Microsoft Copilot vs. ChatGPT: Which AI assistant works best for your business in 2025?

The AI showdown: Microsoft Copilot vs. ChatGPT in the workplace

AI is reshaping how businesses operate, making productivity and efficiency more achievable than ever. Two of the biggest players leading this shift are Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT.

I use both every day, but for different reasons. Copilot keeps my workload structured inside Microsoft 365, while ChatGPT is my go-to for brainstorming, content creation, and simplifying complex ideas.

With new capabilities like autonomous agents, multimodal inputs, and real-time collaboration, these tools are evolving fast. But which one is best for your business? Let’s break it down.

Integration and accessibility

Microsoft Copilot

Copilot is built directly into Microsoft 365 apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. If your business already relies on these tools, Copilot fits right in, there’s no need to switch between platforms.

How I use it (Marketing perspective)

As someone with a design background, I dread being asked to format Word documents or create PowerPoint decks. Copilot makes it easier by:

• Auto-generating slides with key points.
• Restructuring messy documents into polished reports.
• Offering real-time suggestions to improve clarity and tone.

How finance teams might use it

• Automates financial reports in Excel, pulling key insights in seconds.
• Summarises budget meetings and generates executive-friendly takeaways.
• Forecasts cash flow trends based on historical data.

How office managers might use it

• Schedules meetings by analysing emails and availability.
• Drafts internal memos and policy updates to maintain clear communication.
• Monitors compliance deadlines and sends timely reminders.

Functionality Copilot Vs Chatgpt

Microsoft Copilot

Copilot focuses on productivity and automation, helping teams work faster and smarter by handling tasks like:

• Meeting summaries that auto-generate notes with action items.
• Document drafting for reports, emails, and policies.
• Schedule management that recommends meeting times based on priorities.
• Workflow automation that reduces repetitive tasks across Microsoft 365.

How I use it (Marketing perspective)

Emails can be overwhelming, and I don’t always have time to sift through long threads. Copilot pulls out key points and drafts responses, cutting through the noise.

How finance teams might use it

• Generates monthly financial reports from raw Excel data.
• Automates invoice tracking and flags overdue payments.
• Creates interactive dashboards with real-time metrics.

How office managers might use it

• Monitors SharePoint updates and notifies teams of key document changes.
• Suggests responses to frequent HR queries within Teams.
• Automates supply orders by tracking usage trends.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT excels at creative, analytical, and problem-solving tasks. It’s useful for brainstorming, simplifying complex topics, and even generating code snippets.

How I use it (Marketing perspective)

Whenever I hit writer’s block, I ask ChatGPT:

• “Can you give me five different angles for this topic?”
• “How can I make this LinkedIn post more engaging?”
• “Summarise this 10-page report into three bullet points.”

How finance teams might use it

• Explains financial terms in plain English for reports or clients.
• Generates Excel formulas for complex calculations.
• Builds financial models to test different business scenarios.

How office managers might use it

• Drafts employee handbooks or internal memos in a professional tone.
• Creates announcement templates for company-wide updates.
• Summarises compliance regulations into easy-to-follow checklists.

Customisation

Microsoft Copilot

Copilot learns from your Microsoft 365 environment, tailoring suggestions based on your documents, emails, and workflows.

How I use it (Marketing perspective)

I use Copilot Studio to experiment with automated reporting tasks and track marketing campaign performance.

How finance teams might use it

• Custom approval workflows for processing expenses directly in Outlook and Teams.
• Creates custom dashboards, surfacing key financial trends automatically.

How office managers might use it

• Automates onboarding workflows, sending new hires the right documents and training materials.
• Prioritises admin tasks by flagging critical deadlines.

Security and Privacy: Copilot Vs Chatgpt

Microsoft Copilot

Since Copilot operates inside Microsoft’s secure ecosystem, it benefits from enterprise-grade security and compliance with regulations like GDPR.

ChatGPT

OpenAI has improved privacy measures, but users must be mindful of sharing sensitive data. Unlike Copilot, ChatGPT doesn’t operate within a closed corporate ecosystem by default.

Security tip: Always double-check AI-generated content before sharing externally to ensure accuracy and confidentiality.

Cost (UK pricing)

Which AI tool is right for your business

Microsoft Copilot

• Best for businesses already using Microsoft 365.
• Seamless integration with existing productivity tools.
• Strong security and compliance measures.

ChatGPT

• Ideal for brainstorming and creative work.
• Great for multimodal inputs like text, images, and audio.
• More flexible for businesses needing broad AI assistance.

Why not both?

Many businesses use Copilot for automation and ChatGPT for creativity, combining the best of both worlds