Fellow score factors
Editorial quality82
Practical utility86
Trust & transparency85
Freshness88
Engagement quality7
Momentum100
Decision guide · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026 · AI Meeting Assistants
Fellow
79.3
Microsoft 365 Copilot
79.3Choose Fellow when you need regulated enterprises, financial firms, and security-conscious teams needing botless recording with strict data retention rules. Choose Microsoft 365 Copilot when you need organizations committed to the Microsoft 365 suite seeking secure, permission-governed AI assistance inside Teams, Outlook, Word, and Excel.
At a glance
The practical differences
| Decision factor | Fellow | Microsoft 365 Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | regulated enterprises, financial firms, and security-conscious teams needing botless recording with strict data retention rules | organizations committed to the Microsoft 365 suite seeking secure, permission-governed AI assistance inside Teams, Outlook, Word, and Excel |
| Not ideal for | individuals looking for open-ended free transcription or teams wanting bot-only public web transcription without desktop software | teams running primarily on Google Workspace or lightweight environments without Microsoft 365 licenses |
| Pricing | At the review date (September 2026), Fellow offers a free tier (limited to 5 lifetime AI notes and 5 seats), a Team tier at $7/user/month billed annually ($11 monthly), Business at $15/user/month billed annually ($23 monthly), and Enterprise starting at $25/user/month billed annually (minimum 10 seats). Always verify current tiers on the official pricing page. | At the review date, the standalone Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on starts at a promotional $18.00 per user/month paid annually (originally $21.00; monthly billing is $25.20). Bundled plans like Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot start at $23.50 per user/month paid annually. Copilot Chat is included at no extra cost for eligible commercial users. Check the official pricing page for up-to-date figures. |
| Key difference | Fellow pairs flexible capture—including device-level botless recording—with regulated governance controls like zero-day audio retention, MNPI redaction, and compliance archiving via Global Relay. | Deep, native integration with Microsoft 365 applications, grounded in tenant-wide documents, emails, and meetings via Work IQ while preserving strict Microsoft Purview enterprise permissions. |
| Overall rank | #50 | #49 |
| Review verdict | Fellow is well suited for organizations in regulated sectors or privacy-sensitive corporate environments that need structured meeting records without introducing unvetted recording bots into client calls. It may not fit teams seeking an entirely free ongoing tool, as its free tier is strictly capped at five lifetime AI recordings. | Microsoft 365 Copilot is the premier choice for organizations deeply invested in Word, Teams, Outlook, and SharePoint that want contextual AI embedded directly into daily workflows. It is not suitable for organizations primarily using Google Workspace or those unwilling to license prerequisite Microsoft 365 commercial plans. |
Microsoft 365 Copilot score factors
Editorial quality82
Practical utility92
Trust & transparency85
Freshness91
Engagement quality9
Momentum67
Fellow strengths
- No training on customer data across all plans, including free
- Botless recording operates quietly via desktop app without disrupting client calls
- Robust compliance features including zero-day retention, HIPAA eligibility, and SOC 2 Type II certification
- Integrates with over 50 tools including CRMs, project management software, and Claude
Microsoft 365 Copilot strengths
- Native in-app experience inside standard Microsoft 365 applications
- Inherits organizational permissions, data classification, and retention policies directly
- Customer prompts and data are never used to train foundation models
- Broad feature suite including pre-built agents, Copilot Cowork, and audio Notebook summaries
Frequently asked
Fellow vs Microsoft 365 Copilot
Should I choose Fellow or Microsoft 365 Copilot?+
Choose Fellow when you need regulated enterprises, financial firms, and security-conscious teams needing botless recording with strict data retention rules. Choose Microsoft 365 Copilot when you need organizations committed to the Microsoft 365 suite seeking secure, permission-governed AI assistance inside Teams, Outlook, Word, and Excel. ToolsRank scores Fellow 79.3 and Microsoft 365 Copilot 79.3; the gap reflects editorial quality, utility, trust, and freshness, not popularity or payment.
Is Fellow cheaper than Microsoft 365 Copilot?+
Fellow: At the review date (September 2026), Fellow offers a free tier (limited to 5 lifetime AI notes and 5 seats), a Team tier at $7/user/month billed annually ($11 monthly), Business at $15/user/month billed annually ($23 monthly), and Enterprise starting at $25/user/month billed annually (minimum 10 seats). Always verify current tiers on the official pricing page. Microsoft 365 Copilot: At the review date, the standalone Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on starts at a promotional $18.00 per user/month paid annually (originally $21.00; monthly billing is $25.20). Bundled plans like Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot start at $23.50 per user/month paid annually. Copilot Chat is included at no extra cost for eligible commercial users. Check the official pricing page for up-to-date figures. Compare the plan you would actually use and verify current prices on each vendor's pricing page before purchasing.
Which is better for ai meeting assistants?+
Fellow currently scores higher for ai meeting assistants work. Microsoft 365 Copilot remains the stronger pick when your priority is organizations committed to the Microsoft 365 suite seeking secure, permission-governed AI assistance inside Teams, Outlook, Word, and Excel. Avoid Fellow if you are individuals looking for open-ended free transcription or teams wanting bot-only public web transcription without desktop software.
Can I use Fellow and Microsoft 365 Copilot together?+
Yes. Fellow stands out for fellow pairs flexible capture—including device-level botless recording—with regulated governance controls like zero-day audio retention, MNPI redaction, and compliance archiving via Global Relay. Microsoft 365 Copilot stands out for deep, native integration with Microsoft 365 applications, grounded in tenant-wide documents, emails, and meetings via Work IQ while preserving strict Microsoft Purview enterprise permissions. Pairing them makes sense when one workflow needs both strengths; otherwise pick the tool that matches your primary job.