Gemini vs Microsoft Copilot

Gemini

• People who already use Gmail, Docs, Drive and Google Calendar
• Buyers who want AI features bundled with Google storage
• College students, who are offered a free year of the Pro plan

Microsoft Copilot

• People who already work in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Windows 11 users: the Copilot app comes installed on new PCs
• Households that want Office apps and cloud storage in the same plan

Gemini

• Paid tiers are Google AI plans that bundle storage and other Google services; no Gemini-only paid plan is listed.
• Google AI plans require age 18 or over, and features vary by region and platform.
• Google AI Ultra starts at $99.99 per month, and its 20x usage level costs $199.99 per month.
• The macOS desktop app requires Apple Silicon and macOS Sequoia (15.0) or later.

Microsoft Copilot

• The free version is subject to available capacity and limits, and the pricing page does not give the numbers.
• Researcher and Analyst are not available on Microsoft 365 Personal or Family; they need Premium at $19.99 a month or Pro.
• On Microsoft 365 Family, AI features are available only to the subscription owner and cannot be shared with other members.
• According to Wikipedia, Microsoft said in August 2026 it would merge the consumer and Microsoft 365 Copilot apps and remove Mico, Deep Research and group chats.

Gemini

Chat with Gemini models

The free plan includes the 3.6 Flash model and varying access to 3.1 Pro. Paid plans raise usage limits, from 2x on Plus to as much as 20x the Pro limits on Ultra.

Deep Research

A research tool that is included in the free plan, with higher access on the paid Google AI plans.

Gemini Live

Have a spoken conversation, switch between talking and typing, and show Gemini what you are looking at while you talk.

Image and video generation

Generate and edit images on every plan, and create or edit video by describing what you want. Paid plans include Google Flow credits.

Google app integration

Works with Gmail, Drive, Docs and Calendar, and paid plans add Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and Vids.

Desktop app

Apps for Windows and macOS open with a keyboard shortcut, accept voice dictation and can share your screen for answers that take it into account.

Microsoft Copilot

Chat with web-grounded answers

Helps with writing, brainstorming and summarizing in a chat, and gives real-time answers based on web search.

Voice and Vision

Spoken conversations, plus visual help from your screen or camera. Usage is standard on Personal and Family, higher on Premium and highest on Pro.

Image generation

Creates images inside Copilot. The allowance rises from standard usage on Personal and Family to extensive use on Premium and Pro.

Researcher and Analyst

Researcher finds and synthesizes information, and Analyst works through raw data. Both are unavailable on Personal and Family and included with Premium and Pro.

Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps

Paid plans add Copilot to the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps to draft, edit and summarize documents and email.

Cowork and model choice

Cowork takes on a multi-step project and returns finished files, and you can switch between OpenAI and Anthropic models. Microsoft notes some capabilities need specific licenses.

Gemini

• Free$0

  Access to 3.6 Flash, varying access to 3.1 Pro, image generation, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas and Gems, with 15 GB of storage.

• Google AI Plus$4.99

  per month

  2x higher usage than Free, 200 Google Flow credits, Gemini in Gmail and Vids, and 400 GB of storage.

• Google AI Pro$19.99

  per month

  4x higher usage than Free, 1,000 Flow credits, higher access to Gemini 3 Pro, Jules, Chrome auto browse, YouTube Premium Lite and 5 TB of storage.

• Google AI UltraFrom $99.99

  per month

  5x the usage limits of AI Pro at $99.99 or 20x at $199.99, with Deep Think, Project Genie, YouTube Premium and 20 TB or more of storage.

Microsoft Copilot

• Free$0

  Chat, web-grounded answers, image creation and voice, subject to available capacity and usage limits.

• Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99

  per month, or $99.99 per year

  For 1 person: higher Copilot usage than free, Copilot in the Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook desktop apps, and 1 TB of cloud storage.

• Microsoft 365 Family$12.99

  per month, or $129.99 per year

  Everything in Personal for 1 to 6 people, with 1 TB of storage each. Copilot AI features are for the subscription owner only.

• Microsoft 365 Premium$19.99

  per month, or $199.99 per year

  Extensive Copilot usage, the Researcher and Analyst agents, and limited usage of agentic AI.

• Microsoft 365 Pro$99.99

  per month, monthly billing only

  Everything in Premium with the highest usage limits for chat, agentic AI, voice and vision.

Gemini

• Education

  Free Pro plan for college students for a year

  Google's US subscriptions page says college students get a free Google AI Pro plan for one year, through its student offer.

Microsoft Copilot

• Annual discount

  Save up to 17% with yearly billing

  Microsoft's pricing page lists Personal at $99.99, Family at $129.99 and Premium at $199.99 per year, a saving of up to 17% against paying monthly. Pro is monthly only.

• Education

  Student offers on Microsoft 365

  Microsoft says eligible college students may qualify for discounted Microsoft 365 subscriptions, and some get free access through their school. Offers vary by institution and region.

• Other savings

  Microsoft Workplace Discount Program

  Microsoft offers savings on select Microsoft 365 subscriptions through eligible employers, using a valid work email address.