Jan vs Microsoft Copilot
A side-by-side comparison of Jan and Microsoft Copilot — pricing, free tiers, and who each tool is genuinely best for.
| Tagline | Open-source desktop app to run AI models offline | Microsoft's AI assistant across Windows, Edge, and Microsoft 365 |
| Category | AI Assistants & Chatbots | AI Assistants & Chatbots |
| Pricing | Free and open-source. | Free tier; Copilot Pro $20/mo; Microsoft 365 Copilot from $30/user/mo |
| Free tier | ||
| Best for | Developers who want a polished local-first AI chat UI with an OpenAI-compatible API for building apps. | Enterprises and individuals heavily invested in Microsoft 365 who want AI inside Word, Excel, and Outlook. |
| Not for | Non-technical users who want a managed cloud service with no setup. | Users outside the Microsoft ecosystem looking for a lightweight standalone chatbot. |
| Use cases | Private offline chat Local API server Custom model experimentation Sensitive document analysis | Drafting in Word and Outlook Excel data analysis Meeting recaps in Teams Web search assistance PowerPoint generation |
| Visit Jan | Visit Microsoft Copilot |
Jan
Choose it if: Developers who want a polished local-first AI chat UI with an OpenAI-compatible API for building apps.
Microsoft Copilot
Choose it if: Enterprises and individuals heavily invested in Microsoft 365 who want AI inside Word, Excel, and Outlook.