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Verified Free / AI

Is Microsoft Copilot actually free?

Free Forever
How free77/100
Value7/10
How these scores work
Free Score (0–100) follows a fixed rubric: cards up front, auto-billing, hard time cutoffs, withheld core features, and paying with your data or attention all deduct points. 90–100 truly free · 70–89 free forever · 45–69 squeezed · 15–44 trial mechanics · under 15 fake or gone. Value (0–10) is editorial: real-world worth of the free offering measured against its paid equivalent. Full rubric on the methodology page.

Yes — Microsoft's assistant is genuinely free for everyday use across Windows, Edge and the app, with image generation included. Pro buys peak-time priority and Office integration.

What it’s worth

Pro is $240/year; the free tier covers most people's actual usage.

What you get free

  • The mainstream assistant free in Windows, Edge, Bing and the app
  • Chat, image generation, and web-grounded answers
  • No card at any point on the free tier

In practice: a capable free assistant already sitting in the software most people use all day.

Drawbacks

  • Deprioritized at peak times
  • Pushes Microsoft account and Pro
  • Embedded in Windows by default

Also paywalled

  • Priority access at peak times and the newest models
  • Copilot in Word, Excel and Outlook (Pro / Microsoft 365)

What the free tier actually gives you

Card requiredNo
Usage ceilingRationed at peak
Model qualityCurrent, rationed
File uploadsLimited
Image generationYes
Web accessYes
Commercial useAllowed
Runs offlineNo
Trains on your inputSetting

Same questions, same order, for every listing in AI — so you can compare them side by side. Deliberately no exact allowances: those change monthly, the shape of the limit doesn't.

Free facts

VerdictFree Forever
Card requiredNo
Auto-billsOnly if you subscribe to Pro
AccountMicrosoft account for full features; basic use without
LimitsUsage caps at busy times; newest models and Office integration sit in Pro
The real costNothing for everyday chat and image help. Pro is $20/month.

The catch

It's woven into Windows whether you asked for it or not, it leans on a Microsoft account, and the free tier gets deprioritized when demand spikes. Your prompts feed the product.

The smart play

  • Use it signed-in for history, signed-out for quick anonymous checks
  • If you only want Office AI occasionally, a single month of Pro beats a subscription

Common questions

Does Microsoft Copilot require a credit card?
No — Microsoft Copilot does not ask for a card to use the free version. Auto-billing: Only if you subscribe to Pro.
What are the limits of Microsoft Copilot's free plan?
Usage caps at busy times; newest models and Office integration sit in Pro. It's woven into Windows whether you asked for it or not, it leans on a Microsoft account, and the free tier gets deprioritized when demand spikes. Your prompts feed the product.
How do I use Microsoft Copilot without paying?
Use it signed-in for history, signed-out for quick anonymous checks If you only want Office AI occasionally, a single month of Pro beats a subscription
What does Microsoft Copilot really cost?
Nothing for everyday chat and image help. Pro is $20/month.
Why is Microsoft Copilot free?
Nothing for everyday chat and image help. Pro is $20/month. Pro is $240/year; the free tier covers most people's actual usage.
Is Microsoft Copilot still free?
As of our last check, yes. Yes — Microsoft's assistant is genuinely free for everyday use across Windows, Edge and the app, with image generation included. Pro buys peak-time priority and Office integration. Free tiers change without notice, which is why every page here carries the date it was checked.

More info — tap to expand

Copilot free vs ChatGPT free?
Similar engines under the hood. Copilot's free tier is more generous with web-grounded answers and images; ChatGPT's app ecosystem is bigger. Both are real free tiers.

Last checked: August 2026site-wide date · Verdict: Free Forever — a real permanent free plan. signup and fair limits — but no clock and no card.

Ratings elsewhereApp Store 4.8/5405KGoogle Play 4.7/52.4MLive scores from the sources named — not ours. Store counts rounded.
Visit Microsoft Copilot →

Was this verdict right?

Free tiers change without notice. If you have just used it, you know something we don't.

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