Copilot (free)
$0
Comparison · prices checked every day
Microsoft Copilot vs DeepSeek: which is worth paying for?
The current plans and our verdict on each tool, side by side. Prices come from each vendor's own pricing page and are checked every day.
The short answer
Choose Microsoft Copilot if…
- you want a fixed monthly price with storage and team features
- you need advanced chat with higher usage limits
- you prefer a familiar Microsoft ecosystem subscription
Choose DeepSeek if…
- you need high concurrency for API workloads
- you want usage-based pricing for variable volume
- you prefer a free chat app with strong coding scores
Key differences
- Microsoft Copilot costs $9.99/month for Personal, $12.99/month for Family, $19.99/month for Premium, and $99.99/month for Pro. plan list checked by handSource · owner-checked plan listPlan list checked by hand (microsoft.com), checked Sep 28, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- DeepSeek uses usage-based pricing for deepseek-flash and deepseek-v4-pro. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (api-docs.deepseek.com), checked Sep 24, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Microsoft Copilot offers storage and people limits in its paid plans. plan list checked by handSource · owner-checked plan listPlan list checked by hand (microsoft.com), checked Sep 28, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- DeepSeek offers concurrency limits of 2500 for deepseek-flash and 500 for deepseek-v4-pro. pricing pageSource · vendor pagePricing page (api-docs.deepseek.com), checked Sep 24, 2026.Go to sources ↓
- Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.8/10 on email-decline 9.8Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Decline a meeting politely: 9.8/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓.
- DeepSeek Free scored 9.8/10 on email-decline 9.8Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Decline a meeting politely: 9.8/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓.
Plans and limits side by side
| Plans | Microsoft Copilot | DeepSeek |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Copilot (free) $0Usage Limited free version, subject to available capacity and limits, When the limit is h… | Free (chat app) $0Access Web and mobile chat app, no subscription |
| Paid plans | Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/moPeople 1 person, 5 devices at once, Storage 1 TB, Copilot Advanced Copilot chat with high…Microsoft 365 Family $12.99/moPeople 1 to 6 people (AI for subscription owner only), Storage Up to 6 TB (1 TB per perso…Microsoft 365 Premium $19.99/moCopilot Advanced Copilot chat with extensive usage, Agentic AI Limited usage, Trial One-m…Microsoft 365 Pro $99.99/moCopilot Advanced Copilot chat with highest usage, Billing Monthly billing only | deepseek-flash Usage-basedConcurrency Limit 2500deepseek-v4-pro Usage-basedConcurrency Limit 500 |
From each vendor's own pricing page · Microsoft Copilot checked Sep 28, 2026 · DeepSeek checked Oct 1, 2026.
Our tests
Scores out of 10 on the same tasks of our public test suite ("Chat assistants", version 2), run hands-on in each app, scored by the same blind judges.
| Task | Microsoft Copilot · free tier | DeepSeek · free tier |
|---|---|---|
| Decline a meeting politely | 9.8/10 | 9.8/10 |
| Summarize a text in 3 bullets | 9.7/10 | 8.8/10 |
| Work out an arrival time | 9.9/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Solve a small logic puzzle | 9.1/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Extract data as JSON | 10.0/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Write a small Python function | 10.0/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Explain a concept to a 12-year-old | 9.7/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Rewrite a blunt message | 9.0/10 | 9.7/10 |
| Translate into Spanish | 9.8/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Make a 5-day beginner plan | 8.8/10 | 9.7/10 |
| Write a 3-sentence product text | 9.5/10 | 9.7/10 |
| Admit what it cannot know | 9.7/10 | 9.7/10 |
| Average | 9.6/10 | 9.8/10 |
Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.8/10 on email-decline 9.8Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Decline a meeting politely: 9.8/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 9.8/10 on email-decline 9.8Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Decline a meeting politely: 9.8/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.7/10 on summary-three-bullets 9.7Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Summarize a text in 3 bullets: 9.7/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 8.8/10 on summary-three-bullets 8.8Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Summarize a text in 3 bullets: 8.8/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.9/10 on travel-time 9.9Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Work out an arrival time: 9.9/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 10.0/10 on travel-time 10.0Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Work out an arrival time: 10.0/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.1/10 on logic-pets 9.1Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Solve a small logic puzzle: 9.1/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 10.0/10 on logic-pets 10.0Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Solve a small logic puzzle: 10.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 10.0/10 on json-order 10.0Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Extract data as JSON: 10.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 10.0/10 on json-order 10.0Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Extract data as JSON: 10.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 10.0/10 on python-function 10.0Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Write a small Python function: 10.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 10.0/10 on python-function 10.0Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Write a small Python function: 10.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.7/10 on explain-kid 9.7Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Explain a concept to a 12-year-old: 9.7/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 10.0/10 on explain-kid 10.0Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Explain a concept to a 12-year-old: 10.0/10, 2 of 2 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.0/10 on rewrite-tone 9.0Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Rewrite a blunt message: 9.0/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 9.7/10 on rewrite-tone 9.7Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Rewrite a blunt message: 9.7/10, 3 of 3 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.8/10 on translate-es 9.8Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Translate into Spanish: 9.8/10, 5 of 5 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 10.0/10 on translate-es 10.0Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Translate into Spanish: 10.0/10, 5 of 5 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 8.8/10 on running-plan 8.8Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Make a 5-day beginner plan: 8.8/10, 1 of 1 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 9.7/10 on running-plan 9.7Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Make a 5-day beginner plan: 9.7/10, 1 of 1 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.5/10 on product-three-sentences 9.5Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Write a 3-sentence product text: 9.5/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 9.7/10 on product-three-sentences 9.7Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Write a 3-sentence product text: 9.7/10, 4 of 4 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. Microsoft Copilot Free scored 9.7/10 on unknown-paper 9.7Our test · free tierMicrosoft Copilot · Admit what it cannot know: 9.7/10, 1 of 1 checks passed.Read the answer ↓. DeepSeek Free scored 9.7/10 on unknown-paper 9.7Our test · free tierDeepSeek · Admit what it cannot know: 9.7/10, 1 of 1 checks passed.Read the answer ↓.
Full answers: Microsoft Copilot · DeepSeek
What users say
Microsoft Copilot
One Reddit user finds Microsoft Copilot painfully behind despite being free and built into Windows RedditUser report · negative · Redditr/artificial, posted Jan 6, 2026See the report ↓. Another user says using Microsoft Copilot in Word or PowerPoint is worthless HNUser report · negative · Hacker NewsPosted Feb 18, 2026See the report ↓. A user notes that Microsoft Copilot's fixed subscription price is a choice against token usage models RedditUser report · mixed · Redditr/CopilotPro, posted May 11, 2026See the report ↓. Some users prefer using the ask function of GitHub Copilot over the Microsoft Copilot portal HNUser report · positive · Hacker NewsPosted Feb 5, 2026See the report ↓. One user says Microsoft Copilot wrote a recommendation letter so real Google's AI didn't believe it RedditUser report · positive · Redditr/artificial, posted Jun 2, 2026See the report ↓. Another user finds it interesting for quick explanations and brainstorming RedditUser report · positive · Redditr/CopilotPro, posted Mar 6, 2026See the report ↓.
Reports cited (6)
… I actually prefer using the "ask" function of github copilot through visual studio code over using the company provided microsoft copilot portal
I asked Microsoft Copilot to write me a recommendation letter as a joke. The final result was so real that Google’s AI didn’t believe Copilot wrote it.
Has anyone tried Microsoft Copilot for research or coding help? I recently started testing Microsoft Copilot to summarize documentation and explain some code snippets. It’s interesting because it can help with quick explanations, brainstorming, and searching technical information faster. …
Am I the only one who finds Microsoft Copilot painfully behind? I really wanted to like it. It’s built into Windows, it’s free, and Microsoft is throwing everything at AI. …
Eh, try using Microsoft Copilot in Word or PowerPoint. It is worthless. If your experience with AI was a Microsoft product, you would think it was a scam too.
… My firm is just starting with AI tools and as far as I'm aware, we'll be choosing from Copilot (fixed subscription price) or Claude (priced by token usage). …
DeepSeek
Users report DeepSeek's API pricing allows them to use it for two weeks without feeling they missed out HNUser report · positive · Hacker NewsPosted Sep 23, 2026See the report ↓. A user states DeepSeek is roughly 11.5x cheaper than GPT-5.5 on input RedditUser report · positive · Redditr/OpenAI, posted May 24, 2026See the report ↓. Another user finds DeepSeek's pricing has no other great value prop HNUser report · mixed · Hacker NewsPosted Sep 27, 2026See the report ↓. One user mentions getting a large amount of tokens for a small charge with deepseek-v4-flash HNUser report · negative · Hacker NewsPosted Sep 10, 2026See the report ↓.
Reports cited (4)
… I like that with DeepSeek's API pricing that I can not sure it for 2w, and not feel like I've missed out. 2w is a long time, but I only use it for personal stuff, and I often go 1-2w without using it due to other commitments.
… DeepSeek V4 Pro: Input: $0.435 per 1M tokens Output: $0.87 per 1M tokens OpenAI GPT-5.5: Input: $5.00 Output: $30.00 Claude Opus 4.7: Input: $5.00 Output: $25.00 Claude Sonnet 4.6: Input: $3.00 Output: $15.00 DeepSeek is roughly: 11.5x cheaper than GPT-5.5 on input 34.5x cheaper than GPT-5.5 on …
Supposed to get $60 worth. For deepseek-v4-flash: a shitton of tokens for $5.
With DeepSeek's pricing, no other value prop has been great.
Questions people ask
Which tool is better for coding?
See the test results above.
Which tool is better at translation?
See the test results above.
Which tool has a free plan?
Both Microsoft Copilot and DeepSeek have free plans.
Which tool is cheaper for heavy API use?
DeepSeek uses usage-based pricing. Microsoft Copilot uses fixed monthly prices. See the plans above.
Sources
Drafted with AI from these pages, our tests and the linked user reports, and checked automatically against them before publishing: every price, score and report above is tied to the tool it is about.
Microsoft Copilot
- Pricing pagemicrosoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/individuals
- Plan list checked by hand on Sep 28, 2026microsoft.com/en-us/copilot/pricing/individuals ↩ text
DeepSeek
- Pricing page · checked Sep 24, 2026api-docs.deepseek.com/quick_start/pricing ↩ text
- Plan list checked by handchat.deepseek.com
Each tool's verdict and plans
Microsoft Copilot
DEPENDS DEPENDS — worth it for some people
Microsoft Copilot's free tier covers everyday chat; paying unlocks higher usage, storage and agentic AI for heavier workloads.
Tested by us on Sep 28, 2026 · with user reports
- Cheapest paid
- $9.99/mo
- What's free
- $0
- Our test score
- 9.6/10
Our test (hands-on): free tier 9.6/10, as of Sep 28, 2026
Microsoft 365 Personal
$9.99/mo
Microsoft 365 Family
$12.99/mo
Microsoft 365 Premium
$19.99/mo
Microsoft 365 Pro
$99.99/mo
DeepSeek
DEPENDS DEPENDS — worth it for some people
DeepSeek's free chat app covers daily use; pay for API concurrency or vision features.
Tested by us on Sep 28, 2026 · with user reports
- Cheapest paid
- Usage-based
- What's free
- $0
- Our test score
- 9.8/10
Our test (hands-on): free tier 9.8/10, as of Sep 28, 2026
Free (chat app)
$0
deepseek-flash
Usage-based
deepseek-v4-pro
Usage-based
How we make money
The "Visit" buttons go through shouldipay.ai/go/ and may be affiliate links, but commissions never decide a verdict or a comparison: the evidence does. Affiliate disclosure