If you pay for Microsoft 365, your next renewal is going to look different from your last one. Since 1 July 2026, Microsoft has restructured its Business plans so that Copilot, its AI assistant, is now bundled into Business Standard and Business Premium by default, rather than sitting next to them as an optional extra. On Microsoft's own current UK pricing page1, Business Standard with Copilot lists at £18.10 a user a month, and Business Premium with Copilot at £24.60. Business Basic, the plan without Copilot, stays at £5.40.
What's actually changed
Copilot used to be something you added deliberately, a roughly £30-a-month decision layered on top of whichever Business plan you already had. That's no longer how Standard and Premium are sold. Copilot is now the default they come with, and Microsoft's public pricing page for new UK purchases doesn't show a Standard or Premium option without it any more. If you specifically don't want it, Basic is now the only tier that skips it, with a separate Copilot add-on available for £13.80 a month as a promotional rate running from 1 July to 31 December 20261, rising to £16.10 after that.
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What to check on your account
- Log into the Microsoft 365 admin centre and confirm exactly which plan and price you're currently billed at, not what plan you think you signed up for.
- If your renewal falls before 31 December 2026, ask your reseller directly whether you're being moved onto a 'with Copilot' tier automatically, and what that does to your bill.
- Check whether anyone in your business actually opens Copilot day to day. A licence nobody uses is now harder to avoid paying for, since it's bundled rather than optional.
Worth a second look, not a shrug
None of this means Copilot itself is worth dismissing. For a small business already living inside Word, Excel and Outlook, having a genuinely capable assistant built into tools people already open every day is a real thing to be curious about, not just a line item to resent. The honest version of this story is two-sided: you're likely paying a bit more than you were, and you now also have the tool sitting right there to actually try, properly, before deciding it's not for you.
How much does Microsoft 365 Copilot cost for a small business?
As of Microsoft's current UK pricing, Copilot comes bundled into Business Standard (£18.10/user/month) and Business Premium (£24.60/user/month) by default. If you're on Business Basic and want to add Copilot separately, it's £13.80/user/month at the promotional rate running from 1 July to 31 December 2026, rising to £16.10 after that.
Is Copilot included in Microsoft 365 Business Standard now?
Yes. Since 1 July 2026, Microsoft's public pricing for new UK purchases of Business Standard and Business Premium bundles Copilot in by default rather than selling it as a separate add-on.
Can I still get Microsoft 365 without Copilot?
Business Basic remains available without Copilot at £5.40/user/month. Microsoft's current UK pricing page does not list a Standard or Premium option without Copilot included, though existing customers on older plans may retain their current setup until their next renewal.
When did the new Microsoft 365 prices take effect?
The changes took effect on 1 July 2026 for new subscriptions and renewals from that date onward. The Copilot add-on's promotional pricing runs from 1 July to 31 December 2026, after which it steps up from £13.80 to £16.10 a month.