Microsoft has expanded its Copilot offering with the introduction of Copilot Pro, a subscription-based tier designed to provide enhanced AI-powered features within the Office suite. Priced at $20 per month, the Copilot Pro subscription offers a range of advanced capabilities, building upon the free tier to assist users in various tasks such as writing, coding, designing, and researching. The highlight of this Pro model is the inclusion of OpenAI’s advanced GPT-4 Turbo model, launched in November of the previous year.
One of the key advantages of Copilot Pro is the promise of a unified experience across multiple devices, enabling seamless transitions between PCs and smartphones. Subscribers can leverage Copilot’s capabilities within Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Additionally, users opting for the Pro plan will receive priority access to updates and the latest language models. The subscription facilitates the creation of personalized Copilot GPTs tailored for specific tasks, along with enhanced AI image creation capabilities not available in the free version.
Microsoft has strategically positioned Copilot Pro as part of its broader AI services suite. Apart from Copilot Pro, the company offers Copilot for Microsoft 365, a plan priced at $30 per month onwards, targeting enterprises and small to medium-sized businesses. This subscription provides similar priority benefits as Copilot Pro, along with support for Copilot in Microsoft Teams and access to Copilot Studio, an advanced version of Copilot GPT builder catering to enterprise-level needs. Copilot for Microsoft 365 also boasts enterprise-grade data protection and Microsoft Graph Grounding, allowing the chatbot to reference web content from Bing search to answer user queries effectively.
In contrast, the free tier of Microsoft Copilot lacks integration with other services and customization options for the chatbot. While it permits image generation using AI, the paid versions, including Copilot Pro, offer more advanced options for users seeking enhanced functionality.
In a recent update, Microsoft has expanded the accessibility of Copilot for Microsoft 365 to small businesses, allowing them to purchase between one and 299 seats for $30 per person per month. The company has also extended eligibility for Copilot for Microsoft 365 to education faculty and staff. Additionally, Microsoft introduced the Copilot mobile app, available for both Android and iOS devices.
The Copilot Pro subscription further extends AI-powered features to consumers, making them accessible through a $20 monthly subscription. This subscription unlocks Copilot within Office apps for Microsoft 365 Personal or Home subscribers, providing features such as generating PowerPoint slide decks, rephrasing paragraphs, and summarizing documents. However, some features available to businesses are not yet accessible in the consumer version due to differences in underlying technology.
The Copilot Pro subscription is targeted at power users, offering them faster access to the latest models, improved performance during peak times, and creativity tools. Microsoft envisions Copilot Pro as a valuable addition to the Copilot ecosystem, with plans to continuously enhance its features and functionality.
As Microsoft continues to innovate in the AI space, Copilot Pro stands out as a subscription-based solution that brings advanced AI-powered Office features within reach of a broader audience, catering to the diverse needs of individuals, businesses, and educators alike.
