The short verdict
If your business runs on Microsoft 365, Copilot is the most natural way to add AI — it works inside the apps and files your team already uses, under your existing security settings.
Our Microsoft 365 Copilot review
Microsoft 365 Copilot puts an assistant inside Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams. Its real strength is grounding: it can draw on your emails, meetings, chats and SharePoint files (respecting existing permissions) to draft replies, summarise a missed Teams meeting or turn a Word proposal into a PowerPoint deck.
Copilot Chat is available to Microsoft 365 business users at no extra cost, which is an easy place to start. The paid Copilot licence adds the in-app, work-data-grounded features. Small businesses should trial it with the people who spend most time in email and meetings, where the return is clearest.
Because it runs within the Microsoft 365 service boundary, Copilot inherits your tenant's compliance, retention and data-residency settings — a big plus for regulated UK firms. The flip side: if your SharePoint permissions are messy, Copilot will surface documents people technically had access to but never found. Tidy permissions first.
What we like
- Works inside Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams
- Grounded in your own emails, files and meetings
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance
- Free Copilot Chat tier for business users
Watch out for
- Paid licence is expensive for very small teams
- Excel features work best with well-structured tables
- Exposes poor file-permission hygiene
Key features
- Teams meeting recap
- Outlook drafting & summaries
- Word and PowerPoint generation
- Excel analysis
- Copilot agents
- Microsoft Purview compliance
UK business & GDPR notes
Inherits Microsoft 365 compliance and data-residency controls, including UK datacentre options. Audit SharePoint permissions before rollout.
Microsoft 365 Copilot pricing (UK)
| Entry paid plan | Add-on ~£18–£25/user/mo |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Notes | Copilot Chat included with Microsoft 365 business plans; full Copilot is a paid add-on. |
Indicative pricing, may exclude VAT. Last reviewed 24 September 2026 — confirm on the vendor's site.