AI Assistants & Chatbots

Microsoft Copilot vs Perplexity

Both are ai assistants & chatbots. The short answer: choose Microsoft Copilot if you are windows and Microsoft 365 users; choose Perplexity if you are research questions that need cited sources.

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Microsoft Copilot logo Microsoft CopilotPerplexity logo Perplexity
Best forWindows and Microsoft 365 usersResearch questions that need cited sources
Free planYesYes
PricingSee providerSee provider
Built for IndiaGlobalGlobal
CategoriesAI Assistants & ChatbotsAI Assistants & Chatbots, AI Research & Productivity Tools
Strengths
  • Free consumer version
  • Works inside Office on paid plans
  • Answers come with citations
  • Good for quick research
Watch out for
  • Business features depend on licence
  • Citations still need checking
  • Less suited to long-form drafting
Visit Microsoft CopilotVisit Perplexity

Which should you choose?

Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft's AI assistant, available on the web, Windows and inside Microsoft 365 apps on eligible plans.

Perplexity: AI answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources.

The best way to decide is to run the same week of real work through both — most offer a free plan or trial — and compare how long tasks take, what your team prefers, and the total cost for your number of users including renewal pricing.

Not sure either fits? See all ai assistants & chatbots compared.