Key takeaways
- ChatGPT is OpenAI's standalone assistant; Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft's assistant built into Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365, largely on OpenAI models.
- Use Copilot for work inside Microsoft 365 and ChatGPT for broad standalone tasks; many people use both.
- Copilot can feel weaker when it lacks context or uses a faster model; give it the file or meeting and a precise request.
- In Teams meetings, Copilot works from the live transcript, so transcription must be on for most features.
- Meeting recordings and transcripts are stored in Microsoft 365 under your organisation's policies, typically with the organiser's storage.
ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are both AI assistants, and Copilot runs largely on OpenAI's GPT models, but they are different products: ChatGPT is OpenAI's standalone app with its own tools, while Copilot is Microsoft's assistant built into Windows, Edge, Bing and Microsoft 365. The right choice depends on where your work lives. This page compares them, explains why Copilot sometimes seems weaker, and covers Copilot in Microsoft Teams: where to find it, how it works in chats and meetings, and where meeting transcripts are stored.
ChatGPT vs Copilot: which should I use?
Use Copilot when your work is in Microsoft 365, such as Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams, or your organisation provides it with data protection. Use ChatGPT as a broad assistant with custom GPTs, projects, memory, strong image generation and coding agents.
Also asked as: when to use copilot vs chatgpt
For a student, ChatGPT is often the more flexible learning and side-project companion, while Copilot is the natural choice inside a college or company Microsoft 365 account, where it can see your documents and meetings with your permissions. Many people use both: Copilot for work documents and meetings, ChatGPT for exploration and personal projects. Test both on three of your real tasks before deciding.
Is Copilot the same as ChatGPT?
No. They share technology, since Microsoft builds Copilot largely on OpenAI's models, but they are separate products from different companies, with different apps, features, integrations, accounts and privacy terms.
Also asked as: is copilot and chatgpt the same
Copilot adds Microsoft's own layers: grounding with Bing search, access to your Microsoft 365 data through Microsoft Graph for work accounts, enterprise data protection, and integration into Windows and Office. ChatGPT adds OpenAI's layers: custom GPTs, projects, memory, canvas, Codex and its app ecosystem. The same underlying model can therefore behave differently in each, because the instructions, tools and context around it differ.
Do Copilot and ChatGPT use the same model?
Often from the same family, but not necessarily the same version at the same time. Copilot uses OpenAI's GPT models hosted by Microsoft, along with Microsoft's own models and, in some features, models from other providers. ChatGPT uses OpenAI's latest models directly.
Microsoft decides which model serves each Copilot request and does not always show it, while ChatGPT lets you choose between modes in many plans. New OpenAI models usually reach ChatGPT first or at the same time, and Microsoft adopts them on its own schedule after testing. In practice, differences in answers come as much from system instructions, safety settings and grounding as from the model version.
When should I use Copilot vs ChatGPT?
Use Copilot for tasks tied to Microsoft 365 content and Windows: summarising a Teams meeting, drafting a reply in Outlook, analysing an Excel table, or asking about your organisation's files. Use ChatGPT for open-ended learning, writing, coding, image work and anything outside Microsoft 365.
Examples:
- "What did we decide in yesterday's project meeting?": Copilot in Teams.
- "Turn this Word report into a ten-slide deck": Copilot in PowerPoint.
- "Teach me recursion and quiz me": ChatGPT or Copilot both work.
- "Build a small web app with tests in my repository": ChatGPT's Codex or GitHub Copilot.
- "Generate and edit an illustration": ChatGPT.
When company data is involved, use the tool your organisation has approved.
Why is Copilot worse than ChatGPT?
Copilot is not inherently worse, but it can feel that way because it may use faster models for some requests, applies more conservative instructions, and often lacks the context you assumed it had. Precise prompts and attached context close most of the gap.
Common reasons and fixes:
- Missing context: open the document or attach the file before asking.
- Vague request: state the goal, audience, format and length.
- Wrong product: Microsoft 365 Copilot needs a licence for work data; free Copilot cannot see your work files.
- Search-heavy answers: Copilot often grounds in web results, which can make answers shorter and more cautious.
For deep reasoning tasks, choose Copilot's deeper or thinking mode if available.
Where do I find Copilot in Teams?
In Microsoft Teams, Copilot appears in the left app bar or as Copilot Chat, in chats and channels as a Copilot button, and in meetings as a Copilot button in the meeting controls. Which ones you see depends on your licence and your organisation's settings.
Also asked as: where to find copilot in teams · how copilot works in teams · how to copilot in teams
Copilot Chat, available to many work and school accounts, is a general assistant grounded in the web and your uploaded files. The full Microsoft 365 Copilot licence adds Copilot inside chats, channels and meetings, with access to your Teams messages, files and meeting transcripts within your permissions. If you see no Copilot at all, check that Teams is updated and ask your IT team whether Copilot is enabled for your account.
How does Copilot work in Teams?
In Teams, Copilot uses a language model with access to the content you are allowed to see: chat and channel messages, files and meeting transcripts. It summarises conversations, answers questions about them and drafts messages.
In a chat or channel, ask "summarise the last week of this conversation" or "what decisions were made about the launch date?", and Copilot answers with references to the messages. In meetings, it works from the live transcript. It respects permissions, so it will not reveal content from chats you are not part of. Like any assistant, it can misattribute who said what or miss nuance, so check important points against the transcript before acting on them.
How do I use Copilot in Teams?
Open a chat, channel or meeting and select the Copilot button, then ask in plain language: summarise, list action items, find what someone said, or draft a reply. You can also use Copilot Chat from the app bar for questions across your work content.
Useful prompts:
- "Summarise the unread messages in this channel and highlight anything that needs my reply."
- "List the action items from this chat with owners and deadlines."
- "Draft a polite reply asking for the report by Friday."
- "What files were shared in this chat about the hackathon?"
Be specific about time ranges and people. Copilot's drafts are starting points; edit them so they sound like you and contain only facts you can stand behind.
How do I use Copilot in a Teams meeting?
Turn on transcription when the meeting starts, then open Copilot from the meeting controls. During the meeting you can ask for a recap, open questions or action items; afterwards, the meeting recap shows notes and tasks generated from the transcript.
Also asked as: how to copilot a teams meeting
Organisers can also allow Copilot to work only during the meeting without keeping a transcript, depending on organisation settings, in which case after-meeting recaps are limited. Good prompts: "What have I missed in the last ten minutes?", "What are the unresolved questions?", and "Draft a follow-up email with decisions and owners." Tell participants when transcription is on; many organisations require it. Review the recap before sharing, because summaries can drop qualifications or merge points.
Where are Copilot Teams transcripts stored?
Meeting recordings and transcripts are stored in Microsoft 365 within your organisation's tenant, typically in the meeting organiser's OneDrive for regular meetings and in the channel's SharePoint site for channel meetings, governed by retention and access policies.
Also asked as: where do copilot teams transcripts get stored
Who can see a transcript depends on meeting settings and permissions, usually the organiser and attendees. Copilot reads the transcript to answer questions and build recaps, and Copilot interactions themselves are stored under the organisation's compliance settings. Admins control whether transcription is allowed, how long recordings and transcripts are kept, and who can download them. For sensitive meetings, check with the organiser before turning transcription on, and follow your organisation's data policy.
Sources
GenAI engineer and AI product builder with 2+ years shipping production-grade AI systems: RAG pipelines, fine-tuned LLMs, hybrid retrieval and multi-modal apps across vision, speech and OCR, architected end to end from ingestion to deployment. Leads engineering for SCULT INDIA's 14-member team, founded the 500+ member TechVerse Enclave community and has mentored 200+ students. Three hackathon first prizes: Changethon 2025 (IIT Roorkee), Product Genesis at Vividhotsava 2025 (CSJMU) and BYTEBATTLE (MeetKats).
Open to GenAI roles, hackathon judging, mentorship sessions and guest talks at colleges. For campus sessions the inviting institution covers the visit end to end: travel (a First AC train ticket for journeys up to five hours, a flight for anything longer), accommodation, meals, and pickup and drop; the honorarium and workshop fees are negotiable on WhatsApp or on the call, and requests are welcome from institutions that can cover the visit this way. Email pranjulrathour41@gmail.com.
