Skip to content
AI Guide · Free Alternatives

Microsoft Copilot Alternatives: Free and Open-Source Options

Microsoft Copilot: a limited free tier; full use is paid. The 2 options below are free to start or open source; for each one, what you gain and what you lose is written from its official sources.

Output quality is not compared here. The differences come from each tool's own pages: setup, hardware, license, free limits, commercial use. To see which one suits you, try both on the same task. How tools are selected

Side by side

Microsoft CopilotpaidGeminiLM Studio
AccessFree tierFree tierFree tier
Where it runsIn the browser / app (cloud)In the browser / app (cloud)On your own computer
Free limitCopilot chat is free; chat time and image generation are more limited than on paid Microsoft 365 plansFree with a Google account: according to the help center, accounts without a plan get the models 'Auto or Flash-Lite' (Pro and Flash are not listed); Deep Research, Canvas, image generation with Nano Banana 2, music generation, slide creation, 15 GB of storage; video generation is not on the free plan (Google AI Plus and up)Running local models, chatting with documents and offline speech-to-text are free; web search is limited
PriceMonthly or annual billing: Microsoft 365 Personal (includes Copilot); prices are listed on the official pricing pageMonthly plans: Google AI Plus, Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra (with a higher tier); prices are listed on the official pricing page. In the Gemini app, video comes with Gemini Omni (AI Plus and up); Ultra also includes Veo 3.1. In Turkey, university students 18 and older get Google AI Plus free for 1 year (offer runs until December 31, 2026)Bionic+: $20/month (cloud models hosted in the US)
Info as ofOct 1, 2026Oct 8, 2026Oct 1, 2026

— : not checked. Details are in the cards below.

Alternatives and how they differ

  1. Difference: The Gemini app is free with a Google account; it runs as a separate app, not inside Word or Excel. Gemini inside Docs and Sheets is on a paid plan.

    Best for: People who don't need it to work inside Office files

    Gemini

    AppFree + paid

    Google's AI: chats, researches, and makes images and presentations.

    What sets it apart: Comes ready with your Google account; works inside Gmail, Docs and Drive.

    For: Anyone who uses Gmail and Google Drive, students.

    Read the guide Visit site

  2. Difference: Chatting with documents is free and local; it is not built into Office apps, and it needs setup and a powerful computer.

    Best for: People who don't want to upload their documents to the cloud

    LM Studio

    DesktopFree + paid

    An easy desktop app that downloads open models and runs them on your computer.

    What sets it apart: No command line needed; pick a model, download, chat. You can attach a PDF and ask questions.

    For: People who want to try local AI without writing code.

    Read the guide Visit site

Microsoft Copilot (paid)

Microsoft Copilot

AppFree + paid

Microsoft's assistant; works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

What sets it apart: Writes, summarizes and calculates inside the Office file, without leaving it.

For: People who work with Office files every day.

Read the guide Visit site
Setup with usWe can set up the open-source option for youServer, updates and security maintenance included. The guide stays free.CategoryAll Writing & Content tools