If your company runs on Microsoft 365, the AI assistant on offer is Microsoft 365 Copilot. If it runs on Google Workspace, it is Gemini. Very few companies switch suites to get a different assistant, so the real questions are usually: what does ours do, what does it cost, and is it worth paying for?
What both can do
- Email: summarise a long thread, draft a reply in your tone, suggest what to do next.
- Documents: write a first draft from a few notes, rewrite a section, summarise a long file.
- Spreadsheets: explain a sheet, suggest formulas, spot trends.
- Presentations: build a first set of slides from a document.
- Meetings: take notes, list decisions and action items, catch up someone who joined late.
- Chat with your own files: answer questions using the documents and email you already have access to.
Neither replaces judgement. Both write confident first drafts that still need a person to check facts, numbers and tone before anything goes to a client.
Both respect your existing permissions: they only use content the person asking is allowed to see. That makes tidying up sharing settings a good first step before switching either on.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Copilot Chat, at no extra cost. Microsoft gives Copilot Chat to users with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription. It is a secure AI chat that answers using the web, protected by your Microsoft 365 security settings. Agents are available on a pay-as-you-go basis.
- The paid licence adds Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, answers grounded in your work data (mail, files, meetings, chats), and ready-made agents such as Researcher and Analyst.
- Prices in India (Microsoft’s own list, checked 1 October 2026): Microsoft 365 Copilot Business as an add-on is listed at ₹1,745 per user per month on a yearly plan, with a promotional price shown of about ₹1,496. Bundles are listed at ₹1,955 (Business Standard with Copilot) and ₹2,660 (Business Premium with Copilot) per user per month, yearly. These Business plans are for up to 300 users. Larger companies use the enterprise licence, listed at US$30 per user per month.
- You choose who gets it. Copilot is licensed per person, so you can give it to the 20 people who will use it most and leave the rest on Copilot Chat.
Gemini in Google Workspace
- Included in the plan price. Since early 2025, Google includes Gemini in its Business and Enterprise plans instead of selling it as a separate add-on. The plan prices went up when this happened.
- Business Starter gets limited Gemini: the Gemini app, plus Gemini in Gmail and Vids.
- Business Standard, Plus and Enterprise get expanded access: Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Meet, Chat and Vids, more notebook-style research on your own sources, and custom assistants called Gems.
- Everyone on the plan has it. Because it is part of the plan, you can’t buy it for some people only, but you also don’t pay extra for it.
Side by side
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | Gemini in Google Workspace | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Copilot Chat with eligible Microsoft 365 plans | Limited Gemini on Business Starter |
| Full features | Paid licence per user | Included from Business Standard up |
| Who gets it | Only the users you license | Everyone on the plan |
| Works inside | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams | Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Meet, Chat |
| Custom assistants | Agents | Gems |
Which one should you use?
In practice, the one that comes with your suite. Moving thousands of mailboxes and files to change AI assistant rarely makes sense. The useful questions are different:
- On Microsoft 365: who should get a paid Copilot licence, and who is fine with Copilot Chat?
- On Google Workspace Business Starter: would moving some or all users to Business Standard pay for itself in time saved?
- On either: are your sharing settings tidy enough that the assistant won’t surface files people shouldn’t see?
Good first uses by role
| Role | Where an assistant usually helps most |
|---|---|
| Sales | Follow-up emails after calls, proposal first drafts, catching up on long client threads |
| Finance | Explaining spreadsheets, summarising variances, drafting month-end notes |
| Operations and HR | Policy drafts, meeting notes and action lists, answering “where is the latest version of…” |
| Management | Summaries of long documents and threads before a decision |
An example: a 40-person company on Microsoft 365
Everyone already has Copilot Chat. After a four-week trial, the 12 people in sales and finance save the most time, so only they get Microsoft 365 Copilot Business. At Microsoft’s Indian list price of ₹1,745 per user per month on a yearly plan, that is about ₹20,940 a month before GST, instead of about ₹69,800 for all 40. The other 28 keep Copilot Chat and can be added later if their use grows.
What Copilot costs your team
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business at Microsoft’s India list price, ₹1,745 per person per month on a yearly plan, before GST.
Run a fair trial
- Pick 10 to 20 people from different roles: sales, finance, operations, management.
- Pick five real tasks each person does weekly, such as a client follow-up email, a monthly report or meeting notes.
- Measure for four weeks: minutes saved per task, and how often people still use it in week four, not just week one.
- Ask the team what they stopped using it for, and why.
- Decide by role. Usually a few roles get large gains and others very little. License accordingly.
Where DevOps TechLab fits
We sell every Microsoft 365 plan, usually below list price, and we are a Select partner for Google Workspace. That means we can help on either side: license Copilot for the right people, move Google Workspace users to the plan that includes the Gemini features they need, tidy up sharing before you switch on, and set up a four-week trial with real measures.
Questions people ask
Is Microsoft 365 Copilot free?
Copilot Chat is available at no extra cost for users with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription. Copilot inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, grounded in your work data, needs a paid licence.
How much does Copilot cost in India?
On Microsoft’s Indian site (checked 1 October 2026), Microsoft 365 Copilot Business is listed at ₹1,745 per user per month on a yearly plan, with a promotional price of about ₹1,496. Business Standard with Copilot is ₹1,955 and Business Premium with Copilot is ₹2,660 per user per month, yearly.
Is Gemini included in Google Workspace?
Yes. Since early 2025 Gemini is included in Google Workspace Business and Enterprise plans. Business Starter gets limited features; Business Standard and above get Gemini across Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive and Meet.
Can we give Copilot to only some users?
Yes. Copilot is licensed per user, so you can license the people who will use it most.
Do these assistants see files people shouldn’t?
They only use content the person asking already has access to. If sharing settings are too open, the assistant can surface files more easily, so review permissions first.
Want to know if Copilot or Gemini is worth it for your team?
We will set up a four-week trial with real tasks and real measures, and quote the licences you actually need.