Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT Business vs Claude for Work — which one for your NZ team?
All three are good. The right choice depends on where your team already works, your data sensitivity, and your budget — not on the brand.
The short version
If your team lives in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel) — Microsoft Copilot is usually the right starting point. Friction is lowest, and adoption is fastest.
If your team needs the best general writing and reasoning, especially for client-facing content — Claude for Work is hard to beat right now.
If you want the broadest ecosystem of plugins, custom GPTs, and API access for building your own internal tools — ChatGPT Business.
None of these will be a wrong answer. The risk is picking nothing.
What they cost (per user, per month, ballpark)
| Tool | Approx NZD / user / month |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Copilot | $50 – $55 |
| ChatGPT Business | $40 – $45 |
| Claude for Work | $30 – $40 |
Real costs depend on your existing licences and team size. Copilot requires an underlying Microsoft 365 plan; the other two stand alone.
Where each one shines
Microsoft Copilot — in-app suggestions inside Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams. If your team already uses Microsoft 365, Copilot meets them where they work. Excel and meeting-summary use cases are very strong.
ChatGPT Business — broadest tool ecosystem. Custom GPTs let you package internal knowledge into a tool your whole team can use. Strong for sales, support, and any team that needs to build a few internal "AI assistants".
Claude for Work — best for long documents and nuanced writing. Strong at summarising contracts, drafting client emails, and following detailed instructions. Privacy posture is strong by default.
What about data?
All three have enterprise plans that contractually do not train on your data. Avoid the free / personal tiers for any business work — they have different terms and your inputs can be used to improve the model.
Our default recommendation for NZ SMBs
If you have no strong preference and your team is already on Microsoft 365: start with Copilot for one team for 60 days. If usage is low, switch to ChatGPT Business or Claude for Work. The cost of switching is small. The cost of waiting is bigger.