Copilot for business: which Copilot license and what does it cost?

Microsoft has several versions of Copilot. That makes the choice hard. Part of it comes free with your Microsoft 365 subscription, part of it costs money per user per month. And since 2026 you also pay per use for some features.

Copilot for business: which Copilot plan fits?

Microsoft Copilot Chat and Copilot Pro

Copilot Chat comes at no extra cost with business Microsoft 365 subscriptions. You ask questions and have texts written, with business data protection. Copilot Chat does not work with your email, calendar and documents the way the paid version does. Copilot Pro is a consumer subscription. For business use with your company data, choose Copilot Business or Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Business

Copilot Business is the version for small and mid-sized companies. You add it to a Microsoft 365 Business subscription, for up to 300 users. Copilot then works in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, with your own company information. You also get agents such as Researcher and Analyst.

Microsoft 365 Copilot for larger organisations

Microsoft 365 Copilot is the version for organisations with an Enterprise subscription. The features are similar, with more options for administration and security.

Copilot pricing per user

• Copilot Chat: no extra cost.

• Copilot Business: $21 per user per month. With annual billing, $18 applies for a limited time.

• Microsoft 365 Copilot: $30 per user per month.

• Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot: $23.50 per user per month with annual billing.

• Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot: $32 per user per month with annual billing.

These are Microsoft’s US prices. Amounts in euros differ, so check the current price with your Microsoft partner.

Copilot costs on top of the license

Since June 2026 you pay per use for Copilot Cowork. Cowork carries out larger tasks on its own, in several steps, and those tasks cost credits on top of your Copilot license. The same goes for agents you build in Copilot Studio. The heavier the task, the more credits. So set a limit, so costs do not rise unnoticed.

When does a Copilot license pay for itself?

Work it out per role. A license of $21 per month pays for itself if an employee saves an hour a month with it. For most office roles that is achievable, provided they actually use it. That is often where it goes wrong. Many companies buy licenses for everyone, and after a few months only part of the team uses it.

So start small. Give licenses to the people with lots of email, meetings and documents, and measure after a few months what it delivers. Meetings are often the quickest win. Read how taking meeting minutes with AI works.

Copilot Business vs Enterprise: how to choose

• Up to 300 users on a Business subscription: choose Copilot Business.

• An Enterprise subscription: choose Microsoft 365 Copilot.

• Testing first at no cost: start with Copilot Chat.

• Using Cowork or your own agents: include the credits in your budget.

Using Copilot for business: permissions and training first

A license gives access. It only delivers when your team knows how Copilot fits their own work. Also get your permissions in SharePoint and Teams in order, because Copilot sees everything an employee has access to. If your files are spread across systems that do not talk to each other, start with a digital foundation that holds up.

Want your team to get off to a good start? Take a look at our AI training for businesses. Want to agree on what does and does not go through Copilot? Read more about an AI policy for your business.

Sources: Microsoft, Microsoft 365 Copilot plans and pricing (microsoft.com) · Microsoft, Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (December 2025)