From 1 December you can buy Microsoft 365 Copilot without a Microsoft 365 plan, a bit like buying the trailer before the ute
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
Microsoft will sell Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Business without a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription from 1 December 2026, at the same price as the current add-on offers.
The short version
- From 1 December 2026, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Business can be bought without a qualifying Microsoft 365 base subscription.
- The new offers cost the same as the current ones, which were renamed with "(add-on)" on 16 October; existing subscriptions need no action.
- Check which Microsoft 365 apps your team actually uses before buying, because Copilot still depends on them.
Until now, Copilot came as an extra on top of a Microsoft 365 plan, like a trailer that only hitched to one brand of ute. Microsoft is changing how it sells it, not what it does.
What is changing with Microsoft 365 Copilot licences?
Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot Business will be sold without a qualifying Microsoft 365 base subscription from 1 December 2026. Microsoft's partner notice, dated 14 October, says the new offers come through every channel, including Microsoft partners, with their own product codes.
Since 16 October, the current offers carry "(add-on)" in their names, such as "Microsoft 365 Copilot Business (add-on)". Partners stop selling those add-ons on 1 December, but existing customers can keep renewing and changing seat numbers.
What does it cost, and what doesn't change?
The new Copilot offers cost the same as the current ones. Microsoft says existing subscriptions need no action: pricing, renewal terms and the service stay as they are.
Microsoft also says Copilot experiences still depend on the Microsoft 365 apps and services you're licensed for. Separately, usage-based billing switched on by default for new Copilot Business licences has moved from 2 November to 1 December, and won't be available in Australia at first.
Should your business do anything about it?
Your business doesn't need to do anything if it already pays for Copilot. The change matters most if you've been put off by needing a Microsoft 365 plan first.
My advice: before you buy, list the Microsoft apps your team actually opens in a week. Copilot works inside the Microsoft 365 apps you're licensed for, so a licence on its own may not do much if nobody uses them.
A trailer is handy. It's handier with something to tow it.
Wondering what this means for your business?
That's exactly what the discovery call is for.