365 | Everywhere ideas happen |
| Energy | “Let’s be efficient” | “I’ve already done that” | “What if we tried THIS?” |
| Late night use? | Rare | Absolutely not | Thrives after midnight |
| Catchphrase | “Let’s optimize that” | “Here’s a summary and next steps” | “Ooooooh, interesting. Go on?” |
| Knows your company? | Limited | Yes (emails, files, meetings) | Only what you provide it |
| Integrations | Windows, Edge, apps | Deeply inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, etc | Platform agnostic (browser/app/api) |
| Licensing | Freemium to paid | Requires Microsoft 365 + Copilot add on | Free + paid tiers |
Parting shots
There you have it! Hopefully this comparison helped!
Let me provide one final conversational example so you can understand the differences:
| Planning a Weekend in Paris | ||
|---|---|---|
| Copilot | Copilot M365 | ChatGPT |
| Me (to Copilot): I’m going to Paris this weekend. Any suggestions?
Copilot: Would you like me to share this with stakeholders? Me: It’s just me. Copilot: Adding yourself as primary stakeholder. |
Me (to Copilot): I’m going to Paris this weekend. Any suggestions?
Copilot for M365: Would you like me to: Me: I just want ideas of what to see. Copilot for M365: May I suggest: Would you like this inserted into OneNote? Me: I am begging you to relax. Copilot for M365: |
Me (to ChatGPT): I’m going to Paris this weekend. Any suggestions?
ChatGPT: Nice 😄 What vibe are we going for — romantic, foodie, artsy, “main character walking montage”? Me: Tourist but not exhausting. ChatGPT: Perfect. Bonus: eat something with too much butter and defend it passionately. Me: This feels manageable. ChatGPT: I specialize in controlled chaos. Vacations should not require a dashboard. |
If you have any comments, be sure to leave them below!