Microsoft Copilot vs Perplexity AI
Which one should you choose? Here's how they compare.
| Feature | Microsoft Copilot | Perplexity AI |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.1 | ★ 4.4 |
| Pricing | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Type | freemium | freemium |
| Company | Microsoft | Perplexity |
| Founded | 2023 | 2022 |
Microsoft Copilot Features
- •Windows integration
- •Office integration
- •Web search
- •Image generation
Perplexity AI Features
- •Web-sourced answers
- •Citation links
- •Multiple model choices
- •Collections feature
Microsoft Copilot Pros
- ✓Deep Microsoft integration
- ✓Free tier available
- ✓Good for productivity
Microsoft Copilot Cons
- ✗Can be pushy with Edge
- ✗Less powerful than GPT-4
- ✗Ads in free version
Perplexity AI Pros
- ✓Always cites sources
- ✓Real-time web search
- ✓Less hallucination
Perplexity AI Cons
- ✗Requires internet for best results
- ✗Less creative writing ability
- ✗Free tier limited
The Verdict
Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity AI are two of the most popular tools in the chatbot category, but they take different approaches to solving the same problems. Microsoft Copilot, developed by Microsoft (founded 2023), is described as "microsoft's ai assistant integrated across windows and office.". Meanwhile, Perplexity AI by Perplexity (founded 2022) "ai-powered research assistant that provides sourced answers from the web in real time.". In terms of overall user satisfaction, Perplexity AI edges ahead with a rating of 4.4/5.0, compared to Microsoft Copilot's 4.1/5.0 — a difference of 0.3 points. Perplexity AI's strongest advantages include always cites sources, real-time web search, while Microsoft Copilot is praised for deep microsoft integration. Neither tool is perfect: Microsoft Copilot's main drawbacks include can be pushy with edge, less powerful than gpt-4, while Perplexity AI users typically cite requires internet for best results as its biggest limitation. However, Microsoft Copilot has an edge in office work, which might be the tiebreaker if that's important to you. In terms of target audience, Microsoft Copilot is particularly popular among windows users and office workers, while Perplexity AI tends to attract researchers and students. Our verdict: Perplexity AI is the stronger choice overall, especially if you value always cites sources. However, if deep microsoft integration matters more to your workflow, Microsoft Copilot remains a solid alternative.
- • You need deep microsoft integration
- • You need free tier available
- • You need always cites sources
- • You need real-time web search