Overview
This post compares Copilot vs ChatGPT for UK businesses that use Microsoft 365 and Business Central in 2026. It names a winner in seven areas, so you can see where each tool fits best.
Key Takeaways
- Copilot is usually the better default for Microsoft 365 and Business Central users, because it works inside the tools your team already uses.
- ChatGPT Business and Enterprise can now connect to Outlook, Teams and SharePoint, and to Business Central through its MCP server.
- “Copilot” is several products with different costs, so check which one you mean before you compare prices.
- Both vendors say they do not train their models on business workspace content by default, but you should still check each vendor’s terms.
- Copilot wins four of our seven areas, ChatGPT wins one, and two are ties.
- Many businesses use both, with clear rules about which data goes where.
Copilot vs ChatGPT: What Has Changed since 2025
The original post gave Copilot the win in almost every category. Both products have moved on since then, so we rechecked each claim.
We removed the line that “studies show” 30 to 40% time savings, because it named no source. Claims that ChatGPT cannot reach your email, meetings or ERP also came out. OpenAI now offers connectors to Outlook, Teams and SharePoint, and Microsoft documents how ChatGPT can connect to Business Central.
Which Copilot Do You Mean?
The word Copilot covers several products. They differ in what they can see and what they cost, so this table separates them.
| Product | What it does | Cost and licensing |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat | Web-grounded chat with enterprise data protection | Included at no additional cost with eligible Microsoft 365 subscriptions |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | AI in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, grounded in your work data | Paid per-user add-on, so check Microsoft’s current price |
| Copilot in Business Central | Chat, analysis, summaries and agents inside Business Central online | Included in your licence at no extra cost today, but agents use consumption billing |
| ChatGPT Business or Enterprise | General AI assistant with connectors to Microsoft apps | Separate per-seat subscription from OpenAI |
Microsoft states that Copilot Chat is available at no additional cost to Entra ID users with an eligible subscription, on its Microsoft 365 pricing page. Prices change often, so we do not quote figures here.
Key Comparison Areas
We compare the two across seven areas and name a winner in each. Our verdicts reflect UK businesses that already run Microsoft 365 and Business Central, so a different business may weigh them differently.
1. Microsoft 365 Integration
Microsoft Copilot: It works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. It grounds answers in your documents, emails and meetings, so your team gets help without leaving the apps they use.
ChatGPT: OpenAI’s business plans offer apps for Outlook email, Outlook calendar, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, according to its admin guide. It works well, but it sits outside the Microsoft apps and needs admin set-up.
Winner: Microsoft Copilot. Native integration means less set-up and a smoother daily experience.
2. Business Central Data and Tasks
Microsoft Copilot: Copilot works inside Business Central online, so it answers questions, analyses lists and drafts content. Agents such as the Sales Order Agent and Payables Agent handle defined tasks. Our posts on Chat with Copilot and the Sales Order Agent explain more.
ChatGPT: ChatGPT can connect through the Business Central MCP server, which Microsoft says supports clients such as ChatGPT. A developer registers an app in Microsoft Entra, and you choose which API pages to expose. Read the setup guide if you want the detail.
Winner: Microsoft Copilot. It works out of the box inside the product and inherits each user’s permissions, while ChatGPT needs a technical set-up.
3. Creative Work and Brainstorming
Microsoft Copilot: Copilot drafts content from your own documents and brand voice, which helps when you want consistency.
ChatGPT: ChatGPT is popular for ideation, campaign concepts and open-ended writing, and many marketing teams prefer its flexibility.
Winner: ChatGPT. In our experience, creative teams often like its open-ended style, although this is a matter of taste.
4. Security and Compliance
Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft says Copilot works within your Microsoft 365 permissions and enterprise data protection. In Business Central, Copilot inherits each user’s data permissions, and Microsoft says it does not train models on your data without permission.
ChatGPT: OpenAI states that, by default, it does not train its models on ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu workspace content, including connected apps. But data sent to non-synced apps follows that provider’s own terms.
Winner: Microsoft Copilot, by a small margin. It uses the permissions and admin tools you already run. Both vendors offer strong business protections, so check each against your own policies. Our post on Business Central security explains the basics.
5. Cost
Microsoft Copilot: Copilot Chat and Copilot in Business Central cost nothing extra today, but the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on is paid. Business Central agents use Copilot Credits with consumption billing.
ChatGPT: ChatGPT Business and Enterprise are separate per-seat subscriptions. Some teams use the paid plan only for creative staff.
Winner: It’s a tie. Total cost depends on which Copilot you buy and how many people need each tool. Ask for written quotes before you decide.
6. Administration and Scale
Microsoft Copilot: IT manages Copilot through the Microsoft admin tools and Entra identities that already run your tenant. That keeps one set of controls.
ChatGPT: IT manages ChatGPT in a separate workspace with its own admin console. That adds a second system to govern, although it also lets you restrict which apps staff can use.
Winner: Microsoft Copilot. One admin plane is simpler than two.
7. Agents and Automation
Microsoft Copilot: Business Central agents run defined tasks in the background and involve reviewers at key steps. They run on Business Central online only. Our guide to agents in Microsoft Copilot covers the idea, and our post on agentic AI in ERP covers the risks.
ChatGPT: ChatGPT offers its own agent features and apps. Through MCP, it can act on Business Central data you expose, within the permissions you allow.
Winner: It’s a tie. Both are moving fast, so test each on your own processes, and keep human review on for anything that changes data.
Scorecard: Copilot vs ChatGPT
Microsoft Copilot wins four of the seven areas: Microsoft 365 integration, Business Central, security and administration. ChatGPT wins creative work, and cost and agents are ties.
Treat the count as a guide, because your own priorities carry more weight. A marketing-led team may weigh creativity more heavily than administration.
When ChatGPT Is the Right Choice
ChatGPT suits some situations better. Consider it if your team does a lot of creative writing and ideation, or if you want one AI tool across several non-Microsoft systems.
- Your business has little Microsoft investment beyond email.
- Marketing and content teams want open-ended brainstorming.
- You want a single assistant that connects to many different tools.
In those cases, you can still use Copilot for Business Central work, because the two tools are not mutually exclusive.
Using Both Safely
Many businesses end up with both tools, so a short policy prevents mistakes.
- Decide which data may go into each tool, and write it down.
- Keep customer, financial and personal data in the tool your IT team controls best.
- Switch on only the connected apps that staff need.
- Keep human review on for any output that changes records or reaches customers.
- Review usage and costs every quarter.
UK GDPR applies to personal data in either tool. Check your data processing terms with each vendor.
What This Means for Your Business
For most UK businesses on Microsoft 365 and Business Central, Copilot is the sensible starting point. It costs little to try, it sits inside the tools your team uses, and it respects your existing permissions.
Add ChatGPT where it clearly helps, such as creative work. Our posts on ten ways Copilot helps SMEs and the Copilot capabilities page show where to start.
Get Help Choosing Your AI Tools
Tecvia helps UK businesses switch Copilot on safely, connect AI tools to Business Central and set sensible rules. Get in touch with Tecvia to book a free review of your AI options.
You can also explore our Business Central features, learn how our implementation approach works, or visit our page for IT Directors and Managers. See how Business Central supports your sector. We serve Manufacturing and Engineering, Food and Beverage, Distribution and Wholesale, Life Sciences, and Medical Devices and Technology businesses.
FAQs
For businesses on Microsoft 365 and Business Central, Copilot is usually the better default, because it works inside the tools your team already uses. ChatGPT is strong for creative work and open-ended tasks. Many businesses use both.
Yes. Microsoft says the Business Central MCP server supports non-Microsoft clients such as ChatGPT. A developer registers an app in Microsoft Entra, and you choose which API pages to expose. By default, access is read-only, so changes need extra permissions.
Yes, on business plans. OpenAI lists apps for Outlook email, Outlook calendar, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint for ChatGPT Business and Enterprise. Administrators control which apps staff can use, so you can limit exposure.
Microsoft includes Copilot in your Business Central licence at no extra cost today, and it may introduce quotas or pricing later. Agents such as the Sales Order Agent use Copilot Credits with consumption billing.
Microsoft 365 Copilot works in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, and it is a paid add-on. Copilot in Business Central works inside the ERP, and it comes with your licence. They are separate products.
Both vendors state that they do not train models on business workspace data by default. Copilot also works within your existing permissions. You remain responsible under UK GDPR, so write a clear policy about what data goes into each tool.
No. Microsoft states that Copilot and agents in Business Central are available only to online customers. The MCP server also applies to Business Central online.
You can, if you set clear rules. Use Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Business Central work, and use ChatGPT where it clearly adds value, such as creative tasks. Review usage and costs every quarter.
