ChatGPT Plug-In Lands in Microsoft Word as Copilot Alternative

Installing the add-in takes an extra step compared with Copilot if Microsoft's assistant is already part of Microsoft 365, the review said. The ChatGPT add-in is available through Microsoft Marketplace. Once installed, users can open it from the Word ribbon, sign in to their ChatGPT account and use the familiar chatbot in a sidebar. Conversations inside Word remain separate from those in the regular ChatGPT app, and ChatGPT's memory does not carry over into Word.

TechRadar tested both assistants on two tasks. The first was creating a reusable vacation-planning template from a blank document. ChatGPT produced a setup that included travel and accommodation details but also sections for reservation deadlines, estimated travel times, priority activities, backup plans and ideas that had not yet made the itinerary. It left more room for a main activity and optional plans, making the template feel less rigid, according to the review. Copilot generated a more conventional Word template, divided into transportation, accommodation, daily plans, activities, dining and packing. The structure was clean and immediately usable, and because Copilot is closely integrated with Word, adjusting sections and reorganizing the document felt particularly easy. The reviewer preferred ChatGPT's version for flexibility but said Copilot's was easier to start using immediately.

The second test involved editing an old, long set of AirBnB instructions. The reviewer selected a rambling section and asked ChatGPT to shorten it while preserving essential information. According to the review, ChatGPT said the main problem was repetition rather than the amount of information. It noted that the delivery instructions appeared twice and that the location of spare supplies was explained in more detail than a weekend guest likely needed. It recommended keeping Wi-Fi information, the plant-watering schedule and anything involving keys or access clear, while condensing the rest into a short 'Around the house' section.

Copilot can also answer questions about a document, provide summaries, respond to prompts about unclear passages and show references for where information came from, the review said. The reviewer, however, tended to open Copilot only when already knowing what to ask it to do. Selecting text and telling Copilot to rewrite it produces versions that can be replaced or inserted directly into the document, and Microsoft has been adding more advanced editing capabilities that let Copilot make broader changes inside a document.