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Of the tools on this list, the best Microsoft Copilot alternatives are ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, in that order on our scores. Perplexity, Grok and DeepSeek follow. Each entry below, moreover, names what the alternative does better than Copilot and what you give up.
Microsoft Copilot scores 3.3 in our Microsoft Copilot review. Its strength is work inside Word, Excel and Outlook, with Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month. Its weak spots, however, include ads in the free app and a training rule we could not confirm for its updated app.
Best Microsoft Copilot Alternatives: The Short Answer
Among the best Microsoft Copilot alternatives on this list, ChatGPT is the closest replacement for Office users. It now works inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint through a Microsoft add-in, with Word on every plan since September 17, 2026.
Claude, meanwhile, leads on independent scores, writing and coding, with no ads on any plan. Gemini, by contrast, fits people who would rather move to Gmail and Google Docs.
The Alternatives at a Glance
| Alternative | Our score | Better than Copilot at |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 3.6 | Office add-ins plus deep research, Codex, images |
| Claude | 3.6 | Index score; writing; Claude Code; no ads |
| Gemini | 3.4 | $4.99 entry; Gmail and Docs; 1M context |
| Perplexity | 3.4 | Citations on every answer; news accuracy |
| Grok | 3.3 | Live X posts; fewer invented answers |
| DeepSeek | 3.0 | Free app; open weights |
How We Ordered These Copilot Alternatives
This list of the best Microsoft Copilot alternatives follows our review scores, highest first. Ties follow the rule from our list of the best AI tools: the lower paid entry price goes first.
So ChatGPT, with Go at $8, sits above Claude, whose cheapest plan is Pro at about $17 on yearly billing. Likewise, Gemini at $4.99 sits above Perplexity at $20. The list mirrors our list of DeepSeek alternatives, with Copilot taken out and DeepSeek added.
Why People Leave Microsoft Copilot
First, the free Copilot app shows ads, and we could not confirm whether Microsoft trains on chats in its updated app. Second, in the EBU and BBC news study, 37% of Copilot’s answers had significant issues, behind Perplexity and ChatGPT.
On the other hand, leaving has a cost. Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 bundles Copilot inside Word, Excel and Outlook with 1 TB of storage, which no single alternative matches at that price.
1. ChatGPT: Office Add-ins and More
First, Go costs $8 in the US and Plus $20. ChatGPT also works inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint through a Microsoft add-in, and it adds deep research, image generation and Codex.
What you give up, though: no storage bundle, and Free and Go show ads in test regions. Our ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot comparison covers the details.
2. Claude: Stronger Scores, No Ads
Claude Pro, by contrast, costs $20 a month or $200 a year and shows no ads. Its Opus 5.5 scores 58 on Artificial Analysis’s Intelligence Index, and it placed first on Arena’s creative-writing board of September 25, 2026.
What you give up, however: Claude works mostly in its own app rather than inside Office. Our Claude vs Microsoft Copilot comparison goes deeper.
3. Gemini: The Google Suite Instead
Google AI Plus, meanwhile, costs $4.99 a month, and Google AI Pro, at $19.99, brings Gemini into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet with 5 TB of storage. As a result, it is the closest suite-level swap, as our guide to Gemini for Google Workspace explains.
What you give up, though: you leave Office for Google’s apps, and Gemini had significant issues in 76% of news answers in the EBU and BBC study. Our Gemini vs Microsoft Copilot comparison weighs both suites.
4. Perplexity: Cited Research
Perplexity, for its part, cites every answer, shows no ads, and had the fewest significant issues in the EBU and BBC study, at 30%. Pro, meanwhile, costs $20 a month or $200 a year.
What you give up, however: Perplexity does not work inside Office documents. Our Perplexity vs Microsoft Copilot comparison covers both.
5. Grok: Live Posts
Grok, in turn, draws on real-time X posts, and Artificial Analysis measured Grok 4.7 at a 29% hallucination rate on its knowledge test. SuperGrok Lite, in addition, is reported at $10 a month.
What you give up, though: Grok’s January 2026 image scandal led to blocks in two countries, and it has no Office integration. Our Grok vs Microsoft Copilot comparison explains more.
6. DeepSeek: Free, With Data in China
Finally, the DeepSeek app is free, and its open weights can run on your own hardware. Its API, moreover, starts at $0.15 per million input tokens off-peak.
What you give up, however: the hosted app stores your data in China. Our DeepSeek vs Microsoft Copilot comparison covers the trade-off.
If You Use Copilot at Work
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business costs $21 a user a month on top of a Microsoft 365 business plan, and business plans skip training by default. For teams that leave, ChatGPT Business and Claude Team also skip training, as our list of the best AI for business shows.
Our guide to Microsoft Copilot for productivity covers what Copilot does inside Office before you decide.
Which Alternative for Which Reason
If you want to stay in Office, take ChatGPT with its add-ins. For writing and independent scores, take Claude, and for a move to Google’s suite, Gemini.
If ads or unclear training are your reason, though, Claude and Perplexity show no ads. Our guide to which AI tools train on your data compares the defaults.
How We Research
This list draws on our individual reviews and our six Copilot comparisons, each read against the company’s own pricing, help and privacy pages between September 25 and October 2, 2026. Rankings come from Arena, Artificial Analysis and the EBU and BBC study.
We run no tests of our own, and our about page explains the criteria.
Best Microsoft Copilot Alternatives FAQ
On this list, ChatGPT ranks first. It works inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint through a Microsoft add-in and adds deep research, images and Codex.
ChatGPT, through a Microsoft add-in, with Word on every plan since September 17, 2026.
Google AI Plus costs $4.99 a month and ChatGPT Go $8, both below Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99. Every alternative here also has a free plan.
Claude and Perplexity show no ads. ChatGPT shows ads on Free and Go in test regions.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business costs $21 a user and skips training by default. ChatGPT Business and Claude Team also skip training.
The Verdict
The best Microsoft Copilot alternatives trade Office bundling for stronger tools or clearer terms. ChatGPT is the closest swap for Office users, Claude leads on scores, and Gemini fits a move to Google.
Copilot, however, still bundles Office apps and storage cheaply. So leave for features, evidence or ads, and keep it if Word and Excel are the center of your work.