Understanding Microsoft Copilot's subscription features

Do we need to pay for Copilot? Addressing the differences between the different versions of Copilot.

Choosing the right AI for your organisation is an important decision. Depending on the workspace that your organisation is working with, this may make the decision a little easier. In a practical sense, if your organisation is already utilising Microsoft 365 as your main workspace, you might be looking to include Copilot as a part of your Microsoft package. While your organisation may already have a Microsoft 365 Business Premium plan, this doesn’t mean that you will have access to the paid version of Copilot, however, this can be included in your plan as an add-on.

Eligible nonprofit organisations (i.e. ACNC-registered in Australia) can access discounted Microsoft 365 and Copilot licences through Microsoft’s nonprofit program or Connecting Up (Australia). Nonprofits from across Asia may seek assistance from TechSoup or its regional partners for support.

For the purposes of this article, we will be referring to the integrated version of Copilot that links to the wider Microsoft 365 workspace. The online chatbot version of Copilot is currently available to consumers for free, and it is recommended that sensitive or proprietary information be shared when using the online chatbot version. For more information on the different versions of Copilot you can visit the Microsoft website.

Copilot Chat is web-based, does not access organisational data, and should not be used for sensitive information.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is the version that is integrated directly into the Microsoft 365 suite. It is available as a paid add-on for Microsoft 365 licence holders, but there are some AI-powered features included in Microsoft 365 apps for free. The below table breaks down the differences between the free and paid versions of Copilot. 

From this table, we can see that there are a number of additional benefits in having a paid version of Copilot. That’s not to say that the free version doesn’t also provide some benefit to users. Let’s have a look at some of the features of both in more detail.  

Free Features 

These are small, helpful tools built into Microsoft apps like Word, Excel, and Outlook that assist with simple tasks.

They include:

• Text Predictions: As you type in Word or Outlook, AI suggests the next words or phrases to help you type faster.
• Spelling & Grammar Suggestions: AI helps correct errors and improve your writing. 
• Basic Formatting Help: Excel and Word suggest ways to format tables, text, and numbers to look more professional. 
• AutoFill in Excel: Predicts data entries based on patterns, like filling in dates or lists automatically. 
• Search & Smart Lookup: Helps find definitions, synonyms, or related information without leaving the document. 

These features are useful but limited, they mainly improve your workflow rather than doing the work for you.  

Paid Copilot  

The paid Copilot offers a much more advanced AI tool that actively helps create, summarise, and analyse content. 

Some key features include: 

• Writing Assistance: Copilot can draft emails, reports, or entire documents based on a few prompts. 
• Summarising Documents: If you have a long report, Copilot can summarise the key points in seconds. 
• Data Analysis in Excel: It can analyse spreadsheets, find trends, and even create charts for you. Instead of manually looking at numbers, you can ask Copilot questions like, “What were the biggest sales trends last year?” 
• PowerPoint Slide Creation: Copilot can design a full presentation based on a short description of what you need. 
• Meeting Recap in Teams: If you miss a meeting, Copilot can summarise the discussion and highlight key action points. 
• Smart Replies & Drafting Emails: In Outlook, it can suggest full responses or even write professional emails based on your instructions. 
• Workflow Automation (Project Opal), Voice Interaction in Word/Excel/PowerPoint, AI Video Creation (Sora 2).

The Main Difference? 

The main differences between the free and paid versions of Copilot, are that the free version gives you small AI-powered suggestions and corrections, while the paid Copilot acts like an actual AI assistant that can create, analyse, and summarise content for you. 

For nonprofits, the paid version also ensures compliance with Microsoft’s enterprise-grade security and privacy standards, which is critical for handling donor and beneficiary data.

The choice of whether or not to go with the free or paid versions of Microsoft 365 Copilot needs to take into consideration the use case for the licence. We would recommend reviewing the potential use cases for your organisation, and research on the Microsoft website to see which version of Copilot is right for your needs. We would also recommend checking whether your organisation is eligible for any discounts on Microsoft 365 Copilot before purchasing. Pricing will also depend on your region, so it’s best to make sure that you will be able to get the most out of Copilot, and that it suits your organisation’s needs.

For tips on how to best prepare your organisation for integrating Copilot, you can see our guide.