In short
How they differ.
Worked out from the makers' own pages, read Oct 20, 2026. Prices change; check before you pay.
- Only Microsoft Copilot has a free plan.
- Microsoft Copilot's cheapest paid plan is cheaper: $9.99 a month against $20.
- Both run on the same kinds of device (web, phone app, computer app).
Side by side
The details.
| Claude Research | Microsoft Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic · United States | Microsoft · United States |
| What it says it is | “With research, Claude investigates your question in depth.” | “Agentic AI features that get things done for you, including advanced research and analytics1” |
| Free plan | NoResearch is not on the Free plan (pricing table: Research "No" for Free). Available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. | YesFree Microsoft account: "Limited usage with a free Microsoft account". Advanced research is listed on Microsoft 365 Premium. |
| Plans | Free: freePro: $20 a monthMax 5x: $100 a monthTeam (standard seat): $25 a month | Free (Microsoft account): freeMicrosoft 365 Personal: $9.99 a monthMicrosoft 365 Family: $12.99 a monthMicrosoft 365 Premium: $19.99 a month |
| Runs on | web, desktop, iOS, Android | web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Latest update | Introducing Claude Haiku 5.5, Oct 7, 2026 | — |
| Its terms | “We may use your chats or coding sessions to improve our models, if:”What it does with your data · Anthropic Privacy Center: How do you use personal data in model training? | “If you are logged into Copilot with a Microsoft Account or other third-party authentication, you can control whether your conversation activity is used for training Microsoft's generative AI models.”What it does with your data · Microsoft Support: Privacy FAQ for Microsoft Copilot |
| Disputes | None on file | None on file |
| Sources | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported |
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