Table of Contents
Can Microsoft Copilot Overcome Its Stagnant User Base Amid ChatGPT’s Dominance?
Microsoft’s Copilot, once launched with high expectations and aggressive marketing, is now facing a sobering reality: user adoption has stagnated. Despite being deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem and pushed to millions of users, Copilot’s weekly active user count has hovered around 20 million for over a year, showing little to no growth. In stark contrast, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has experienced phenomenal success, reaching an astonishing 400 million weekly active users and continuing to grow rapidly.
Key Insights and Figures
Microsoft Copilot
- Weekly active users have plateaued at approximately 20 million since 2024.
- Copilot is automatically installed on Windows and Microsoft 365 systems, often without explicit user consent.
- Despite heavy investments and leadership changes, Copilot has failed to generate excitement or broad consumer engagement.
- Feedback from business users highlights limited usefulness outside enterprise contexts, with many features feeling underdeveloped or unnecessary for everyday tasks.
- Copilot’s primary value lies in its deep integration with Microsoft apps, offering context-aware suggestions within Office, Outlook, Teams, and Excel.
- The price point ($30 per user/month) and additional security requirements have also limited widespread adoption, especially among smaller businesses.
OpenAI ChatGPT
- Weekly active users have soared to 400 million as of March 2025, with projections to reach 1 billion by the end of the year.
- ChatGPT’s rapid growth is driven by its accessibility, versatility, and strong brand recognition.
- Unlike Copilot, ChatGPT is not tied to a specific ecosystem, making it appealing for both personal and professional use.
- Users appreciate ChatGPT’s conversational memory, broader knowledge base, and ability to handle a wide range of queries and creative tasks.
Why Is Copilot Struggling?
Forced Adoption
Many users report that Copilot is installed and activated by default, sometimes against their wishes, leading to negative sentiment and lack of genuine engagement.
Lack of Differentiation
Copilot’s features are tightly linked to Microsoft’s productivity suite, limiting its appeal outside enterprise environments.
Underdeveloped Features
Users describe Copilot as “top-heavy” and not essential for daily life, with many features feeling incomplete or unnecessary.
Pricing and Security Barriers
The high cost and complex security requirements deter smaller organizations and individual users.
ChatGPT’s Winning Formula
- Universal Accessibility: ChatGPT is easy to access and use, with no platform lock-in.
- Rapid Iteration and Improvement: OpenAI continues to enhance ChatGPT’s capabilities, driving user retention and word-of-mouth growth.
- Personalized Experience: ChatGPT’s ability to remember context and provide tailored responses delivers a more engaging and useful experience.
Conclusion
The contrast between Microsoft Copilot’s stagnant growth and ChatGPT’s explosive adoption is striking and concerning for Microsoft. While Copilot remains a useful tool for enterprise productivity, its lack of broad appeal, forced rollout strategy, and underwhelming user experience have resulted in a negative perception and disappointing performance. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, on the other hand, stands as a positive example of how user-focused design and accessibility can drive unprecedented growth and engagement in the AI space.