Around
Microsoft Copilot
| Feature | Around | Microsoft Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $10.99/mo | Free / from $20/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Best For | remote-teams, quick-standups, pair-programming, distributed-teams | microsoft-365-users, enterprise, students, office-workers |
| Founded | 2020 | 2023 |
| Floating Video | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Leveling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Noise Cancellation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Screen Sharing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reactions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Virtual Backgrounds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Web Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Image Generation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Document Drafting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Excel Analysis | ✗ | ✓ |
| Teams Summarization | ✗ | ✓ |
| Code Assistance | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Around Pros
- Lightweight and fast
- Minimal floating interface
- Good noise cancellation
- Reduces meeting fatigue
✗ Around Cons
- Limited features vs Zoom
- Smaller user base
- No recording on free
✓ Microsoft Copilot Pros
- Free access to GPT-4 via Bing integration
- Deep integration with Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Teams)
- Real-time web search with citations
- Image generation with DALL-E 3 included
✗ Microsoft Copilot Cons
- Microsoft 365 Copilot requires enterprise license
- Less customizable than ChatGPT
- Responses can be overly cautious or generic
The Verdict
Around is built for remote teams and quick standups, with a focus on floating-video and auto-leveling. Microsoft Copilot targets microsoft 365 users and enterprise and leads with chat and web-search.
On pricing, Around is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $10.99/mo compared to $20/mo for Microsoft Copilot. That $9.01/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Microsoft Copilot offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Around takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.