If you've heard 'Copilot' used in multiple different contexts and conversations and felt lost or unsure what was being referenced, you're not alone. The fact you're reading this post, is a good start to understanding the myriad of differences and shedding some light on the product whose name is thrown around so much.

The multiple Copilots

Yes, you read that right... sadly Microsoft have been at their usual tricks and provided a clear as mud naming scheme to their AI offering. At a glance, there is 'Copilot Chat' and 'Microsoft 365 Copilot (Or Copilot for Microsoft 365). Technically there is Copilot Pro too... although, that's aimed at personal use and is now included within a Personal Microsoft 365 plan so I won't be covering that here. Two options is already enough to deal with. So let's break down what each product is in the next section.

At a Glance

Copilot Chat	Microsoft 365 Copilot
General AI chat, web-assissted queries	Work Assistant embedded in your productivity suite
Accessed via the Web, Edge Sidebar, Copilot 365 app	Within Microsoft applications
Has access to the public web and what you share in the chat	Your work content via Microsoft Graph with your existing permissions
Free for use	Paid Add-on for Microsoft 365 Plans

Copilot Chat

Copilot chat is essentially the free, available to all, Copilot. It's the place to go to interface with Copilot for quick tasks or queries. It can query the web for results and provides the ability to upload files to add context. If you're NOT a paying customer, then this is the Copilot that you are using, it's available within the Copilot 365 application that is pre-installed onto all Windows devices and replaced the Office 365 app. Similarly it's accessible via the web at https://copilot.microsoft.com

You can sign into Copilot with either a personal or an organisational account with the later having organisational policies assigned.

Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft 365 Copilot provides access to Copilot directly from your office and productivity applications. This provides you the ability to prompt word to generate an outline document, or get PowerPoint to make a slide deck, or Outlook to summarise your emails etc. The main benefit is how you can interact and reference your files (that your user account already has access to) meaning you can add context to your prompts that help in your day to day. This app is available through the same access methods as Copilot Chat, with the addition of Office applications as well.

Licenses required

Copilot Chat

Copilot chat is a free experience and allows users to query it, review query history and past conversations free of charge. It is a little limited in the models it has access to, and performance can be restricted at times. So if these are limitations or you require the extra features, consider the paid offering.

Microsoft 365 Copilot

This Copilot is a licensed add-on product, meaning you require an existing Microsoft 365 plan before you can purchase this. The product itself is then licensed on a per-user model, with either per-month or per-year options available. Sadly, the product isn't cheap but it does provide access to the latest models almost as soon as they're released! For example, Microsoft 365 Copilot got access to Chat-GPPT 5 on day 1.

Summary

The best way to summarise this is to treat Copilot Chat like a 'quick response' or 'problem-solving' tool, providing users with easy access to prompt an AI that is available to all. Whilst Microsoft 365 Copilot is an assistant that can be aware of your work and assist you directly inside the applications you use.

To some, this may seem like simple stuff, however, I know that from my experience it's often a stumbling block where the term 'Copilot' is banded around so much it's hard to keep track of whats' what. Hopefully this post has clarified your understanding and you now know the differences!