"Don't we already have Copilot?" We get that question more and more often. And it's half true. Many organizations already have Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat available to them. But that’s different from Microsoft 365 Copilot with a paid license.

The difference isn't in the name. It's in what Copilot knows about your work.

Copilot Chat: smart, but without your context

Copilot Chat is the AI chat that users can access with a work account. It operates based on information from the web and what you share in the conversation, such as an uploaded file.

  • You chat securely with your work account. What you enter isn’t used to train the model.
  • You can create, summarize, and rewrite texts.
  • You can use agents provided by your organization. Some are billed per use.

What Copilot Chat doesn't do on its own: search your mailbox, calendar, Teams conversations, or SharePoint documents.

Microsoft 365 Copilot: AI that knows your work

With the paid license, Copilot operates based on your work data via Microsoft Graph. Only data you already have access to, of course.

  • Copilot is integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
  • It summarizes meetings and lists action items.
  • It finds that one quote from last month, even if you don't know where it is.
  • It prepares you for a client meeting based on emails, chats, and documents.

The difference in one example

Ask Copilot Chat: "What did we agree on with client X?" It won't know. Ask Microsoft 365 Copilot the same question? It searches your emails, minutes, and documents and provides an answer with sources.

When is the upgrade worthwhile?

The license is especially worthwhile for those who:

  • attend many meetings and need to follow up;
  • need to retrieve and combine a lot of information;
  • write many documents and emails based on existing information.

Not everyone needs the same license. A mixed approach is often the smartest: Copilot Chat for everyone, Microsoft 365 Copilot for roles where it saves the most time.

First get the basics in order

Microsoft 365 Copilot finds everything you have access to. Including that one salary file accidentally open to everyone. So, clean up your permissions before rolling out widely.

Want to know who benefits most from Copilot? Schedule a conversation and we’ll help you choose a smart license mix.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Copilot Chat free?

Copilot Chat is available for users with a Microsoft 365 work account, without an extra license. Some agents are billed per use.

Can I get Microsoft 365 Copilot for some of my employees?

Yes. You assign licenses per user.

Is my data safe?

Both variants operate within the security and privacy agreements of Microsoft 365. Your data is not used to train the models.