Microsoft Copilot Alternatives: Picks by Why You're Leaving

The best Microsoft Copilot alternative depends on why Copilot isn't working for you. If your company runs on Google Workspace, Gemini is already in your subscription. If you want one assistant that works no matter where your files live, Claude or ChatGPT Business fit better. If the real problem is finding things across dozens of apps, look at Glean. And if your data can't leave your machine, run an open model locally with LM Studio or Ollama.

Here's the short version:

• You're a Google Workspace shop: Gemini in Google Workspace.
• You want a standalone assistant, not one tied to Office: Claude or ChatGPT Business.
• You need answers across Slack, Jira, Salesforce and the rest, not just Microsoft 365: Glean.
• Your team's docs and projects live in Notion: Notion AI.
• Privacy is the deal-breaker: LM Studio or Ollama on your own hardware.
• You came here for coding help: that's GitHub Copilot, a different product. Our GitHub Copilot alternatives guide covers it.

Which Copilot this post is about

This guide covers Microsoft's work Copilot: the assistant in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, plus the Copilot app. Microsoft's naming has moved around, so it helps to pin it down.

According to Microsoft's Copilot overview, there are now several tiers:

Microsoft also renamed the Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat app to Microsoft Copilot Chat, and its primary URL is moving to copilot.cloud.microsoft. If an older article says "Microsoft 365 Copilot," it means the same product.

Why people look for Microsoft Copilot alternatives

Most people who search for a Copilot alternative fall into one of five groups:

1. They aren't on Microsoft 365. Copilot's main strength is reading your tenant. If your mail and files sit in Google Workspace, that strength doesn't apply.
2. Per-seat cost. Microsoft's license options page says Copilot comes with Microsoft 365 E7 or as an add-on for eligible plans. For smaller companies, Microsoft Copilot Business is an add-on for up to 300 users with an annual commitment. Either way, it's a license on top of the license you already pay for.
3. They want a standalone assistant. Some people want the same assistant whether they're in a browser, a desktop app or a terminal, with files from anywhere.
4. Their knowledge isn't in Microsoft 365. Copilot reads Microsoft Graph well. Company knowledge that lives in Slack, Confluence, GitHub or a CRM needs a wider net.
5. Privacy and residency. Some teams can't send certain data to any cloud model at all.

One thing that's not a good reason anymore: wanting Claude. Microsoft's own docs on Claude models from Anthropic in Microsoft Online Services say Claude models are on by default for most commercial cloud customers, in Microsoft Copilot, Researcher, Copilot Studio and Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps. The exceptions are the EU/EFTA and UK, where they're off by default and an admin can opt in. If you only want Claude's writing, check your admin settings before you switch tools. Our Claude vs Microsoft Copilot comparison goes deeper on that overlap.

Quick comparison

Gemini in Google Workspace: for Google shops

If your company is on Google Workspace, you may already have a Copilot equivalent. Google's admin help center says Gemini AI features are now included in Google Workspace Business and Enterprise editions. They used to be sold as separate Gemini add-ons, which are no longer available to buy.

What's included depends on your edition, but the highlights Google lists are:

• Gemini in the side panel of Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Chat
• "Help me write" in Gmail and Docs
• "Take notes for me" in Meet
• The Gemini app, with Gems for repeatable tasks
• Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) for asking questions about your own sources

Good fit: any team whose email and files are in Google. Switching from Microsoft 365 just to get a better assistant rarely makes sense, but if you're already on Workspace, start here before buying anything.

Claude: a standalone assistant that reads Microsoft 365 too

Claude is the pick if you want one assistant that isn't tied to an office suite. You use it on the web, desktop and mobile, and you bring context to it through uploads or connectors.

The detail most comparisons miss is that Claude can read Microsoft 365 as well. Anthropic's help center explains how to set up the Microsoft 365 connector: once a Microsoft Entra admin grants consent, people can search SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams from Claude. Admins can also turn on write tools that let Claude send email, manage calendar events, create files and post Teams messages. The connector is available on every Claude plan.

So the choice isn't always "Microsoft 365 or Claude." Some teams keep Microsoft 365 for mail and files and use Claude as the assistant on top.

Good fit: people who write, analyze and code in the same tool, and teams whose files are split across Microsoft 365, Google Drive and local folders.

ChatGPT Business: the other standalone option

ChatGPT Business is OpenAI's team plan. OpenAI's business page describes a shared workspace with company context, flexible seats and admin controls for users, usage and billing. It also says business data isn't used to train OpenAI's models, and lists SSO and multi-factor authentication. Enterprise features such as SCIM, role-based access and data residency go through sales.

If your team already uses ChatGPT on personal accounts, moving them into a Business workspace is often the shortest path to a governed setup.

Good fit: teams that already live in ChatGPT and want admin controls without moving to Microsoft 365.

Glean: when the problem is finding things

Copilot is strong inside Microsoft 365 and weaker outside it. Glean is built for the opposite case. It positions itself as enterprise AI grounded in company context, with more than 250 connectors, an assistant, enterprise search and an agent builder. It also routes requests across a hub of models, so you aren't tied to one AI provider.

The trade-off is that Glean is an enterprise purchase with a sales process, not something a small team switches on in an afternoon. If you're comparing it against other search tools, our Glean alternatives guide covers the field.

Good fit: mid-size and large companies where knowledge is spread across many SaaS tools.

Notion AI: when your work already lives in Notion

If your docs, wikis and projects are in Notion, Notion AI may cover what you wanted from Copilot. Notion's AI page highlights enterprise search with citations, AI meeting notes and agents. On the Business plan, the Notion Agent can complete multi-step tasks using context from Notion, connected apps and the web, and Custom Agents can run repetitive tasks on their own.

It won't help much with work that happens in Outlook or Excel, though. It's an alternative for Notion-first teams, not a general replacement.

Good fit: startups and teams that run on Notion and live in it more than in Office.

LM Studio and Ollama: when data can't leave the machine

Every option above sends your prompts to a cloud model. If that's off the table, run an open model on your own hardware.

• LM Studio is a desktop app for running local models, now with an agent called Bionic that can create and edit documents. LM Studio says its own cloud services are zero data retention, and local models never need them.
• Ollama runs open models locally or in its cloud, and says prompts are never stored or trained on.

You give up Copilot's tenant grounding and some model quality, and you take on the hardware. But for sensitive drafts, contracts or internal data, local is the strongest privacy guarantee there is.

Good fit: privacy-sensitive individuals and teams with capable machines and someone willing to manage the setup.

How to choose a Microsoft Copilot alternative

Work through these in order:

1. Where do your mail and files live? Google Workspace means Gemini first. Microsoft 365 means Copilot is still the default, and the question is whether to add or swap.
2. Is your problem the assistant or the search? If people can't find things across tools, Glean. If they want a better writing and analysis partner, Claude or ChatGPT Business.
3. Is it cost? Count who actually uses Copilot every week. Copilot Chat (Basic) is included with eligible Microsoft 365 licenses, so light users may not need the add-on at all.
4. Is it the model? If someone wants Claude, check whether your tenant already has Claude models turned on inside Copilot.
5. Is it privacy? Local models with LM Studio or Ollama, accepting the trade-offs.
6. Are you building agents rather than chatting? That's Copilot Studio's territory. See our Copilot Studio alternatives guide instead.

Whichever assistant you land on, the same gap tends to show up. You get a good answer, then rebuild the same prompt and setup next week. Taku is an AI-native desktop workspace where you can mirror an AI app or workflow someone already got working, run it on your own files, and keep it for next time. Taku is in Beta, and the Mac app is available now.

FAQ

What is the best alternative to Microsoft Copilot?

For Google Workspace companies, Gemini in Google Workspace, since it's included in Business and Enterprise editions. For a standalone assistant, Claude or ChatGPT Business. For search across many apps, Glean. There isn't one winner, because Copilot's main strength is reading your Microsoft 365 data, and the best alternative depends on where your data lives.

Is Microsoft Copilot free?

Copilot Chat (Basic) is included with eligible Microsoft 365 licenses and works mostly with web data. Grounding in your email, files and meetings needs the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on license, or Microsoft 365 E7, which includes it. Check Microsoft's licensing pages for what your plan includes.

Can I use Claude inside Microsoft Copilot?

Often, yes. Microsoft turns Claude models on by default for most commercial cloud customers, in Microsoft Copilot, Researcher, Copilot Studio and Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps. In the EU/EFTA and UK they're off by default and an admin can opt in. They aren't available in GCC High, DoD or other sovereign clouds.

Is Microsoft Copilot the same as GitHub Copilot?

No. Microsoft Copilot is the work assistant in Microsoft 365. GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant for developers. They share a brand, not a product.

What's a Microsoft Copilot alternative for privacy?

Run an open model locally with LM Studio or Ollama, so prompts never leave your machine. If you need a cloud assistant, compare each vendor's data-use terms. OpenAI, for example, says ChatGPT Business data isn't used for training.