Overview

A common question we get is, when to choose one enterprise tool over another. It can be difficult to know when to invest in an AI tool, or when the ones provided at no cost can do the trick. The table below compares the three enterprise generative AI tools available at the University of Nebraska. We hope it helps you identify the right tool for you.

Comparing Enterprise Tools
Categories	Microsoft Copilot Chat (basic, free version)	Microsoft 365 Copilot (advanced, paid version)	ChatGPT EDU
Availability & Cost	$0 - Included as a part of our Microsoft 365 Suite package.	$200 per year (renews October 1) - Prorated throughout the year	$0 - Any approved faculty & staff can have access to the core license of ChatGPT. Credit allotment differs per campus.
Available for	Faculty, Staff, and Students	Faculty and Staff	Faculty, Staff, and Students
Security	Enterprise-grade security	Enterprise-grade security	Enterprise-grade security
Features included	Regular Chat, Web Search, Agents (limited), Teach or Learn, Pages, File Uploads	Web Search, MS365 integration (Work IQ), Agents, Notebooks, Teach, Pages, Copilot Studio Access, File Uploads, Document Editing, Presentation Builder	Image Generation, Deep Research, Web Search, Plugins, Skills, File Uploads
Models Available	GPT-5.6 Quick Response, and GPT-5.6 Think Deeper	ChatGPT's GPT-5.6 Quick Response and GPT-5.6 Think Deeper, Claude's Sonnet and Opus	GPT-5.5 Instant, 5.6 Sol Instant, 5.6 Luna (replaced thinking mini), GPT-5.6 Sol (Medium/High), GPT-5.6 Sol Pro
Where it works	Web browser and integrated in select Microsoft 365 Apps (Outlook, Teams)	Web browser and integrated into Microsoft 365 apps (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, etc.)	Web Browser and ChatGPT App
Key Strengths	Brainstorming Drafting or rewriting emails, etc. Summarizing documents, articles, etc. Explaining technical concepts	Everything Copilot Chat can do and… Integration with the Microsoft Suite More automated workflows Access to building more advanced agents with Copilot Studio Access to ChatGPT and Claude Models	Everything Copilot Chat can do and… Deep research Projects Skills and plugins Codex/Work (for those with coding/programming backgrounds)
Key Constraint(s)	Limited abilities, older models, no integration into most Microsoft apps.	Uses ChatGPT models, so not always as advanced as ChatGPT Edu	Advanced models and features require additional credits (additional cost).
Why you’d pick a tool over others	You will only be using an AI tool for quick brainstorming sessions, individual document summaries, or easy tasks.	You work regularly within the Microsoft suite and want an AI tool that can be integrated into your workflow more seamlessly.	You want more advanced features with your base account (no cost). You complete a lot of deep dives on topics for work or research. You’re wanting to create skills to share with students for learning, work, or research purposes.