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Microsoft 365 Premium (2026): What Replaced Copilot Pro and How the Four Plans Compare

Microsoft 365 Premium is the individual plan that replaced Copilot Pro: in October 2025 Microsoft said it would no longer sell Copilot Pro, and that Premium combines everything in Microsoft 365 Family and Copilot Pro. As of Nov 2026 Microsoft's own limits page lists four individual plans with AI built in (Personal, Family, Premium and Pro), and Pro, not Premium, has the highest limits.

If you're still searching for Copilot Pro, that's why you can't buy it. What you're choosing between now is four tiers of the same Microsoft 365 apps, with very different amounts of Copilot. This page is built from Microsoft's own support pages (the limits page says Last updated: October 2026) and the Copilot blog post that announced Premium.

What happened to Copilot Pro

On 1 October 2025 Microsoft's Copilot blog announced Premium as a simpler line-up. New customers start fresh on it, existing Personal and Family subscribers can upgrade, and Copilot Pro stopped being sold. Copilot Pro subscribers can switch to Premium, and Microsoft said that customers with both Personal or Family and Copilot Pro can switch and keep everything they had before. If you're wondering what else Microsoft has dropped along the way, I keep a list of the Copilot features Microsoft retired.

What Microsoft didn't make loud is that there's now a fourth plan above Premium. The support page says that if you already have Personal, Family or Premium, you can switch to Microsoft 365 Pro to get the highest usage limits available.

Copilot limits on each plan

Microsoft doesn't publish exact numbers of uses. It uses labels instead, and here they are as written on its limits page, as of Nov 2026:

Copilot featurePersonalFamilyPremiumPro
Chat, Deep reasoning, PagesExtensive usageExtensive usageExtensive usageExtensive usage
VoiceStandard usageStandard usageMore usageHighest usage
VisionStandard usageStandard usageMore usageHighest usage
Image genStandard usageStandard usageExtensive usageExtensive usage
Audio OverviewStandard usageStandard usageExtensive usageExtensive usage
ResearcherNot availableNot availableExtensive usageExtensive usage
AnalystNot availableNot availableExtensive usageExtensive usage
Cowork (in preview)Not availableNot availableLimited usageHighest usage
Priority accessYesYesYesYes

Read it from the right. Premium's real advantage over Personal and Family is Researcher and Analyst, which Personal and Family don't get at all, plus more room on voice, vision, images and Audio Overview. Pro's advantage over Premium is narrow: the top tier for Voice, Vision and Cowork. Cowork is in preview and, as of Nov 2026, only available in the US and Canada, with availability varying by platform and device.

Microsoft also warns that limits can vary by feature, entry point and system conditions, and may change as new AI models arrive. Feature limits are the total number of times you can use a feature in a timeframe. AI credits are a monthly allowance you use as you go in Microsoft 365 and Windows apps. You can check both under Services and subscriptions in your Microsoft account, and you'll get a notice in the app when you're close to a limit.

What Premium adds beyond Copilot

Microsoft's launch post listed what Premium includes: the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook desktop apps with Copilot built in, Researcher and Analyst, early access to Office Agent and Agent Mode, its highest usage limits for select features at the time, 1 TB of secure cloud storage per person, and Microsoft Defender advanced security. Like Family, Premium covers up to 6 people. One regional catch from that post: Copilot Actions wasn't available in the European Economic Area.

As for cost, Microsoft's support pages don't give a price, and the one in the 2025 blog post may well have moved. Check the current price on Microsoft's own plan page. If you already subscribe, Microsoft says you won't see a price change until your next renewal, and you'll get an email at least 30 days before it.

The household sharing catch

This one surprises families. Up to 6 people can share the apps and storage, but Microsoft says AI benefits are only available to the subscription owner and can't be shared with others. That applies to the AI features in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Designer on Family and Premium. So if you buy Premium hoping your partner and kids all get Researcher, they won't. There's also an age rule: AI features are limited to people who meet age requirements that vary by region, and anyone who doesn't meet them can't use AI features even if credits are available.

Copilot in Excel needs AutoSave

Microsoft's FAQ says Copilot in Excel requires AutoSave to be on, which means the file must be saved to OneDrive. It doesn't work on unsaved files. If you open a spreadsheet from your desktop and the Copilot button seems to do nothing, save it to OneDrive first.

Can you turn Copilot off?

Partly. Microsoft has added settings in Word, Excel and PowerPoint that let you turn Copilot off or back on as you need. You can't turn off Copilot features in Designer, Notepad or Paint. Microsoft's FAQ also notes that in Designer every image is now automatically boosted, which is why the old Boosts have gone.

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Using your personal plan at work

If your employer has multi-account access switched on, you can use your personal Copilot subscription at work. All access and permissions stay tied to your work account. You open the Word, Excel or PowerPoint file saved in your organisation's OneDrive or SharePoint, and administrators can enable or disable this. The business Copilot plans are a separate story, set out in the Microsoft 365 Copilot price comparison.

Students and the free option

Microsoft's FAQ says the best value for college students is its discounted version of Microsoft 365 Premium; I've covered how that works in Copilot for students. And if you only need chat, the free Copilot app may be enough: here's what free Copilot includes.

What I'd do

I'd stay on the plan I've got. I'd skip Premium unless I need Researcher or Analyst, because that's the one thing Personal and Family can't do at all. I'd look at Pro only if I keep hitting the voice or vision limits, or I'm in the US or Canada and want Cowork. And on a Family plan, I'd be clear with everyone that Copilot belongs to the account owner. Limits change often, so check Microsoft's own support page for the latest.

If you're deciding which Microsoft and AI subscriptions your team really needs, that's the kind of AI enablement I help with. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still buy Copilot Pro?

No. In October 2025 Microsoft said it would no longer sell Copilot Pro. Copilot Pro subscribers can switch to Microsoft 365 Premium.

Is Microsoft 365 Pro the same as Premium?

No. As of Nov 2026 Microsoft 365 Pro is a separate plan with the highest usage limits available, including Highest usage for Voice, Vision and Cowork.

Does everyone on Microsoft 365 Premium get Copilot?

No. Microsoft says AI benefits are only available to the subscription owner and can't be shared with others, including on Family and Premium.

Why won't Copilot work in my Excel file?

Copilot in Excel requires AutoSave, so the file must be saved to OneDrive. It doesn't work on unsaved files.

Can I turn Copilot off in Microsoft 365?

In Word, Excel and PowerPoint, yes, through settings in each app. You can't turn off Copilot features in Designer, Notepad or Paint.

Published and maintained by the Lilach Bullock team, covering marketing, AI and business growth.
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