ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot vs Google Gemini: Full Report and Comparison of Models, Capabilities, Features and more

INTRODUCTION AND KEY POINTS:

ChatGPT now relies on GPT-4o as its default model, with additional variants like GPT-4.1 and GPT-4.1 Mini introduced for coding, reasoning, and efficiency. Microsoft Copilot uses the same GPT-4o model under license from OpenAI but focuses on integration within Microsoft 365 apps, Windows, and enterprise productivity. Google Gemini has advanced to version 2.5, offering different model classes (Pro, Flash, Flash-Lite), with Gemini 2.5 Pro currently leading in coding and reasoning benchmarks.

ChatGPT is known for its multimodal capabilities, including natural conversations with voice and video, custom GPT creation, long-term memory, and built-in tools such as a code interpreter and web browsing. Microsoft Copilot emphasizes work-related automation, such as summarizing meetings, drafting emails, creating Excel analyses, and providing new Windows 11 features like Recall and Click-to-Do on Copilot+ PCs. Google Gemini is tightly integrated with Google Search and Workspace, supports long-context prompts, and includes tools like Deep Research and video generation through Veo.

All three tools support coding, but GitHub Copilot (Microsoft) and Gemini Code Assist (Google) are more developer-focused, while ChatGPT offers strong coding help within its chat interface. Pricing models vary: ChatGPT Plus is $20/month, Microsoft 365 Copilot is approximately $30/user/month, and Google Gemini AI Pro is $19.99/month with an Ultra tier around $39.99. In terms of privacy, Microsoft and Google do not use enterprise data for training, while OpenAI offers similar protection for paid plans and gives users control over memory and data retention.

Recent developments include OpenAI deprecating GPT-4 in favor of GPT-4o, Microsoft expanding its Copilot ecosystem and Windows AI features, and Google releasing Gemini 2.5 models while expanding Gemini access through Google One and Workspace.

1. Model Names & Versions

• ChatGPT (OpenAI): Uses the GPT-4 architecture and its variants. As of mid-2025, the flagship model is GPT-4o, a faster, multimodal successor to GPT-4 that excels across text, voice, and vision tasks. OpenAI also provides specialized variants: GPT-4.1 (optimized for coding and precise instructions) and GPT-4.1 Mini (a compact, efficient model surpassing the older GPT-4o mini). Earlier models (GPT-3.5 series) remain available for lightweight use. (No official GPT-5 is released as of June 2025.)

• Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft): Copilot (in Microsoft 365 and Windows) is powered by OpenAI’s technology under the hood. The Copilot Chat service uses GPT-4o for its AI chat capabilities. GitHub Copilot (the coding assistant) uses an OpenAI-derived code-completion model (newly upgraded to GPT-4o). These models are fine-tuned with Microsoft’s proprietary data (e.g. Microsoft Graph) for work tasks. (Microsoft has no separate in-house LLM brand; it relies on OpenAI-based models via Azure OpenAI.)

• Google Gemini (Google/DeepMind): Gemini is Google’s family of LLMs. By mid-2025 this includes Gemini 1.x and Gemini 2.x series. Notably, Gemini 2.0 (released Feb 2025) introduced several variants – 2.0 Flash (fast, efficient), 2.0 Pro (top-of-line for coding/reasoning with very large context windows), and 2.0 Flash-Lite (cost-optimized). In June 2025 Google launched Gemini 2.5, expanding the family with updated 2.5 Flash, 2.5 Pro, and a new 2.5 Flash-Lite (highest performance and efficiency yet). Earlier Gemini 1.5 models (Flash and Pro) are still in use, and Google offers a premium “Gemini Advanced” with Ultra 1.0 (most capable, launched Feb 2024) for subscribers.

2. Capabilities

• ChatGPT: Excels in natural language understanding and generation across domains (creative writing, Q&A, summarization, translation, etc.). Its multimodal GPT-4o model natively supports images, voice, and video (e.g. advanced voice chats that see/hear video input). GPT-4o shows strong performance on writing and reasoning tasks (improving on GPT-4). For coding, GPT-4.1 is even better: it “excels at coding tasks” and web development, outperforming GPT-4o in precise instruction-following. ChatGPT offers rich tools integration: built-in web browsing (search), code interpreter (file upload + Python execution), DALL·E image generation, and plugins. It supports complex reasoning via chain-of-thought, math, and specialized modules (e.g. question-answering via WolframAlpha). Multiturn conversations benefit from its long context and new memory features (see §4). Benchmark-wise, OpenAI reports GPT-4o surpasses GPT-4 on writing, coding, and STEM problems.

• Microsoft Copilot: Focuses on productivity and enterprise contexts. Copilot Chat (formerly Bing Chat Enterprise) provides GPT-4o-powered conversational AI that can access the web (via Bing) and Microsoft Graph data (emails, docs, calendars) to answer queries. It offers task-specific “agents” for summarizing emails, meetings, etc., and developer tools for process automation. Copilot is integrated into Office apps: e.g. rewriting text in Word, generating slides in PowerPoint, analyzing trends in Excel, summarizing Teams chats, drafting emails in Outlook, etc. (These use the LLM via API calls or sometimes built-in AI features.) Microsoft also offers GitHub Copilot (for code) and Copilot in VS Code, which use the same underlying GPT-4o model for code completion. Copilot’s multimodality is more limited: Windows Copilot (on Copilot+ PCs) is beginning to offer vision features (Search by image, image summarization), and there is a Talk Back voice assistant feature, but it’s not as developed as ChatGPT’s voice mode. Copilot’s reasoning is oriented around productivity workflows rather than open-ended tasks.

• Google Gemini: Gemini was built for broad multimodal AI. All models understand text, and Pro/Ultra models can process images, video, and audio. (Gemini 1.0 introduced vision/audio; 2.0 expanded to video and larger contexts.) The top Gemini models excel at coding (Gemini Pro is world-leading on coding benchmarks), math, and complex reasoning, and have extremely large context windows (up to 1,000,000 tokens in Gemini 2.5 Pro). Google emphasizes Gemini’s ability to call tools and data: Bard/Gemini can perform real-time web search and multi-step reasoning (e.g. via the “AI Overviews” in Search). It can generate and edit images/videos (e.g. Google’s Flow/Veo models for video, Magic Editor for photos) and supports voice and vision tasks through Google Assistant (e.g. describing pictures, caption generation). Recent updates improved its security (RL-based self-critique). In benchmarks, Google claims Gemini 2.0 Pro has “strongest coding performance and ability to handle complex prompts” of any model to date.

3. Integrations & Access

• ChatGPT: Accessible via ChatGPT.com (web browser) and official mobile apps (iOS/Android). It has plugins and can be embedded via the OpenAI API. Users can build and share custom GPTs (private or public) that combine instructions, knowledge, and web tools. ChatGPT is also offered as a desktop app. It is deeply integrated: GitHub, Slack, and other third-party apps have ChatGPT integration, and OpenAI provides an API for developers. OpenAI’s memory feature allows it to recall past chats to maintain context. For web browsing, ChatGPT can use a built-in search tool.

• Microsoft Copilot: Deeply woven into Microsoft’s ecosystem. Copilot Chat is available in the Microsoft 365 Copilot app (the updated Microsoft 365 app), in Teams, in Outlook, and via a web portal (m365copilot.com). Copilot is also built into Windows 11 (the “Copilot” button) and Microsoft Edge. GitHub Copilot is an IDE plugin for Visual Studio/VS Code. Microsoft provides Copilot Studio, a platform for creating custom AI-powered agents for specific tasks. Azure OpenAI allows organizational developers to use the same models. Copilot also integrates with Microsoft Graph: it can pull your emails, documents, meetings, etc., to answer work-specific queries (subject to permissions and compliance). Microsoft Teams provides a Copilot for meetings (auto-notes), and Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate) is gaining Copilot features.

• Google Gemini: Offered via the Gemini app (web and mobile) and Google Assistant. Users interact with Gemini through Bard (gemini.google.com), a new mobile app (Android/iOS) or by invoking it in Google Search (AI Overviews). On Android, Gemini is integrated into Google Assistant on Pixel phones and available via the Google app. For developers and enterprises, Gemini models can be accessed through Google Cloud’s Vertex AI APIs. Gemini is (or will be) built into Google Workspace: Gmail “Help me write,” Docs writing suggestions, Slides/Sheets AI tools, and the Chrome browser AI assistant (US only). Google’s I/O 2025 announced Gemini in Search’s AI Mode and overviews, and experimental “AI agents” (Project Astra/Mariner). Thus, Gemini spans consumer Google products (Search, Assistant, Photos) and enterprise Google Cloud/Workspace.

4. Unique Features

• ChatGPT:

  • Memory & Personalization: Long-term memory (for Plus/Pro, soon free) lets ChatGPT remember user preferences and past chats, tailoring responses over time. Users control memory (can view/forget stored facts or disable it).

  • Custom GPTs: Users can easily create and share specialized “GPTs” (custom ChatGPT instances) combining instructions, knowledge, and tools. A GPT Store showcases public GPTs.

  • Voice and Vision: ChatGPT offers an Advanced Voice mode using GPT-4o, enabling natural spoken conversations (with emotion and intonation) and supporting real-time image/video analysis during a chat. It can also handle screen-sharing or photo uploads mid-conversation.

  • Tools & Plugins: Beyond basic chat, ChatGPT Plus/Enterprise can use built-in tools (Web Browser, Code Interpreter, DALL·E image generator, etc.) or third-party plugins (e.g. Wolfram, Zapier). ChatGPT also introduced “Projects” and “Tasks” for structured workflows.

  • Continuous Improvement: Rapid model updates (like GPT-4.1) and user testing channels (Deep Research, priority access) are unique to OpenAI’s ecosystem.

• Microsoft Copilot:

  • Copilot Studio & Agents: A platform to build custom AI “agents” for tasks (called Copilot Studio) is unique, enabling automated workflows in a business context.

  • Enterprise Context: Copilot can “remember” company info via Microsoft Graph; Copilot Chat has secure “green-shield” UI. It obeys enterprise policies (data classification, retention) seamlessly.

  • Windows Copilot+ (Recall): Copilot+ PCs have on-device AI (via NPU). Unique features like Recall (visual timeline search of your PC’s history) and Click-to-Do (AI-powered shortcuts on screen content) run locally, addressing privacy concerns.

  • Office Integration: Copilot acts as co-author in Office: e.g. it can regenerate document drafts, design presentations with company branding, and pivot data in Excel. Copilot Chat also supports Document Uploads (Teams/PPT/Word) and Image Generation within chats.

  • Developer Ecosystem: In addition to GitHub Copilot (code completion), Microsoft offers Power Platform Copilots (for low-code apps) and a Copilot-powered command-line (PowerToys CLI).

• Google Gemini:

  • Search Integration: Gemini is closely tied to Google Search: “AI Overviews” can summarize search results, and Google Assistant on devices now uses Gemini for tasks.

  • Deep Research (AI): Google’s AI Pro plan offers “Deep Research” – Gemini browses and analyzes hundreds of websites to generate comprehensive reports. This is a unique multi-page real-time browsing AI service.

  • Generative Media: Google offers state-of-the-art image and video generation (Veo 3 for video, Veo 2 for image animation, etc.) integrated with Gemini. The AI plans include Film/Flow tools.

  • On-Device AI: Certain Gemini-powered features run on-device (Pixel camera AI editing, Assistant features) – not directly comparable but notable.

  • Large Context & Security: Gemini’s context window (up to 1M tokens for 2.5 Pro) is among the largest. Google emphasizes safety via in-model critiquing of responses.

  • Workspace Features: Through Google Workspace, Gemini gets enterprise features (see below). Google’s “Project Mariner” is developing agentic support for multi-step tasks.

5. Latest News & Developments (mid-2025)

• ChatGPT: In April 2025 OpenAI retired GPT-4 in ChatGPT, making GPT-4o the new default. In May 2025 ChatGPT introduced GPT-4.1 (and GPT-4.1 Mini) to all paid users, boosting coding and reasoning quality. ChatGPT also expanded its Memory to reference all past chats (April 2025). OpenAI’s developer news includes Sora (video generation) and custom APIs, but no GPT-5 release yet.

• Microsoft Copilot: Windows 11’s Copilot PC features were fully released in April 2025: Recall (opt-in visual timeline of all user activity) and Click-to-Do arrived on Copilot+ PCs. At Build 2025 Microsoft emphasized Copilot Studio (AI agents) and announced Copilot for Outlook Mobile and Teams enhancements. GitHub Copilot got a GPT-4o code model in VS (Dec 2024). Microsoft also notes Copilot Chat has about 20M weekly users vs ~400M for ChatGPT.

• Google Gemini: Major updates: Gemini 2.0 launched (Feb 2025) with new models (Flash, Pro, etc.). Google I/O 2025 (May) announced Gemini 2.5 rolling out to Search and Code Assist; 2.5 Pro topped coding benchmarks and 2.5 Flash-Lite preview was revealed. Google renamed Bard to Gemini, launched a new Gemini mobile app, and debuted Gemini Advanced (Ultra 1.0) for Google One subscribers. Also, Google expanded Gemini to Workspace (Docs/Gmail) via its AI Pro/Ultra subscriptions.

6. Common Use Cases

• Productivity: ChatGPT is used for drafting emails/reports, brainstorming, drafting code, tutoring, and general Q&A. Copilot targets work tasks: summarizing meeting minutes, creating slide decks with company data, analyzing spreadsheets, and automating workflows. Gemini (Bard) is often used as a smarter search assistant (detailed answers to queries), writing help in Gmail/Docs, and for on-the-go help via Assistant (e.g. take a photo of a flat tire for repair instructions).

• Creative: All three support creativity. ChatGPT with DALL·E for illustrations, poetry/story writing, scriptwriting. Copilot in PowerPoint/Word can stylize content and help design. Gemini offers image edits (Magic Editor) and video creation (Veo) in its AI plans. Gemini’s large knowledge base also aids content research and ideation.

• Coding: ChatGPT (and GPT-4.1) is widely used for code generation, debugging, and explaining code. GitHub Copilot (Microsoft) is a dedicated coding assistant in IDEs. Google’s Gemini Code Assist (free and paid tiers) and integrations (AI Studio/Vertex) are used for code generation, especially web development. Google claims Gemini 2.5 Pro excels in coding tasks on leaderboards.

• Education: ChatGPT is used by students/teachers as a tutor or for study aids (with some debate about misuse). Copilot for Education offers data analysis and presentation help (e.g. Copilot in Teams classrooms). Gemini powers Google’s educational tools (e.g. Socratic AI features) and can generate quizzes or explain concepts (the I/O blog suggests it can tutor by generating step-by-step lessons).

• Enterprise: ChatGPT Enterprise (now “Team/Enterprise” plans) is used for secure internal Q&A and knowledge management. Microsoft Copilot is deeply focused on enterprise adoption (automating business processes, CRM/power apps, compliance, reporting). Google Gemini in Workspace offers AI to enterprises (e.g. automatic email drafts, slide creation) and is integrated with Cloud AI solutions for business.

7. Pricing & Plans

• ChatGPT: Offers a free tier (limited GPT-4o use, GPT-3.5 unlimited), and subscriptions: ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) gives general access to GPT-4o and advanced features. There are higher tiers: ChatGPT Pro ($200/month) for unlimited access and priority. Business offerings include Team ($25/user/month annual, $30 monthly) and Enterprise ($30+/user with bulk pricing via sales). Team/Enterprise plans include advanced security/compliance and unlimited GPT-4o usage.

• Microsoft Copilot: For consumers, Copilot Chat is free with any Microsoft 365 account. For business, Microsoft 365 Copilot (full) is an add-on: about $30 per user/month (annual commitment) on top of a Microsoft 365 subscription. (For example, Business Basic + Copilot bundles for ~$36/user.) GitHub Copilot (for developers) is $10/user/month, with free/student plans. Windows Copilot features are free on supported devices.

• Google Gemini: Basic Gemini (formerly Bard) use is free with a Google account. For premium access, Google introduced AI plans: Google AI Pro ($19.99/month) and AI Ultra ($39.99/month after a trial) in Google One. The Pro plan gives expanded Gemini (up to 2.5 Pro model and Deep Research) and extras like video generation credits. Ultra adds highest limits, the (soon) Deep Think model, and agent previews. Google also offers enterprise licensing for Gemini via Google Workspace (included in Business/Enterprise editions with model-training opt-out). Developer API usage is billed per token in Google Cloud; Google AI Studio free tier is available with paid tiers for higher usage.

8. Privacy & Data Handling

• ChatGPT: OpenAI’s policies differentiate free vs business use. By default, user inputs in ChatGPT can be used to train/improve models unless the user opts out. However, ChatGPT Team/Enterprise promises that organizational data is not used for training by default. OpenAI provides controls to delete data or disable training. ChatGPT also allows users to delete individual memories or disable memory entirely.

• Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft applies enterprise-grade protection. User prompts and Copilot’s responses are not used to train OpenAI’s models; they remain private and are used only for the intended response. Data is encrypted in transit/rest, governed by the customer’s Azure/Microsoft 365 compliance rules. Microsoft Graph data is accessed with user permission and not shared outside the tenant. Any web search queries go through Bing with anonymization (no training or ad targeting). In summary, Microsoft assures customers: “We won’t use your data except as you instruct”.

• Google Gemini: Google provides strong protections for Workspace customers: Gemini for Google Workspace ensures prompts and outputs are not used for model training or human review, and data stays within the organization. The Workspace data falls under Google’s Business DPA and privacy safeguards. Conversely, free consumer use of Gemini (Bard) is governed by Google’s terms: user inputs may be logged and used to improve services (with anonymization), and Google’s policies apply. Google also offers on-device processing for certain features (e.g. Assistant queries) to enhance privacy. In all cases, Google states it will not train its LLMs on enterprise user content without permission.

9. Side-by-Side Comparison

Dimension	ChatGPT (OpenAI)	Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft)	Google Gemini (Google)
LLM Versions	GPT-4o (flagship, multimodal); GPT-4.1 (coding); GPT-4.1 mini.	GPT-4o (in Copilot Chat). GitHub Copilot uses GPT-4o code model.	Gemini 2.5 (Flash, Pro, Flash-Lite); Gemini 2.0 series (Flash/Pro/Lite); Gemini Advanced (Ultra 1.0) for premium users.
NLP & Reasoning	Strong general NLP, creative writing, summarization; improved reasoning (exceeds GPT-4).	Strong enterprise-focused answers; uses Bing search and Org data for up-to-date info. Good at business Q&A.	Strong across knowledge domains; state-of-art reasoning. 2.5 Pro leads benchmarks (coding, math). Real-time web grounding via Search.
Multimodal	Images, voice, and video (via GPT-4o). Supports image uploads and voice chat with emotion.	Limited. Windows Copilot+ has on-device vision (webcam analysis) and voice on some devices. Primarily text-based.	Fully multimodal: images, video, audio, and text. (Gemini 2.x added video/audio). Google Assistant integration.
Coding Support	Very strong (GPT-4.1 model), code interpreter, GitHub integration.	GitHub Copilot IDE plugin (GPT-4o code); also Copilot pages for low-code. Copilot can review/provide code snippets.	Gemini Code Assist for developers; strong web dev/coding (2.5 Pro); BigQuery/Colab AI tools.
Integrations & Access	Web (chat.openai.com), iOS/Android apps, plugins/API, custom GPTs.	Built into Microsoft 365 apps (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.) and Windows 11 (Copilot key); Edge/Bing Chat. GitHub, Power Platform, Azure AI.	Google Bard/Gemini web & mobile apps; Google Assistant on Android; Chrome (AI sidebar); Workspace (Gmail/Docs); Vertex AI/Cloud API; Search AI Mode.
Unique Features	Long-term memory for personalization; custom GPTs builder; advanced voice chat; plugins (Wolfram, etc.).	Copilot Studio (custom enterprise agents); Windows Recall (local activity search); Graph-based organizational memory; integrated data protection.	AI Overviews in Search; on-device AI (Pixel features); video generation (Flow/Veo); extremely large context (1M tokens); Deep Research (AI browsing).
Recent News	April 2025: GPT-4o deployed in ChatGPT (GPT-4 retired). May 2025: GPT-4.1 release. Enhanced memory (Apr 2025).	Apr 2025: Windows Copilot Recall, Click-to-Do rolled out on Copilot+ PCs. Build 2025: Copilot Studio and new Teams features announced. GitHub Copilot got GPT-4o model update.	Feb 2025: Gemini 2.0 launched (Flash/Pro models). May 2025 (I/O): Gemini 2.5 announced, coming to Search. Bard rebranded Gemini Advanced ($19.99). Workspace Gemini rolled out.
Use Cases	Creative writing, drafting, research Q&A, coding assistance, tutoring, language translation. Many personal/productivity uses via apps and plugins.	Enterprise productivity: summarizing meetings/emails, generating docs/spreadsheets, data analysis, automating workflows. Developer coding via GitHub Copilot. Windows device task assistance.	Enhanced search, writing/editing help (emails, docs), data analysis. Creative media (images, videos). Code generation. Mobile tasks (via camera/voice). Large-scale research reports.
Pricing	Free tier (GPT-3.5, limited GPT-4 usage). Plus: $20/mo (GPT-4o access). Team: $25/user/mo (annual) or $30 user/mo monthly. Enterprise: ~ $30/user/mo (contact sales).	Copilot Chat: free with M365. Microsoft 365 Copilot (full): ~$30/user/mo (annual commitment) on top of M365. Business Basic+Copilot: ~$36/user. GitHub Copilot: $10/user/mo. Windows Copilot is free.	Free: basic Gemini (Bard). Google AI Pro: $19.99/mo (Gemini 2.5 Pro & Deep Research). Google AI Ultra: ~$39.99+/mo (higher limits, forthcoming Ultra 2.x). Enterprise: included with Workspace editions. API pay-as-you-go by usage.
Data Privacy	Consumer: Chats may be logged/used to improve models (opt-out available). Enterprise/Team: Data not used for training by default, strong encryption/compliance. Memory with user control.	Enterprise: Prompts and data are encrypted and kept private; “we won’t use your data except as you instruct”. No customer data used to train OpenAI models. Web searches anonymized (no ad targeting).	Workspace (enterprise): Inputs not used for model training or human review; data stays within organization. Consumer: Queries may be used (anonymized) to improve Google’s services under its privacy policy. Workspace content protected by Google’s data-regional and DLP policies.

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