Copilot by Microsoft has quickly become an essential part of their product lineup. Whether you’re a large enterprise or a regular user, you’re likely familiar with Copilot and its generative AI capabilities.
There are three versions of Copilot offered by Microsoft:
1. The free version is available to everyone using Windows, Microsoft Edge, or the Bing website.
2. The Copilot Pro version is also available to everyone using Windows, Microsoft Edge, or the Bing website, but requires a $20/month subscription fee.
3. The Copilot 365 version is available to Microsoft 365 subscribers who pay an additional $30/month/user subscription fee.
But how do you choose the right version of Copilot for your business? Let’s compare each version:
Feature Microsoft Copilot Copilot Pro Copilot 365
Functional operation General questions return general answers General questions return general answers Specific questions return specific answers
Data source Bing searches and internet Bing searches and internet Organizational data generated internally
Cost Free $20/user/month $30/user/month
Best use case General users and small businesses SMBs with a need for reliability and speed SMBs and enterprises with large data pools
When deciding on a version of Copilot, remember that the basic operation remains the same for all versions: ask a question, get an answer. The differences lie in how the AI accesses its data sources.
The free version of Copilot uses information from Bing searches and other aggregated sources. This version is suitable for general use, but may not provide specific answers to detailed questions.
Copilot Pro uses the same data sources as the free version but offers priority access to GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo for faster performance. While the time difference between the free and pro versions may be negligible now, priority access could become more appealing in the future.
Copilot 365 is different as it pulls data from the host organization’s generated data. It is best suited for enterprises and organizations with large amounts of institutional data. The institutional knowledge accessible through Copilot 365 comes at an additional cost of $30/user/month.
To effectively use Copilot 365, organizations must have accurate and accessible data. Embracing the platform and implementing it at all levels of the organization is crucial for its success.
Ultimately, the choice of which version to use depends on your specific needs and goals. All organizations should at least experiment with Copilot to explore its potential in their work environment. As with any emerging technology, becoming familiar with AI platforms like Copilot will be advantageous for businesses of all sizes.
