Microsoft 365 Copilot puts an AI assistant inside PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams, and can build a deck that keeps your company template. It is worth using if your business already pays for Microsoft 365 and Copilot, but it is rarely worth buying just to make slides when dedicated tools cost less and design better.
What Microsoft 365 Copilot is
Microsoft 365 Copilot is Microsoft's AI assistant for business, built into the Office apps your team already uses. Microsoft says it helps you write, edit and summarize in Word, turn ideas into presentations in PowerPoint, analyze and visualize data in Excel, draft and recap email in Outlook, and summarize meetings in Teams Microsoft plans ↗.
For businesses it comes two ways: as an add on called Microsoft 365 Copilot Business on top of an existing Microsoft 365 plan, or bundled into Business Standard or Business Premium Microsoft plans ↗. The add on includes AI chat grounded in your work data, reasoning AI, prebuilt agents named Researcher, Analyst and Facilitator, adoption analytics and a choice of models Microsoft plans ↗.
Hands on testing is in progress; we will update this review with results.
What it does well
It works where your team already works. Copilot in PowerPoint runs on Windows, Mac and iPad versions of PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 Microsoft Support ↗.
It builds decks from a prompt. In Agent Mode you describe the presentation, Copilot may ask about the audience and the presentation or image style, then shows an outline you can refine in chat before it generates the slides Microsoft Support ↗. After that you can keep editing the slides through chat Microsoft Support ↗.
It can turn a Word document into a deck. Microsoft advises using Word Styles so Copilot can see the structure and split it into slides, and Copilot tries to bring over images from the document Microsoft Support ↗.
The biggest reason to use it is template control. If you start from your organization's template, Copilot keeps its theme and uses its existing layouts Microsoft Support ↗. Many AI deck tools push their own designs, so this matters for companies with strict brand rules.
Where it falls short
It is not cheap if you only want slides. The add on costs $18 a user a month billed yearly, on top of a Microsoft 365 plan Microsoft plans ↗. Dedicated deck tools start lower.
The designs are plainer than specialist tools. Zapier removed PowerPoint's AI from its 2026 list of AI presentation makers, said it might suit extremely casual users, and wrote that newer tools offer a smoother experience that neither tech giant has fully achieved Zapier ↗.
Some features are still arriving. Referencing files in Agent Mode is marked as coming soon, and options to set length, tone, style and image preferences are rolling out first to Frontier and Insider users Microsoft Support ↗. When you create from a prompt, only one output language is supported at a time, and Copilot works best with Word files under 24 MB Microsoft Support ↗.
Access depends on your admin. Copilot may not appear if your subscription does not include it or your organization's settings block it Microsoft Support ↗.
Pricing and plans
Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, the add on, costs $18 per user a month paid yearly, down from $21, or $25.20 billed monthly Microsoft plans ↗. You need an eligible Microsoft 365 plan first; existing customers add it from the admin center Microsoft plans ↗.
Bundles are also sold. Business Standard with Copilot is $23.50 per user a month yearly or $28.20 monthly, and Business Premium with Copilot is $32 yearly or $38.40 monthly Microsoft plans ↗. Versions without Teams cost less: $20.30 for Standard and $28.80 for Premium on yearly billing Microsoft plans ↗. The bundles cover up to 300 users and include 1 TB of storage per user Microsoft plans ↗.
Copilot Chat, a lighter assistant with web grounded chat and file uploads, comes at no extra cost for users with an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription Microsoft plans ↗. Microsoft shows a Try for free button on each plan, but the page does not state the trial length Microsoft plans ↗. Yearly plans renew yearly and monthly plans renew monthly Microsoft plans ↗.
Who should (and shouldn't) use it
- Good fit: businesses already on Microsoft 365 that want AI across Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint.
- Good fit: companies with a strict PowerPoint template that must not be changed.
- Good fit: teams that write long documents in Word and need them turned into decks.
- Skip it if: you only need AI for presentations and do not use Microsoft 365.
- Skip it if: you want bold, design led slides with little editing.
Alternatives worth a look
- Gamma: makes good looking first draft decks from a prompt or a file, with a free plan of 400 one time credits Gamma pricing ↗.
- Beautiful.ai: smart slides with locked templates for teams, from $14.50 a month billed yearly Beautiful.ai pricing ↗.
- Plus AI: adds AI to Google Slides and PowerPoint from $10 a user a month billed yearly Plus AI pricing ↗.
- Canva: free plan with up to 20 AI uses for decks, social posts and flyers Canva pricing ↗.
Where it appears
ComparedThe Best AI ChatbotAlso greatThe Best AI Presentation MakerComparedThe Best AI Tools for NonprofitsComparedThe Best Free AI ChatbotWhat’s good
- Works inside the apps your team knows
- Respects company templates
- Covered by your Microsoft business agreement
What to know
- Needs a Microsoft 365 plan plus Copilot
- More basic designs than dedicated tools
Key features
- Creates PowerPoint decks from a prompt
- Turns Word documents into presentations
- Keeps your organization's template and layouts
- Edits and tightens slide text
- Generates images with content credentials
Works with
Questions people ask
How much does Microsoft 365 Copilot cost?
The business add on is $18 per user a month billed yearly or $25.20 monthly, on top of an eligible Microsoft 365 plan. Bundles start at $20.30 per user a month yearly Microsoft plans ↗.
Can Copilot make a PowerPoint presentation?
Yes. It can build a deck from a prompt, refine an outline in chat, or convert a Word document, and it keeps your organization's template if you start from it Microsoft Support ↗.
Is Microsoft Copilot free?
Copilot Chat is included at no extra cost with an eligible Microsoft 365 business subscription. Copilot inside the Office apps needs the paid add on or a bundle Microsoft plans ↗.
Is Copilot worth it just for slides?
Usually not. Reviewers rate dedicated tools higher for slide design, and Zapier dropped PowerPoint's AI from its 2026 list Zapier ↗. It is worth trying if you already pay for it.
Where this comes from
Checked Oct 9, 2026. Vendor pages describe their own products; independent sources add outside views. Hands on testing is in progress.
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