0.2Free Copilot vs Copilot 365: which to choose?
The essentials in 30 seconds
- One name, three offers: free Copilot (general-purpose chat, without your data), Copilot Pro (Office for personal accounts), Microsoft 365 Copilot (business licence, with your data via the Graph).
- Only Microsoft 365 Copilot works inside your tenant — your organisation's Microsoft 365 space — with the “enterprise data” commitment: nothing trains the models.
- The free version is enough for levels 0-1: learning to prompt needs no licence — and having Microsoft 365 does not automatically give you Copilot.
Threaded mini-case — Hicham identifies his setup in Algiers
Hicham, administrative assistant in Algiers, wants to follow this guide but does not know which version he has. He applies the icon test: he opens Word and looks for Copilot in the ribbon — no icon, so free version for now. Far from waiting, he starts levels 0-1 with the free chat (conversation, iteration, prompts), notes the 365 sections to practise later, and asks his manager whether the business licence is planned. He has his roadmap instead of a blocker.
Standalone case for this section: it returns in the lesson, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge of section 0.2.
1. Three offers behind one name
“Copilot” actually covers three different offers — the source of 90% of confusion. Free Copilot (web, Windows, mobile): a general-purpose chatbot with no access to your work data. Copilot Pro (personal subscription): AI in Office applications for personal accounts. Microsoft 365 Copilot (business licence, per user): full integration with your professional data via the Graph — the one that truly changes daily work. These three tiers target neither the same use nor the same security framework. Hicham sticks the three labels in his notebook first of all.
2. What each tier allows (and forbids)
Only Microsoft 365 Copilot accesses your files, emails and meetings, and works inside your tenant — your organisation's Microsoft 365 space where your data stays. It is the only tier covered by the “enterprise data” commitment: nothing trains the models. Free Copilot and Copilot Pro only work on what you type or paste. So never paste confidential company data into them: it would leave the protected contractual framework. Hicham makes it a non-negotiable personal rule, detailed in section 0.3.
3. How to follow this guide with your setup
Good news: most of levels 0-1 can already be practised with the free version — learning to prompt, converse and iterate needs no licence. The Excel, Teams and agent sections, by contrast, assume the 365 integration. The Microsoft 365 Copilot licence is added to the existing Microsoft 365 subscription: it is a business decision, often rolled out in waves (indicative amounts quoted in the documentation at the time of writing — check the current Microsoft price list with your IT department). Identify what you have before starting — everything else can be read and prepared. Hicham noted his situation: free today, 365 as the target.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Concrete example — The icon test in Word
Hicham wants to know which tier he has: he opens Word and looks for the Copilot icon in the ribbon.
No icon → free version only (web chat remains accessible).
Icon present but Copilot ignores the document → personal account (Pro).
Icon present AND Copilot reads the open document → Microsoft 365 Copilot deployed.Reading: in one minute, Hicham knows where he stands: it is the presence of the icon AND its reading of the document that proves the business licence.
Lesson: this diagnosis conditions the whole guide — what to practise today and what to prepare.
Section vocabulary
- Copilot (free)
- The general-purpose chatbot: web, Windows app, mobile. No link to your professional files and emails.
Simple example: Hicham learns to prompt there on neutral examples, with no licence.
What it is not: a version connected to company data.
Reflex: use it to learn, never for confidential material.
- Copilot Pro
- Personal subscription: Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook for personal accounts, with priority access to recent models.
Simple example: A freelancer drafts his personal quotes faster with it.
What it is not: the business licence connected to the organisation's tenant.
Reflex: reserve it for personal use, not employer data.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot
- The business licence (per user, on top of Microsoft 365): AI built into applications WITH your work data via the Graph, within tenant security.
Simple example: Once equipped, Hicham queries his files from Word and Teams.
What it is not: an automatic right included in every Microsoft 365 subscription.
Reflex: check the active icon AND file access before concluding.
- Tenant
- Your organisation's Microsoft 365 space: your data stays there — Microsoft 365 Copilot works inside this perimeter.
Simple example: Hicham's prompts at the office stay within his organisation's contractual framework.
What it is not: a simple shared folder or a public website.
Reflex: company data = only inside the tenant.
In practice — In practice — Identify your equipment tier
- Open Word (desktop or web): do you see the Copilot icon in the ribbon? If so, click it and ask a question, like Hicham.
- If Copilot answers based on the open document: you have Pro or 365. If not: free version only.
- In Teams, search for “Copilot” in the app search bar: its presence signals the business licence.
- Note your situation: it determines which sections of this guide you can practise directly (everything else can be read and prepared).
Ready-to-say script — asking your manager for the licence (30 s)
“I ran the icon test in Word: no active Copilot, so I am on the free version. It is enough for the fundamentals — conversation, prompts, iteration. For the rest of the guide (Excel, Teams, internal data), we will need the Microsoft 365 Copilot business licence, which is added to our subscription. Like Hicham, I suggest: I build skills on the free version, and we study deployment with the IT department.”
Say with the test result in front of you; never present the free version as a substitute for internal data.
Copy-paste template — test your tier with two prompts
Prompt 1 (works everywhere, even free):
Summarise in 5 bullets what the SMART method is, with an example for an administrative assistant.
Prompt 2 (tier test — in Word, open document):
Based on the open document, summarise it in 5 bullets with the key figures.
→ If it quotes the document content: Pro or 365. If it answers beside the point: free only.Free only
Hicham in Algiers, with no icon in Word: prompt 1 on repeat to calibrate his uses (definitions, plans, examples) — always on neutral content, never internal.
365 deployed
Active icon and document reading: Hicham replays prompt 2 on a real file, then verifies each bullet by opening the source passages.
Freelancer
Heavy document producer on a personal account: first test the free version thoroughly, then evaluate Copilot Pro — only after a real test on recurring tasks.
Awaiting deployment
Rollout planned in waves: Hicham reads the 365 sections without practising them, builds his prompt library, and stands ready for his wave.
✓ Best practices
- Test the free version intensively before paying: it is enough to learn prompting and calibrate your uses.
- Check with your IT department whether the Microsoft 365 Copilot licence is planned: it is a separate subscription from Microsoft 365.
- Identify your setup with the icon test before planning your journey through the guide.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Believing that having Microsoft 365 automatically gives you Copilot: they are two separate subscriptions.
- Pasting company data into free Copilot: it leaves the protected framework of the tenant.
- Waiting for a 365 rollout to start: levels 0-1 can already be practised in the free version.
Key takeaways
- 3 offers: free (general-purpose chat), Pro (personal Office), 365 (business + your data).
- Only Microsoft 365 Copilot accesses your files, emails and meetings — it is the one that transforms work.
- The free version is enough to learn prompting (level 0) and for many generic tasks.
- The Microsoft 365 Copilot licence is added to the Microsoft 365 subscription: it is a business decision, often rolled out in waves.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Run the icon test like Hicham (Word + Teams), note your actual tier, then run the two template prompts and record what each reveals.
- I can name the three offers and say which one I have.
- I ran the icon test in Word and noted my roadmap.
- I know why the free version must never see confidential data.
Frequently asked questions
My company has Microsoft 365: do I automatically have Copilot?
No. Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Teams…) and Microsoft 365 Copilot (the AI licence) are two separate subscriptions. The active Copilot icon in your applications with access to your files = the licence is deployed.
Is Copilot Pro worth the cost for a freelancer?
If you produce many documents/presentations with a personal Microsoft account, the time saved often justifies it. First test the free version intensively to calibrate your uses.
What does the name “Copilot” cover?