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Bundled or Add-On: What Workspace and Microsoft 365 Charge for AI in 2026

Google folds Gemini into Workspace plan prices while Microsoft sells Copilot as an add-on over free Copilot Chat. What each model costs per seat, and what it leaves out.

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3 min read
Sources
12 cited
In this piece
2 products

Key findings

  1. Business Standard costs US$16.80 on the Flexible Plan, with the Gemini app and Gemini in Workspace apps included.
  2. Microsoft 365 Copilot Business lists at US$21 per user per month paid yearly, or US$25.20 paid monthly, on top of an eligible Microsoft 365 Business plan. First-year orders placed July 1 to December 31, 2026 get a promotional US$18.
  3. Microsoft's no-cost tier is Copilot Chat, grounded in the web, uploaded files, and supported app context. Grounding across all of a user's Microsoft 365 data through Microsoft Graph needs a Copilot license.
  4. Google's extra charges sit above the plan: AI Expanded Access for heavy users and Gemini Enterprise, from US$21 per seat per month, for search and agents beyond Workspace.
  5. Both vendors state that prompts and responses are not used to train their foundation models for other customers.

Compare Gemini and Copilot at the edition and term you would buy, because the two vendors charge differently. Google folds Gemini into the Workspace plan price, and Business Standard with Gemini lists at US$14 per user per month on an annual commitment. Microsoft includes Copilot Chat with eligible Microsoft 365 plans and charges US$30 per user per month, paid yearly, for full Microsoft 365 Copilot on top of the plan.

List prices at matching scope

Prices are US list prices per user per month, checked October 12, 2026. Google's prices include the productivity suite. Microsoft's Copilot prices are add-ons to a Microsoft 365 plan, except in the bundles that include Copilot.

  • Google Workspace with Gemini: Business Starter US$7, Business Standard US$14, Business Plus US$22 on an annual commitment.
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot: US$23.50 paid yearly, US$28.20 monthly.
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot: US$32 paid yearly, US$38.40 monthly.
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot (enterprise add-on): US$30 paid yearly. Gemini Enterprise Business edition: from US$21 per seat.

What the base price buys

On Workspace, the edition sets Gemini's reach and limits. Business Starter includes Gemini in Gmail only, with basic model access and 5 Deep Research reports a month. Business Standard adds Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Meet, and Chat, a 1 million token context, and 20 reports a day.

On Microsoft 365, Copilot Chat comes with eligible plans for Entra users, with standard access to its models. A Copilot license adds Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, grounding through Microsoft Graph, and priority access.

Where the extra charges come from

Google's add-ons are AI Expanded Access, which raises limits for Business Standard and Plus and Enterprise Standard and Plus users. The other is Gemini Enterprise, a separate Google Cloud license with connectors to Microsoft 365, Slack, Jira, and Salesforce. Gemini Enterprise Standard and Plus also carry pooled quotas with overage billing at pay-as-you-go rates.

Microsoft's extra charges are the Copilot add-on itself and agents. Copilot Chat users can run organization-built agents on a metered basis, which requires an Azure subscription.

Training terms match, and retention controls differ

Google states that Workspace content is not human reviewed or used for generative AI model training outside your domain without permission. Microsoft states that prompts, responses, and Graph data are not used to train foundation LLMs. Retention works differently. Workspace admins set Gemini conversation retention directly, and Microsoft governs Copilot interactions through Purview retention policies.

Methodology

GILD compared Google's and Microsoft's published pricing, licensing, and data protection pages, checked October 12, 2026. Prices are US list prices in US dollars per user per month. Ask each vendor for your negotiated and regional price, and recheck promotions that end December 31, 2026 before you renew.

Products in this piece

Sources

Official documentation
12
  1. Google Workspace: Plans and pricingOfficial documentationworkspace.google.com
  2. Google Workspace: AI tools for businessOfficial documentationworkspace.google.com
  3. Google Workspace Admin Help: Turn the Gemini app on or offOfficial documentationknowledge.workspace.google.com
  4. Google Workspace Admin Help: AI Expanded AccessOfficial documentationknowledge.workspace.google.com
  5. Google Workspace Admin Help: Generative AI in Google Workspace Privacy HubOfficial documentationknowledge.workspace.google.com
  6. Google Cloud: Gemini Enterprise Business editionOfficial documentationcloud.google.com
  7. Gemini Enterprise docs: Quotas and pay-as-you-go usageOfficial documentationdocs.cloud.google.com
  8. Microsoft: Microsoft Copilot plans and pricing for businessOfficial documentationmicrosoft.com
  9. Microsoft: Microsoft Copilot plans and pricing for enterpriseOfficial documentationmicrosoft.com
  10. Microsoft Learn: License options for Microsoft CopilotOfficial documentationlearn.microsoft.com
  11. Microsoft Learn: Data, privacy, and security for Microsoft CopilotOfficial documentationlearn.microsoft.com
  12. Microsoft Learn: Overview of Microsoft Copilot ChatOfficial documentationlearn.microsoft.com

Keep reading

  1. ComparisonGemini vs Microsoft Copilot: The Assistant Follows Your Productivity SuiteEach assistant works best on its own suite. Compare what is included, what costs extra, the data each reads, data terms, admin controls, and agents.
  2. ResearchGemini at Work: What Teams Report After RolloutWhat public accounts from users, admins, and company rollouts say about Gemini in Workspace and Gemini Enterprise, and where they disagree.
  3. ResearchWhat Gemini in Looker Costs: Editions, User Licenses, and Data TokensWhat Looker's editions, user licenses, and Conversational Analytics data tokens cost, the token cost of one question at a pilot team's reported rate, and what changes when Google ends the promotion.
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