Claude vs ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot
Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot side by side: free plans, paid plans, coding agents and where each one fits.
Claude and ChatGPT have free plans, and each has a plan near $20 a month: Claude Pro and ChatGPT Plus. Microsoft's Copilot plan page mentions a free tier but does not describe it; its plan near $20 is Microsoft 365 Premium. Claude and ChatGPT sell the assistant on its own, while Copilot comes with Microsoft 365 and works inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Claude Code comes with Claude Pro and up, Codex comes with every ChatGPT plan, and GitHub Copilot is a separate coding product. Our advice: pick on the apps you already use, because none of the three vendors publishes a head-to-head test.
Good for
- People choosing one AI assistant to pay for
- Microsoft 365 users wondering if Copilot is enough
- Developers who want a coding agent in the same plan
- Teams comparing plans before a rollout
Side by side
Use Copilot if you live in Microsoft 365, Claude or ChatGPT if you want the assistant itself and a coding agent in the same plan. US prices, as of November 2026.
| Option | Claude | ChatGPT | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, limited | Yes | Not described on plan page |
| Cheapest paid plan | Pro, $20/mo | Go, $8/mo | Microsoft 365 Personal, $9.99/mo |
| About $20 plan | Pro, $20/mo | Plus, $20/mo | Microsoft 365 Premium, $19.99/mo |
| Top personal plan | Ultra, $200/mo | Pro, to $500/mo | Microsoft 365 Pro, $99.99/mo |
| Coding agent included | Claude Code, Pro and up | Codex, all plans | GitHub Copilot, separate plans |
| Task agent | Cowork | ChatGPT Work | Cowork |
Which to pick
Our advice: if you use Microsoft 365 all day, start with Copilot. If you want an assistant plus a coding agent, try the free plans of Claude and ChatGPT with the same task, then pay for one.
The main limit: the three plans measure usage differently, so a $20 plan buys different amounts of work on each.
Best for
- Claude: people who want Claude Code and Claude models in one plan
- ChatGPT: people who want Codex and a low-cost $8 Go plan
- Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft 365 users who work in Word, Excel and Outlook all day
- Claude and ChatGPT: anyone who wants to start on a free plan
Skip it if
- Claude: you want a free coding agent, since Claude Code starts at Pro
- Microsoft Copilot: you want a coding agent in the same plan, since GitHub Copilot is a separate subscription
- ChatGPT: you need exact message caps, since OpenAI says usage depends on the task
Questions
Which is best: Claude, ChatGPT or Copilot?
None wins outright. The vendors publish no head-to-head test, and the right one depends on your tools. Copilot fits Microsoft 365 users, while Claude and ChatGPT fit people who want a general assistant and a coding agent.
Are they free?
Claude and ChatGPT each have a free plan with limits. Claude Free has limited usage every 5 hours and every week, and Claude Code is not included. ChatGPT Free lists a limited Codex in the desktop app, subject to rollout. Microsoft's plan page says its paid plans give higher usage than free but does not describe a free plan or its limits (checked November 2026).
How much do they cost?
Claude Pro is $20 a month ($17 billed yearly), Max $100 and Ultra $200. ChatGPT is Go $8, Plus $20 and Pro from $100 up to $500. Microsoft 365 Personal is $9.99, Premium $19.99 and Pro $99.99 a month (all checked November 2026).
What is the difference between Copilot and GitHub Copilot?
They are separate products. Microsoft Copilot is the assistant in Microsoft 365. GitHub Copilot is a coding tool with Free, Pro ($10), Pro+ ($39) and Max ($100) plans a month. GitHub's plans page lists Claude Code and Codex as third-party agents, and its feature table marks delegating tasks to them (Preview) as Pro+ and Max only. See Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot.
Can they connect to my other apps?
Claude and ChatGPT both connect to outside tools through MCP servers. Claude calls them custom connectors, and OpenAI builds them into plugins for ChatGPT and Codex. See what an MCP connector is.
Which one includes a coding agent?
Claude Code comes with Claude Pro and up, not Free. Codex comes with every ChatGPT plan, limited on Free and Go. GitHub Copilot, the Copilot coding tool, is a separate subscription. See Claude Code vs Codex.
Where is Gemini in this comparison?
Gemini is Google's assistant, with Google AI Plus at $4.99, AI Pro at $19.99 and AI Ultra from $99.99 a month in the US (checked November 2026). For coding tools, see Claude vs Gemini for coding. For a two-way view, see Claude vs ChatGPT.
Is Claude Code part of the Claude plan?
Yes, on Pro, Max and Ultra. Claude Free does not include it. Claude Code runs in the terminal, IDE extensions, a desktop app and the web.
Information
updated Nov 3, 2026
- Made by
- Anthropic
- Connector directory
- claude.ai/directory
Sources
Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.
Show all 8Hide
- Claude plans and pricing · claude.com
- ChatGPT and Codex pricing · learn.chatgpt.com
- Microsoft Copilot plans for individuals · microsoft.com
- GitHub Copilot plans · github.com
- Google AI plans · gemini.google
- Get started with custom connectors using remote MCP · support.claude.com
- OpenAI: Model Context Protocol · developers.openai.com
- Claude Code overview · code.claude.com