What's the Difference, and Should You Upgrade?

Microsoft Copilot has been the haven for those who want to use OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus without forking out every month.

And you'll be very pleased to hear that isn't changing any time soon—but Microsoft is rolling out Copilot Pro, a new subscription model for its free AI companion, featuring new capabilities, custom GPT support, and deeper integration into its Microsoft 365 suite.

What Is Copilot Pro?

Copilot Pro is a new subscription-based update to Microsoft Copilot, the AI tool that allows you to use OpenAI's premium GPT-4 model (and now GPT-4 Turbo, the latest model) for free.

Microsoft Copilot Pro isn't so much about bulking out the performance of the tool but brings much deeper integration with Microsoft's extensive range of products, including:

• Copilot Pro brings Copliot into Microsoft 365, with integrations in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote on PC, Mac, and iPad.
• Upgrading to Pro will give users priority to the latest GPT models. For example, Copilot Pro subscribers can now use GPT-4 Turbo, the latest upgrade to OpenAI's AI model.
• Copilot Pro users will gain access to more Image Creator from Designer boost credits, rising to 100 credits per day.
• The Copilot Pro upgrade also allows users to create custom Copilot GPTs, which are custom Copilot models designed for specific uses (effectively OpenAI's custom GPTs but now in Copilot).

All in all, Microsoft wants Copilot Pro to be "a single AI experience that runs across your devices," providing a unified AI tool that's familiar with every bit of software you use.

How Much Does Copilot Pro Cost?

Microsoft Copilot Pro will cost $20 per month per user, and officially launched on January 14, 2024.

Twenty bucks per month seems to have become the go-to pricing structure for all AI models; ChatGPT Plus and Claude Pro also cost $20 per month.

Given the deeper integration of Copilot Pro into Microsoft's ecosystem, the $20 subscription could make Pro a valuable tool versus other tools that are useful in terms of AI but lack specific integrations with regularly used software, especially in business and productivity.

Should You Upgrade to Copilot Pro?

Users of Microsoft Copilot will note that Copilot Pro now integrates many of the features previously exclusive to ChatGPT Plus—but they still come at a cost. As artificial intelligence development costs money and energy (quite a large amount of both!), there was always going to come a point where the free version of Copilot would begin to miss out on features.

However, given the extensive number of free features Copilot has, I don't expect many folks will be disappointed. Deeper integration with Microsoft 365 is great if you use those tools, but if you're using Copilot as an enhanced internet search engine, these updates won't mean much to you.

Furthermore, given the mixed results of OpenAI's custom GPTs, custom Copilot models might not be a feature that gains much traction— at least, not initially. When custom GPTs first launched, there was a wave of excitement, but it took some time to find custom GPTs worth using.

That's not to mention that Copilot will still receive feature updates. The Microsoft Blog revealing Copilot Pro also confirmed new Copilot features, including Copilot GPTs. Microsoft will add select custom Copilot GPTs to the free model, covering topics like fitness, cooking, etc, bringing the custom tool to the free version. There won't be so much customization, but the specialized GPTs will be useful for a range of topics.

So, while Copilot Pro undoubtedly has more features and will receive updates faster than the free version, Copilot remains an extremely useful tool for those who want GPT-4 access without paying.