Microsoft Copilot in Excel review

Copilot in Excel is the only tool on this list that ships inside Excel itself, so there is nothing to install. Microsoft's support page lists three modes: edit, which changes the workbook directly, plan, which proposes steps for you to confirm, and chat, which answers questions without touching cells. Copilot works with tables, charts, PivotTables and formulas across multiple sheets, can search the web with citations, and can pull data from other workbooks on OneDrive, SharePoint or your computer. Custom skills, including ones you record by demonstrating a task, cover repeat jobs. Microsoft 365 Personal costs $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year and adds the desktop Office apps and 1 TB of storage. The gaps are on mobile: edit mode is still rolling out on iPad and iPhone, and Android gets chat mode only. In the Family plan, Copilot is for the subscription owner only. We compared documented features and published prices.

Who it is for

Excel users who already pay for Microsoft 365

Price

Included with Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

Microsoft 365 Personal $9.99/month $99.99/year
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• Edit, plan and chat modes inside the workbook
• Builds tables, charts, PivotTables and formulas across multiple sheets
• Web search with citations to ground answers
• Imports data from other workbooks on OneDrive, SharePoint or your computer
• Custom and recorded skills for repeatable tasks

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Runs natively in Excel on Windows, Mac, the web, iPad, iPhone and Android
• Strength: Microsoft 365 Personal at $9.99 a month also includes the Excel desktop app and 1 TB of storage
• Strength: Edit mode makes changes you can watch live and stop at any time
• Weakness: Edit mode is still rolling out on iPad and iPhone; Android has chat mode only
• Weakness: Needs an eligible Microsoft 365 or Copilot license
• Weakness: In Microsoft 365 Family, AI is for the subscription owner only

Key facts

• Paid from: Microsoft 365 Personal, $9.99 a month
• Modes: Edit, plan and chat
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, web, iPad, iPhone, Android
• Free plan: No

Where it ranks

Microsoft Copilot in Excel is No. 1 in our Best AI Tools for Excel verdict.