Copilot vs ChatGPT for Small Business: Which One Should You Pay For?
Copilot or ChatGPT for a small Canadian business? A plain comparison of where each fits, what your data needs, and how to pick before you buy licences.
If your team lives in Outlook, Excel and Teams, start with Microsoft 365 Copilot. It works inside those apps and on the files people already have access to.[1]
If your work is spread across lots of tools, or you need one flexible AI workspace for writing, analysis and research, start with ChatGPT Business.[2]
Either way, pick one real task first and test both on it. The tool that does that task better, with less fuss, wins.
Comparison at a glance
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | ChatGPT Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Best starting fit | Teams already working in Microsoft 365 | Teams that want one AI workspace across many tools |
| Where it works | Inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams[1] | Its own workspace, with connectors to apps like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Slack[2] |
| What it can see | Microsoft 365 data the user already has permission to see[1] | What you upload or connect |
| Training on your data | Microsoft says prompts, responses and Microsoft Graph data are not used to train foundation models[1] | OpenAI says business data is not used for training by default[4] |
| What you need first | A qualifying Microsoft 365 plan plus the Copilot add-on[6] | At least two users on the Business plan[2] |
| Price per user per month (checked November 5, 2026) | CAD $24.43 for the Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on, paid yearly. That is a first-year promotional price; the listed regular price is CAD $28.50.[6] | $20 per Standard seat billed annually, or $25 billed monthly. OpenAI's pricing page shows no currency code and no Canadian price.[2] |
This table sums up official vendor descriptions. It is not a security review or legal advice.
Pick Copilot if...
- Your team spends the day in Outlook, Excel and Teams.
- Your files already live in SharePoint and OneDrive.
- You already pay for a Microsoft 365 business plan that qualifies for Copilot.
- You want AI inside the apps, not in another tab.
One warning. Copilot respects your permissions. If people can already open folders they shouldn't, Copilot will find those files faster. Clean that up first.[1]
Pick ChatGPT if...
- Your work runs across Google Workspace, Slack, your CRM and other tools.
- You need strong writing, research and analysis in one place.
- Different people need different things, and one flexible tool beats one built into an office suite.
- You want custom GPTs for repeat jobs, like quoting or proposal drafts.
What about Claude?
Claude Team is a solid choice for long documents, careful writing and analysis, and it also connects to Microsoft 365 and other tools.[3] Anthropic says it does not train on business inputs by default.[5] Test it on the same task if writing quality matters most to you.
The mistake I see most
Buying licences before picking the job.
Picture it. You buy seats for the whole team. Two people use them. Everyone else is back to the old way by month end.
The tool was never the problem. Nobody picked the first job or showed the team how to do it.
So flip the order:
- Pick one task that eats hours every week.
- Test Copilot and ChatGPT on that task, with real (safe) files.
- Buy seats for the people who do that task.
- Train them on it.
Data and privacy for Canadian businesses
- Use business plans, not personal accounts. Personal plans have weaker admin controls.
- Check your permissions before turning on Copilot.
- Write down what never goes into any AI tool: health information, banking details, anything a client asked you to keep private.
- Read the vendor's data page for the plan you buy. Settings change.
More: Is it safe to put customer or employee data into ChatGPT?
Already bought Copilot and nobody uses it?
That is a training problem, and it is fixable. See Microsoft Copilot training for small business teams.
Frequently asked questions
Is Copilot the same as ChatGPT?
No. Both use large language models, but Microsoft 365 Copilot is built into Microsoft's apps and works on your Microsoft 365 data. ChatGPT is OpenAI's own workspace.
Can a small business use both?
Yes, and some do. Start with one so the team builds a habit, then add the second only for jobs the first can't handle.
Which one is cheaper?
Check the current prices in the table above. The bigger cost is usually seats nobody uses.
Which one is safer?
Both business plans say they don't train on your business data by default. The bigger risk is your own setup: loose permissions and personal accounts.
Talk to Steve
Not sure which to buy, or already paying for licences nobody opens? Book a free 15-minute call. I'll tell you which one fits the job.
Talk to Steve16 years in corporate sales, 10 at Pfizer. Now I help owners put AI to work on real jobs.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn, “Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot,” updated July 9, 2026. learn.microsoft.com
- OpenAI, “ChatGPT Plans and Pricing,” Business & Enterprise tab, accessed November 5, 2026. chatgpt.com
- Anthropic, “What is the Team plan?” Claude Help Center, accessed July 17, 2026. support.anthropic.com
- OpenAI, “Business data privacy, security, and compliance,” accessed July 17, 2026. openai.com
- Anthropic Privacy Center, “Is my data used for model training?” updated March 16, 2026. privacy.anthropic.com
- Microsoft Canada, “Microsoft Copilot pricing” for business, accessed November 5, 2026. microsoft.com