Microsoft has announced the rollout of free Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and agents across its suite of Office applications for all business users of Microsoft 365. Users of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote will find a new Copilot Chat sidebar designed to assist in drafting documents, analyzing data, and more, all without the need for a separate Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
Seth Patton, General Manager of Microsoft 365 Copilot product marketing, stated, “Copilot Chat is a secure AI-driven chat tool based on web technology, now available in Microsoft 365 apps. It is content-aware, quickly understanding users’ current tasks and tailoring responses to match the open document. Importantly, this feature comes at no extra cost for Microsoft 365 users.”
The complimentary version of Copilot will allow users to rewrite content, produce summaries, and help in creating presentations. However, the premium Microsoft 365 Copilot license, priced at $30 per month per user, will continue to offer enhanced integration with Office applications. This license enables broader data reasoning across multiple documents rather than being confined to a single file.
Patton elaborated that users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license enjoy priority access to features like file uploads and image generation, in addition to being supported by advanced technology such as GPT-5, which offers quicker response times and steady availability even during high-demand periods.
Earlier this year, Microsoft integrated its Copilot features within Office applications for individuals on consumer Microsoft 365 plans, but this was accompanied by increased subscription prices. Conversely, Microsoft has announced that no price changes will occur for business users as Copilot Chat is introduced to Office applications. Additionally, the company is preparing to merge its sales, service, and finance Copilots into the Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription next month, potentially lowering costs for enterprises utilizing Microsoft’s AI tools.
