Is Microsoft Copilot free? What you get without paying
Yes. Microsoft Copilot has a free version you can use with a Microsoft account. Paying for a Microsoft 365 plan gives you higher usage than free and puts Copilot inside the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps.
Prices checked Oct 2026.
What's free
The free version of Copilot works in your browser at copilot.microsoft.com and in its apps. You can chat, ask questions, get help writing and create images. Microsoft's plans page describes paid plans as giving "higher usage than free" for chat, image creation and AI-generated audio, so the free version has limits.
What Microsoft 365 plans cost (U.S.)
From Microsoft's Copilot plans page today: Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99 a month ($99.99 a year), Family $12.99 a month ($129.99 a year), and Premium $19.99 a month ($199.99 a year), which Microsoft labels "best for AI & productivity." There's also a $99.99-a-month Microsoft 365 Pro plan for heavy use.
Personal, Family and Premium offer a one-month free trial. Set a reminder to cancel if you don't want to keep paying.
Do you need to pay?
If you just want a chat assistant, no. The free version is fine for emails, questions and ideas. Paying makes sense if you already rely on Word, Excel or Outlook and want Copilot to work inside them, or if you'd buy Microsoft 365 anyway for Office and storage.
Not tied to Microsoft? Compare ChatGPT's free plan and Gemini's free plan.
How to start
Go to copilot.microsoft.com, sign in with your Microsoft (Outlook, Hotmail or Xbox) account, and type your question. Copilot is on our pages for budgets and writing emails.
The bottom line
Copilot's free version is a solid everyday assistant, especially on a Windows computer. If you already pay for Microsoft 365, check whether your plan includes Copilot in the Office apps before buying anything new, and use the one-month trial to see whether you actually use it.
The first thing to type
I take home $3,200 a month. Help me make a simple monthly budget with categories, and suggest 3 realistic ways to save $150.Common questions
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
Yes, there's a free version. Paid Microsoft 365 plans give higher usage.
Do I need Microsoft 365 for Copilot?
Not for the free version. You need a paid plan to use Copilot inside the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps.
How much is Microsoft 365 Premium?
$19.99 a month or $199.99 a year in the U.S.
Is there a free trial?
Microsoft offers a one-month free trial on Personal, Family and Premium.
Sources (checked 2026-10-20): www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/for-individuals