Table of Content
What are the best Microsoft Copilot alternatives for business teams?
The best Microsoft Copilot alternatives are ChatGPT Business, Claude Team, Gemini in Google Workspace, Perplexity Enterprise, Mistral Le Chat, Notion AI, Glean, and Cohere North. Choose by where your team works: Google Workspace teams fit Gemini, research teams fit Perplexity, knowledge-heavy teams fit Glean or Notion AI, and teams that need private deployment fit Mistral or Cohere.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Business lists at $18 per user per month, but only as a first-year promotion for existing Microsoft 365 Business customers that runs July 1 to December 31, 2026. The regular price is $21.
- Copilot also comes bundled: Business Standard with Copilot is $23.50 and Business Premium with Copilot is $32 per user per month, paid yearly.
- Copilot Chat is included at no additional cost with eligible Microsoft 365 plans, so a free baseline already exists if you are on Microsoft 365.
- Claude Team Standard seats list at $20 per user per month on annual billing; Notion Business is $20 per member per month; Perplexity Enterprise Pro is $34 per seat per month on annual billing.
- If you want an assistant that acts inside your own systems, a custom agent is often a better fit than another seat license. See the final section.
Why do teams look for Microsoft Copilot alternatives?
Teams searching for alternatives to Microsoft Copilot rarely do it because the answers are poor. They leave because of fit, price shape, or lock-in. Microsoft’s pricing page lists Microsoft 365 Copilot Business as an add-on that needs a separate qualifying Microsoft 365 license and supports up to 300 users. The $18 price is a promotion: it applies to the first year for purchases made between July 1 and December 31, 2026, requires an annual commitment, and is open only to existing Microsoft 365 Business customers. The regular price is $21, and Microsoft says it may change or suspend the offer at any time.
Four reasons come up most:
- Ecosystem. Copilot is strongest where your files live in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams. If your team runs on Google Workspace, Notion, or a mix, another assistant may sit closer to the work.
- Price after the promotion. A first-year discount hides the second-year cost, so compare the regular price.
- Data control. Some teams need private deployment, which only a few vendors document.
- Job fit. Research, enterprise search, and coding are different jobs, and one seat license rarely covers all three.
Prices in this guide come from each vendor’s own pricing page, read in October 2026. They change often, so confirm before you buy.
Which Microsoft Copilot alternatives compare best?
| Alternative | Best for | Listed price (Oct 2026) | Data stance (per vendor page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Business | One broad assistant with many connectors | Per user per month, 2+ users, annual or monthly; amount varies by region | No training on business data by default; SAML SSO and MFA |
| Claude Team | Writing, analysis, and coding help | Standard $20 annual / $25 monthly; Premium $100 / $125 per user per month; 2 to 150 seats | No training on your content by default; SSO and central billing |
| Gemini in Workspace | Google Workspace teams | Included in Workspace Starter and above; depth rises by plan | Enterprise-grade security and privacy for Gemini on Starter and above |
| Perplexity Enterprise | Cited research | Enterprise Pro $34 per seat per month annual; Max $271 | No training on your data; SOC 2 Type II stated |
| Mistral Le Chat | Self-host path | Pro $14.99, Team $24.99 per user per month; Enterprise custom | Self-hosted, private cloud, or on-premises on Enterprise |
| Notion AI | Teams that already work in Notion | Business $20 per member per month (USD) | 30-day retention on Business; zero retention on Enterprise |
| Glean | Search across company apps | Not published | Governance via Glean Protect |
| Cohere North | Agents on private infrastructure | Not published | Runs in your VPC, on-premises, or Model Vault |
1. Is ChatGPT Business a good Copilot alternative?
Yes, if you want one broad assistant that is not tied to a single office suite. OpenAI’s pricing page lists ChatGPT Business for two or more users, billed annually or monthly, with centralized billing, usage analytics, spend controls, SAML SSO, and MFA. It states that business data is not used for training by default and lists connectors for Microsoft 365, Google Drive, Slack, GitHub, Linear, and Figma. Enterprise adds SCIM, enterprise key management, custom data retention, and data residency in ten regions. The price depends on your region, so check the page. Choose it when your team uses several tools. Skip it when everything already sits inside Microsoft 365.
2. Is Claude Team a good Copilot alternative?
Anthropic’s pricing page lists Team plans for 2 to 150 people: Standard seats at $20 per user per month on annual billing ($25 monthly) and Premium seats at $100 ($125 monthly). The plan lists Microsoft 365 and @Claude connections, central billing, SSO, and no model training on your content by default. Enterprise is annual only, with a $20 seat price plus usage at API rates. Choose it when long documents, analysis, and writing quality matter most. Skip it when you need enterprise search across many internal apps. Our guide to Claude alternatives covers the same market from the other side.
3. What is Google’s equivalent to Microsoft Copilot?
Gemini inside Google Workspace. On Business Starter, Gemini is included in Gmail and Vids, with limited use in other apps, and Google states enterprise-grade security and privacy for Gemini. On Business Standard, Gemini is included in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Vids, Drive, Meet, and Chat, with expanded access to its most capable models. Google showed local-currency prices when we read the page, so we do not quote dollars here. Choose it when your team lives in Docs, Sheets, and Meet. Skip it when your core files are Microsoft formats.
4. Is Perplexity Enterprise a good Copilot alternative for research?
For cited research, yes. Perplexity lists Enterprise Pro at $34 per seat per month on annual billing and Enterprise Max at $271. Both state that customer data is not used to train AI models. The page lists SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS compliance, SSO, and, on Enterprise Pro, premium citation sources including PitchBook and Statista. Choose it when your work is market scans and sourced briefs. Skip it when you need long document drafting inside an office suite.
5. Can Mistral Le Chat replace Copilot?
It can when data location is the deciding factor. Mistral lists Pro at $14.99 and Team at $24.99 per user per month. Enterprise is by quote and adds custom models, agents, audit logs, SAML SSO, and self-hosted, private cloud, or on-premises deployment. Its FAQ says open-weight models are Apache 2.0 licensed for research or individual use, and commercial deployments need a separate Mistral license. Choose it when you need a self-host path. Skip it when you want the widest connector library.
6. Is Notion AI a Copilot alternative?
For teams that already keep docs, wikis, and projects in Notion, yes. Notion’s pricing page lists Business at $20 per member per month in USD, with full access to Notion Agent, AI Meeting Notes, and Enterprise Search (Beta). Free and Plus plans include only a limited trial of Notion AI. Data is retained for 30 days on Free, Plus, and Business, and Enterprise lists zero data retention with its model providers. Choose it when Notion is already your workspace. Skip it when your documents live elsewhere.
7. Is Glean better than Copilot for company-wide search?
Glean is built around search and assistants across the apps a company already uses, rather than inside one suite. Its site describes Glean Search, Glean Assistant, and Glean Agents, a governance layer called Glean Protect, and model routing across 40+ open and frontier models. Pricing is not published, and the page does not state a connector count. Choose it when knowledge is scattered across many tools. Skip it when you are a small team with few systems.
8. Can Cohere North run Copilot-style agents on private infrastructure?
North is Cohere’s enterprise agent platform. It describes agents with access to your organization’s knowledge, natural-language automations, skills, memory, guardrails, and an admin panel, and it can run in your own VPC, on-premises, or through Cohere’s Model Vault. Pricing is not published. Choose it when agents must run on private infrastructure. Skip it when you want to sign up with a card today.
How should you choose between Copilot and its alternatives?
| If this is true | Start with |
|---|---|
| Your team lives in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams | Stay with Microsoft 365 Copilot or Copilot Chat |
| Your team lives in Docs, Sheets, Gmail, and Meet | Gemini in Workspace |
| You use many tools and want one assistant | ChatGPT Business or Claude Team |
| You need cited research | Perplexity Enterprise |
| Knowledge is scattered across apps | Glean or Notion AI |
| Data must stay on your own infrastructure | Mistral Enterprise or Cohere North |
Run a two-week trial on three real tasks, score every assistant on the same prompts, and read the data terms line by line. Our guide to AI tools for small business shows the tools smaller teams pair with these assistants.
When is a custom AI agent better than another assistant?
A seat license gives people a chat window. It does not read your CRM, update your ERP, or close a support ticket on its own. If that is the goal, build an agent around your systems. Microsoft itself points to Copilot Studio for building custom agents, and the same logic applies to any assistant above. Start with our guide to building an AI agent for your business, compare builders in AI agent builders compared, and see ready-made options in best AI agents for business. The Model Context Protocol guide explains how assistants connect to your tools, and AI workflow automation tools covers the no-code layer.
If you want a team to build and run the agent, see our agentic AI development services, AI development services, and AI integration services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What AI is similar to Microsoft Copilot?
ChatGPT Business, Claude Team, and Gemini in Google Workspace are the closest general assistants. Perplexity Enterprise is similar for research, and Notion AI and Glean are similar for finding and using company knowledge. None is identical, so test on your own tasks.
What is Google’s equivalent to Microsoft Copilot?
Gemini in Google Workspace. Gemini is included in Gmail and Vids on Business Starter, and in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Vids, Drive, Meet, and Chat on Business Standard, according to Google’s pricing page.
Is there any free version of Copilot?
Microsoft says Copilot Chat is available at no additional cost with eligible Microsoft 365 plans, and users without a Copilot license can try it by signing in with a work account. The paid Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on lists at $21, or $18 as a first-year promotion through December 31, 2026.
How much does Microsoft Office with Copilot cost?
Microsoft lists Business Standard with Copilot at $23.50 and Business Premium with Copilot at $32 per user per month on yearly billing. The Copilot Business add-on is $18 as a first-year promotion for existing Microsoft 365 Business customers, and $21 at the regular price.
Is Microsoft Copilot worth paying for?
It is worth it when most of your work happens in Microsoft 365 and the assistant saves more time than the seat costs. Test it on three recurring tasks first. If most of your work sits in other tools, an alternative may fit better.
Is Microsoft Copilot Studio different from Microsoft Copilot?
Yes. Copilot is the assistant users chat with inside Microsoft apps. Microsoft describes Copilot Studio as the tool for building and managing custom agents that understand your business processes and data.
Is Copilot safer than ChatGPT?
Neither can be called safer in general. Compare the contract terms for the plan you would buy. OpenAI states that ChatGPT Business data is not used for training by default, and Microsoft documents its own data terms separately, so read both before you decide.
What is the best free Copilot alternative?
Free plans from ChatGPT, Mistral Le Chat, and Notion exist with limits, and Notion lists only a limited AI trial on Free. Free plans are not designed for team use, so move to a business plan before you put company data in.
What are the best GitHub Copilot alternatives?
If you meant the coding tool, Cursor lists an individual plan at $20 per month and Teams at $40 per user per month, and Claude includes Claude Code on its Pro and Team plans. Both are covered in our guide to Claude alternatives. Pick by the editor your developers already use.
Can I run a Copilot alternative on my own servers?
Mistral lists self-hosted, private cloud, and on-premises deployment for Enterprise customers, and Cohere North runs in your VPC, on-premises, or through Model Vault. Most other options here are vendor-hosted.
Bottom Line
Pick the Copilot alternative that sits where your team already works, compare the regular price rather than the promotion, and run a short trial before you commit. Gemini suits Google teams, Perplexity suits research, Glean and Notion AI suit knowledge-heavy teams, and Mistral or Cohere suit private deployments. When no assistant reaches your own systems, talk to us about a custom agent through our agentic AI development services.
