INSIGHTS - Free Me Up AI
Published March 2026 - 6 min read
If you've been trying to work out whether your business needs ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or both, you're not alone. They look similar on the surface — both are AI assistants that generate text, answer questions, and help you work faster. But they're built differently, priced differently, and suited to different use cases.
ChatGPT is a standalone AI assistant made by OpenAI. You access it through a browser or app, type a prompt, and get a response. It doesn't connect to your business files, emails, or calendar unless you specifically give it access.
Microsoft Copilot is AI built directly into Microsoft 365 — Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint. It can read your documents, summarise your emails, generate meeting notes from Teams calls, and draft content using the context of your actual business data.
| Feature | ChatGPT Pro (~$30/month) | Microsoft Copilot for M365 (~$36/month) |
|---|---|---|
| Data storage location | OpenAI servers (US-based by default) | Your Microsoft 365 environment |
| Microsoft 365 integration | None (unless manually configured) | Native — works inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams |
| Best for document drafting | Good for standalone drafts | Excellent — drafts using your existing files as context |
| Best for content creation | Excellent — flexible, creative, fast | Good — more structured, less creative flexibility |
| Meeting summaries | Manual — paste transcript in yourself | Automatic from Teams calls with one click |
| Data privacy controls | Configurable — enterprise settings required for full control | Inherits your existing Microsoft 365 security settings |
| Admin and governance controls | Limited on standard plans | Full admin controls via Microsoft 365 admin portal |
| Best suited for | Businesses not on M365, sole traders, content-heavy use cases | Teams already using Microsoft 365, document-heavy workflows |
Both tools cost roughly the same per user per month — ChatGPT Pro at around $30/month and Copilot for Microsoft 365 at around $36/month. The difference is that Copilot requires an existing Microsoft 365 subscription (typically $15–$22/user/month). If you are already paying for Microsoft 365, adding Copilot is a relatively small incremental cost.
ChatGPT's default settings send your prompts to OpenAI's servers in the United States. If you are inputting client information or financial data covered by the Australian Privacy Act, you need to use ChatGPT's enterprise settings or avoid inputting sensitive information.
Microsoft Copilot operates within your existing Microsoft 365 environment. Your data stays inside your Microsoft tenancy, under the same security and compliance settings you already have in place.
By default, ChatGPT uses your conversations to improve OpenAI's models, and data is stored on US servers. You can opt out in settings. ChatGPT Enterprise offers stronger data protections. For businesses handling sensitive client information, enterprise settings or careful input hygiene are recommended.
For businesses already on Microsoft 365, Copilot is worth evaluating seriously. Whether it justifies the cost depends on how heavily your team uses Microsoft 365. A one-month trial with a small group is usually the best way to assess value.
Yes — many businesses use both. A common pattern is Copilot for internal document work and email drafting, and ChatGPT for external content creation and research.
For a tradie, ChatGPT is usually the better starting point. For a professional services firm already on Microsoft 365, Copilot offers more value because the integration with Outlook and Word directly addresses the highest-volume tasks.