Microsoft Copilot: what you get free and paid, and the right setup for each task
Copilot is Microsoft's assistant: a free chat in Windows, Edge and the browser, and on paid plans it moves inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. A lot changed in 2026: Deep Research was retired, Copilot Pro is no longer sold, and in-depth research moved to Researcher in Premium. Here is what you really get, what it costs, and the right tool for each task.
01What Copilot is and who it suits
Copilot is a shared name for several Microsoft products. There is a free chat at copilot.microsoft.com, in the Windows app and in Edge, which you sign in to with a Microsoft, Google or Apple account. There is Copilot inside the Office apps for Microsoft 365 subscribers, Microsoft 365 Copilot for businesses, and GitHub Copilot for people who write code.
It suits an office that already lives in Word, Excel, Outlook and OneDrive. Its big advantage is not the chat itself but that it sits inside the files you already work with: a report in Word, a quantities sheet in Excel, an email to a contractor in Outlook.
If you work mainly in Google Docs, or want strong research and long-form writing without a subscription, you will feel more limited. For other assistants see AI assistant guide, Gemini guide and The full Claude guide.
02Analogy: a consultant in the lobby vs one at your desk
Free Copilot is like a smart consultant sitting in the building's lobby: you can come down with a sheet of paper, ask, and get a good answer, but he never enters your office or opens your folders. A Microsoft 365 subscription brings him upstairs to sit at your desk inside Word and Excel. Premium and business Copilot hand him the keys: Researcher writes a research report, Cowork carries out tasks, and in a business he knows the company's email, files and Teams meetings.
03What changed in 2026 (read before you buy)
Deep Research retired
On 18 August 2026 Deep Research, Podcasts and Group Chat were removed from the consumer Copilot app. Researcher replaces it, for Microsoft 365 Premium and Pro only.
Copilot Pro no longer sold
The standalone plan (20 USD a month) can't be bought any more, and its support ended on 1 August 2026. Microsoft names Microsoft 365 Premium as an option for heavy use.
Copilot Tasks moves to Cowork
Cowork (Preview) is an agent that carries out tasks. On personal accounts it is Premium and Pro only, so Personal and Family subscribers lose the ability to run tasks.
Two apps become one
The consumer Copilot app and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app are merging. Chats move over, web users are redirected, and on mobile you must download the updated app.
04Free vs paid: what you really get
Free Copilot (plus Copilot Chat for work accounts)
- Chat, image creation and file uploads, free with a Microsoft, Google or Apple sign-in
- Built into Windows and Edge, with a sidebar and a Copilot new tab page
- Hebrew prompts and answers are officially supported
- Clipchamp free for video editing, with 1080p export and no watermark
- Staff at a company on Microsoft 365 Business get Copilot Chat with enterprise data protection at no extra cost
- GitHub Copilot Free: 2,000 code completions and 50 chat requests a month
Limit: Unpublished usage limits ("subject to capacity"), no Copilot inside the Office apps, and no Researcher or in-depth research agent
Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, Premium (and Microsoft 365 Copilot for business)
Personal 9.99 USD a month, Premium 19.99 USD a month or 199.99 USD a year (US prices)
- Copilot inside Word, Excel (including Python analysis), PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote
- Copilot Pages and Notebooks for project work with your own files
- Connectors to OneDrive, Outlook.com, Gmail and Google Drive
- Premium adds Researcher for cited reports, Analyst for data analysis and Cowork for tasks
- Office desktop apps, 1 to 6 TB of OneDrive and Clipchamp premium for the same price
- Copilot conversations inside Word, Excel and the other apps are not used for model training
When paying is worth it: When you work in Word and Excel every day, or need Researcher and Analyst: then Premium is the right step, not Personal
05The weak sides
Free version
- No official numeric limits. Usage is "subject to capacity", and when you hit it you wait or upgrade
- Deep Research was removed on 18 August 2026, so there is no free long-form research agent with sources
- No Copilot inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and no Pages or Notebooks for a free personal account
- Microsoft's own pages conflict on whether Vision is available for free
- Memory and personalisation are not available to users in Israel
- Conversations may be used for model training unless you switch it off in settings
Even when you pay
- Usage is described vaguely ("higher than free", "extensive") with no published credit numbers
- Personal and Family have no Researcher, Analyst or Cowork; you must move up to Premium
- In Family and Premium the AI features belong to the owner only, not to family members or staff
- Lots of churn in 2026: app merge, retired features, Copilot Pro discontinued
- A business needs a base Microsoft 365 license plus the Copilot add-on, and Copilot Studio uses complex credit billing
- Copilot in Excel needs the file saved to OneDrive with AutoSave
06Plans and prices
| Plan | Price per month | For whom | Main limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copilot (free) | 0 | Anyone who wants a general chat on the web, Windows, Edge or mobile | Unpublished limits, no Researcher and no Copilot inside Office |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | 9.99 USD, or 99.99 USD a year | One person who wants Office, 1 TB OneDrive and Copilot in the apps | No Researcher, Analyst or Cowork. AI-generated audio is English only |
| Microsoft 365 Family | 12.99 USD, or 129.99 USD a year | A household of up to 6 people | AI features for the owner only, same limits as Personal |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | 19.99 USD, or 199.99 USD a year | Individuals or small offices who use Copilot heavily | AI for the owner only. Cowork in Preview. Agentic AI listed as limited |
| Microsoft 365 Pro (consumer) | 99.99 USD, monthly billing only | Power users who keep hitting Premium limits | Very expensive for most offices. AI for the owner only |
| Copilot Pro | No longer sold | Earlier subscribers | Support ended on 1 August 2026 |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat (business) | 0, within a Business plan (e.g. Business Basic at 7 USD per user, billed yearly) | Companies already on Microsoft 365 | Grounded on the web, not on company files and email. File upload limits |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | 18 USD per user billed yearly, 25.20 USD billed monthly | Businesses with up to 300 users | Needs a Microsoft 365 Business plan. Researcher up to 25 queries per user per month |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot (Enterprise) | 30 USD per user billed yearly, 31.50 USD paid monthly on an annual commitment | Enterprises on E3, E5 and similar | Needs a qualifying Microsoft 365 license |
| Copilot Studio | 200 USD per pack of 25,000 credits a month | Businesses building their own agents | Not for individuals. Complex credit billing, needs an Azure subscription |
| GitHub Copilot | Free 0, Pro 10 USD, Pro+ 39 USD, Max 100 USD | People who write code | Free: 2,000 completions and 50 chats. Paid plans bill in AI Credits |
| Full comparison of all assistants | AI Price Comparison: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot | Anyone choosing between Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude | Prices here are US prices. Check the Israeli price on the plan page |
07The best setup for each task
Write an email or letterA clear, polite email in Hebrew or English, the right length, ready to send6
Free way
- Copilot on the webDrafts for free in Hebrew or English, from any computer.
- Copilot app for WindowsThe same chat in its own window, no browser needed.
- Copilot in EdgeA sidebar next to your webmail, so you draft without switching tabs.
Paid way
- Copilot in OutlookDrafts and replies inside the email thread itself, from Microsoft 365 Personal up.
- Copilot connectorsConnects Outlook.com or Gmail so Copilot can find earlier emails before it answers.
- Cowork (Premium, Preview)An agent that drafts and also sends email for you, Premium and Pro only.
Write a formal letter to a contractor asking for the updated anchor pull-out test report by Sunday. Max 120 words, polite but firm.
Write a technical reportA tidy report with sections, a defects table and recommendations, built from your own notes6
Free way
- Copilot chatBuilds the outline and sections, then you copy them into Word.
- File upload in chatUpload your site notes file and ask for a draft from it.
- Copilot Chat for work accountsIf your company has Microsoft 365 Business, the chat is included at no extra cost, with enterprise data protection and Pages.
Paid way
- Copilot in WordDrafts inside Word from your own files.
- Copilot PagesA shared canvas: improve the report together with Copilot, then share it.
- Researcher (Premium)Prepares cited background when the report needs references.
In Word: "Draft a site-inspection report from notes.docx with sections: scope, findings, photo list, recommendations. Put the defects in a table."
Summarise long documents and PDFsA short summary with clause numbers, so every point can be checked in the source5
Free way
- PDF upload in chatUpload a PDF and ask for a summary, free, within capacity limits.
- Copilot Chat for work accountsFor staff on Microsoft 365 Business: upload a document with enterprise data protection. File size limits apply.
Paid way
- Copilot NotebooksCollect several PDFs in one notebook and ask about them again and again.
- Copilot in WordSummarises the open document.
- Copilot connectorsFinds the files in OneDrive or Google Drive without uploading them by hand.
"Summarise this PDF in 10 bullets. For every requirement about edge distance, quote the clause number."
Translate documentsA natural translation where technical terms stay exact4
Free way
- Copilot chatTranslates pasted text or an uploaded file. Hebrew is officially supported.
- Copilot app for WindowsHandy for quick translations of passages while you work.
Paid way
- Copilot in WordRewrites or translates inside the document and keeps the layout.
- Copilot PagesKeep a project glossary in one place and share it with the team.
"Translate into English and keep technical terms such as ETA and ULS as they are. At the end, return a 2-column table: term and translation."
Solve an engineering problem with a checkable calculationEvery step with units, in a table you can check, not just a final number5
Free way
- Copilot chatExplains the method step by step. Always check the numbers yourself.
- ADIT AAS and ARS calculatorsFree anchor and rebar calculators, a reliable way to check anchor calculations.
Paid way
- Copilot in Excel with PythonPuts the calculation in a sheet or a Python cell, so every step is visible.
- Analyst (Premium)An agent that runs analysis on your data.
- ADIT AAS and ARS calculatorsA cross-check of Copilot's result for anchor design.
Weak spot: chat arithmetic is not guaranteed. Ask: "Put the calculation in an Excel table with formulas so I can check each step, and show units."
Analyse Excel and data, make chartsA correct chart, a PivotTable and formulas that stay in the file4
Free way
- CSV or XLSX upload in chatBasic analysis of a file you upload.
- Copilot Chat for work accountsFor companies on Microsoft 365 Business: the same analysis with enterprise data protection.
Paid way
- Copilot in ExcelCharts, PivotTables, formulas and Python analysis. The file must be on OneDrive.
- Analyst (Premium)Deeper data analysis, even for people without data skills.
Save the file to OneDrive (AutoSave is required), then: "Show monthly sales by product as a line chart and highlight outliers."
Create a presentationA deck with one message per slide, built from the report you already have5
Free way
- Copilot chatSlide outline and text only; you do the design yourself.
- Microsoft DesignerImages and graphics for the slides, free with limits.
Paid way
- Copilot in PowerPointBuilds slides from a prompt or a Word file.
- Cowork (Premium)Creates a PowerPoint file as a complete task.
- Create in CopilotPosters, banners and infographics to round out the deck.
In PowerPoint: "Create a 10-slide presentation from report.docx for a client meeting, one key message per slide."
Create an image or illustrationAn image that fits a post, a report cover or a slide4
Free way
- Image creation in CopilotImage creation inside the chat is still free.
- Microsoft DesignerPosters and designed graphics.
Paid way
- Create in CopilotHigher limits: posters, banners, infographics and image editing.
- Paint and Photos (Premium)Premium gives extensive image creation and editing, also inside Paint and Photos.
Don't rely on a generated image for exact text or dimensions. Add Hebrew text afterwards in PowerPoint or Designer.
Technical drawings, diagrams and flowchartsA clear flowchart of a process. Not an accurate CAD drawing4
Free way
- Copilot chat (Mermaid code)Weak at accurate drawings. Ask for Mermaid code or a step list and paste it into a diagram tool.
- Microsoft DesignerSimple illustrative graphics, not a scaled drawing.
Paid way
- Create, infographicSimple process diagrams and infographics. Not CAD.
- Copilot in PowerPointTurns a step list into a process slide.
Weak area: no CAD-accurate drawings. Use it for flowcharts: "Give me Mermaid flowchart code for the anchor design workflow."
Video and animationA short explainer video with narration and subtitles4
Free way
- Clipchamp freeAn editor with AI subtitles, voiceover and silence removal. Free 1080p export without a watermark.
- Copilot chatWrites the script and scene list before you edit.
Paid way
- Create a video in CopilotGenerates a narrated video from a prompt or a PowerPoint, then you edit it in Clipchamp.
- Clipchamp premium4K, premium stock and a brand kit, included with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family.
"Turn this PowerPoint into a 60-second explainer video with narration and our brand colours." Check the narration language: Microsoft lists AI-generated audio as English only, and the video help page names no languages.
Web research with sourcesAn overview with links to primary sources you can open and check5
Free way
- Copilot chatQuick web answers with links. Deep Research was retired from the consumer app in August 2026.
- Copilot in EdgeA sidebar and a Copilot new tab page, while you browse.
Paid way
- ResearcherMulti-step research that ends in a cited report. Premium, Pro and business plans.
- Edge JourneysGroups your browsing into topics, so you can return to yesterday's research.
- Copilot PagesTurns the findings into a page you can edit and share.
In Researcher: "Compare post-installed rebar rules in EN 1992-4 vs EAD 330087. Cite primary sources only."
Search standards and regulationsAn answer based on the standard's own text, with the clause number4
Free way
- Copilot chatFinds public pages but can't read paywalled standards. Check every clause.
- File upload in chatUpload a document you are licensed to use and ask only from it.
Paid way
- Copilot NotebooksUpload the standards you bought into one notebook and ask against them.
- ResearcherAdds public background with sources, Premium and up.
Weak spot: it may invent clause numbers. Upload the actual standard and ask: "Answer only from the attached file and quote the clause."
Write code or a small engineering toolA file that runs, with input checks and a short explanation4
Free way
- GitHub Copilot Free for VS Code2,000 code completions and 50 chat requests a month, including agent mode.
- Copilot chatFor short scripts and explaining existing code.
Paid way
- GitHub Copilot ProUnlimited completions, a cloud agent and code review, 10 USD a month.
- GitHub Copilot Pro+ or MaxFor heavy agent work, including handing tasks to Claude and OpenAI Codex agents (Preview).
In VS Code agent mode: "Create a single HTML file that calculates concrete cone breakout per EN 1992-4 with input validation."
Build a website or landing pageA simple right-to-left Hebrew landing page in one file4
Free way
- GitHub Copilot Free in VS CodeWrites HTML and CSS. No built-in hosting.
- Copilot chatReturns one index.html file you can open in a browser.
Paid way
- GitHub Copilot Pro (cloud agent)The agent builds and edits the repository, and you can host it on GitHub Pages.
- Create in CopilotBanners and images for the page.
Weak area for non-coders: Copilot has no one-click site builder. Ask for: "One index.html file with full right-to-left Hebrew support."
Organise files and foldersA sensible folder structure, by client and year4
Free way
- Copilot chatOnly suggests a folder structure. It can't move files on your PC.
- Copilot app for WindowsThe same suggestion in a window next to File Explorer; you do the moving.
Paid way
- Cowork (Premium or Pro)Manages files in OneDrive on your behalf.
- Copilot connectorsFinds files in OneDrive and Google Drive when you ask.
Weak spot: Cowork works on OneDrive files, not on any local folder. "Sort the files in OneDrive/Projects into folders by client and year."
Meetings: transcription and minutesMinutes with decisions, action items and owners4
Free way
- Copilot chat on an existing transcriptPaste a transcript you already have and get a summary.
- Copilot Chat for work accountsThe same with enterprise data protection, included with Microsoft 365 Business.
Paid way
- Copilot in Teams and FacilitatorLive summaries and action items, business Microsoft 365 Copilot license only, with transcription on.
- Copilot NotebooksKeep a project's meeting notes in one place.
Consumer plans have no Teams meeting recap. In a business: turn on transcription and ask "List decisions and action items with owners."
Customer service and repeated repliesConsistent replies based only on your approved answers5
Free way
- Copilot chatDrafts reply templates.
- Copilot Chat for work accountsFor businesses on Microsoft 365 Business: templates with enterprise data protection.
Paid way
- Copilot StudioBuild a customer-service agent on your FAQ. Business only, billed in credits.
- Copilot in OutlookDrafts replies in the thread.
- Copilot NotebooksA notebook holding your approved answers as fixed context.
Keep a Notebook with your standard answers and ask Copilot to reply "using only the approved answers".
Learn a new subject (tutor)A step-by-step explanation with a question after each step5
Free way
- Copilot chatExplanations and quizzes. Hebrew in text only, since Hebrew is not on the voice language list.
- Copilot in EdgeAsk about the page you are reading, in the sidebar.
Paid way
- Copilot NotebooksStudy from your own course files.
- Copilot VisionShare your screen or camera in a voice chat and ask about it. For Personal, Family and Premium subscribers. It runs in voice chat, and Hebrew is not on the voice language list.
- Copilot PagesKeep an editable study summary.
"Teach me shear lag step by step. Ask me one question after each step and wait for my answer."
Marketing and SEO contentAn article with headings, an FAQ and a meta description, plus an on-brand image5
Free way
- Copilot chatDrafts marketing copy.
- Microsoft DesignerSocial media images.
Paid way
- Copilot in WordLong articles inside Word.
- Create in CopilotOn-brand posters and videos.
- Clipchamp premiumA brand kit for videos.
"Write a 1,200-word article on chemical anchors with H2 and H3 headings, an FAQ section and a meta description under 155 characters."
Automate a repeating workflow (agents)A task that runs on its own on schedule and leaves a finished result5
Free way
- Not in the free tierCopilot Tasks moved to Cowork, which is Premium and Pro only.
- GitHub Copilot FreeIf you are open to a small script: agent mode and the CLI are free.
Paid way
- Cowork (Premium or Pro, Preview)Scheduled prompts, documents, email and files.
- Copilot Studio (business)Custom agents with actions, published to channels.
- GitHub Copilot Pro (cloud agent)An agent that makes changes in a code repository for you.
In Cowork: "Every Sunday at 08:00, summarise new emails from suppliers and save a Word briefing to OneDrive."
08Privacy and Hebrew
Training on your chats
In consumer Copilot you can switch off model training on your conversations, and personalisation, at any time under Privacy in the Copilot settings. Chats are kept 18 months by default and can be deleted. Copilot chats inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook are not used for training.
Work accounts
Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot for work accounts come with enterprise data protection: prompts, responses and company data are not used to train foundation models. This is the right way to work on client documents.
Hebrew
Hebrew is officially supported for prompts and answers. Hebrew is not on the Copilot Voice language list, so expect Hebrew voice chat to work poorly. AI-generated audio (such as Audio Overview) is English only. Right-to-left quality inside Office was not tested here; check it yourself.
Notes for Israel
Memory and personalisation are not currently available to users in Israel. All prices on this page are US prices and may differ in Israel; check the plan page.
09Set it up in 10 minutes
- 1
Sign in
Open copilot.microsoft.com or the Copilot app for Windows and sign in with a Microsoft, Google or Apple account.
- 2
Switch off training
In the Copilot settings, under Privacy, turn off model training on your conversations. Do it before you upload any client document.
- 3
Ask in Hebrew
Type in Hebrew and add "answer in Hebrew". For voice chat use English, since Hebrew is not on the voice language list.
- 4
Connect your files (subscribers)
With Microsoft 365 Personal or higher: on copilot.com click + and choose Connectors (on mobile: Profile, then Connectors), and turn on OneDrive and Outlook.com or Gmail.
- 5
Move Excel files to OneDrive
Copilot in Excel needs AutoSave, which means a file saved on OneDrive. Without it, Copilot won't work on the sheet.
- 6
If you write code
Install GitHub Copilot in VS Code and start on Free: 2,000 completions and 50 chats a month.
- 7
A first real task
Open your last site-visit notes in Word and ask Copilot to turn them into a report with a defects table. Check every number before you send it.
10FAQ
Is the free version enough for a small office?
For drafting email, translating and summarising PDFs, yes. It has no Copilot inside Word and Excel and no Researcher. If the company is already on Microsoft 365 Business, staff get Copilot Chat with enterprise data protection at no extra cost, which is a good starting point.
Which plan for a team of 3?
Not Family or Premium: there the AI features belong to the owner only. For a team, a Microsoft 365 Business plan plus Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (18 USD per user a month, billed yearly) fits better. You can also give Copilot only to the people who really need it.
What happened to Deep Research and Copilot Pro?
Deep Research was removed from the consumer app on 18 August 2026 and replaced by Researcher in Premium and Pro. Personal and Family subscribers can still open old reports in their history. Copilot Pro is no longer sold, and its support ended on 1 August 2026.
Personal or Premium?
Personal (9.99 USD) gives you Copilot in the Office apps. Premium (19.99 USD) adds Researcher, Analyst and Cowork, with more extensive usage. If you do cited research or data analysis every week, Premium pays off.
Can I trust Copilot with an engineering calculation?
Not without checking. Chat arithmetic is not guaranteed and it may invent clause numbers. Ask for the calculation in an Excel table with formulas, and for anchor design check against ADIT's free AAS and ARS calculators.
Does Copilot remember me between chats?
Not in Israel: memory and personalisation are not currently available to users in Israel. Keep standing instructions in a file, or, if you subscribe, work in Notebooks, where your files stay as context.