Copilot Licensing Guide for Microsoft Excel Users

Introduction to Copilot Licensing For Excel

As an Excel user, the way you can interact with Copilot (and the help it can offer you) comes in three tiers.

This quick reference guide to using Excel alongside different Copilots will help you to:

1. Compare Free Copilot, Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Copilot Per User ✔️
2. Understand what you can do in Excel with each licence tier ✔️
3. Make informed decisions for your team or organisation ✔️

Tier 1) Excel without a Microsoft 365 licence & Free Copilot

If you're using Excel as a standalone app (e.g. not as part of Microsoft 365 or on an older version) and you're using the free version of Copilot, you won't see Copilot inside Excel. But you can still get help:

• Copilot Vision (Windows only): You can point your camera or share your screen with Copilot using Copilot Vision (look for the glasses icon). For example, show it a spreadsheet and ask, "What's the trend here?" or "Can you help clean this data?"
  
  
• Chat-based help: You can copy and paste data into Copilot and ask for formulas, chart ideas or explanations. It won't interact with Excel directly, but it can guide you step-by-step.
  
  

This setup is great for casual users who want help, but don't need deep Excel integration.

Tier 2) Excel with a Microsoft 365 licence & Free Copilot

With a Microsoft 365 subscription, Excel unlocks more pro features and Copilot becomes significantly more useful:

• Copilot in Excel (limited): You may see Copilot appear inside Excel as a sidebar or assistant, depending on your version. It can help with formula suggestions, chart creation and data insights.
  
  
• Better integration: You can give Copilot natural language requests, like "Summarise this table" or "Create a pivot chart for me" and it will work directly with your spreadsheet.
  
  
• Still no advanced features: You won't have access to the most powerful Copilot tools like custom functions or deep automation.
  
  
• Security: This version of Copilot is not integrated into your organisation's information, security and governance policies via Microsoft Graph.
  
  

Tier 3) Excel with Microsoft 365 & Copilot per-user licence

This is the full integrated experience. With both a Microsoft 365 licence and a paid Copilot licence, you unlock premium features and enterprise level performance:

• =COPILOT function: Use this powerful new formula directly in cells (or in the formula bar) to ask Copilot to analyse, summarise or transform data. For example, =COPILOT("Summarise this column") gives instant insights.
  
  
• Natural language commands: Ask Copilot to "Highlight outliers" or "Build a forecast model" and it will do the work for you.
  
  
• Advanced automation: Copilot can clean your data, generate reports and build dashboards, and all from simple prompts.
  
  
• Security & Compliancy: Copilot has access to Microsoft Graph and is embedded in your organisation's information, security and governance. This offers enterprises peace of mind, enhanced data security and mitigates AI-specific risks compared to operating Copilot 'in the wild'.
  
  

This is perfect for analysts and data professionals who want AI to supercharge their Excel workflow.

Summary of How Different Copilots Work with Excel

Note: Although we only cover Copilot business use in this guide, it is worth being aware that for private users they can get access to the =COPILOT function with a Microsoft 365 Premium licence (as well as deep integration with Excel and other Office apps).

Copilot Pro also had this functionality but was retired in December 2025.

If you found this guide useful you might also enjoy:

Copilot Licensing Guide for SharePoint and Teams.

And, 10 Copilot Prompting Tips For Beginners.

Commercial and Corporate Excel Courses for the Public and Private Sectors

How Many People Should Attend Our Private Microsoft Excel Courses?

Whilst the number of people who attend our private Microsoft Excel courses is essentially up to you and depends on the number of learners you have (up to our ten per course limit), we encourage clients to keep class sizes small. This provides a more personable and effective learning experience and allows the trainer to give individual attention to every student.

What is the Teaching Method for Our Microsoft Excel Beginners Courses?

The teaching methodology for our Excel courses is Instructor-led training (ILT), meaning that our courses are engaging, immersive, hands-on and interactive. With this participatory learning method your staff will retain information better, whether they're studying Excel in-person or via live virtual classroom.

And, whilst we're happy to provide lectures, show-and-tells and drop-in surgeries, the ILT approach is by far the most reliable way to bring your Excel know-how to life in a small-class-size setting.

How Long are Our Microsoft Excel Courses?

Usual teaching hours are 9.30AM to 4.30PM with a lunch hour and short breaks morning and afternoon. This timetable is fairly standard across the industry and gives six hours of hands-on Excel learning, which is an optimal day's training for comfortably absorbing and retaining information and completing practice exercises.

If you want a different start time for your course please let us know.

Courses are run week days, during normal business hours.

Why Choose Our Excel Courses?

• Reliability: We have a reputation built on trust and upon two decades worth of experience and expertise in the technology and training industries.
  
  
• Step-by-Step Courses: Instructor-led Excel training provided in-person with engaging step-by-step demos, lessons and hands-on exercises.
  
  
• Q&A Courses: Dynamic and interactive Excel courses with ample time for questions and answers.
  
  
• Flexible Courses: Expert tuition from experienced and trusted specialists, tailored to your team's knowledge level and learning needs, and covering the Excel skills that your trainees need most.
  
  
• Small Class Sizes: Private, corporate Beginners Excel training with a limit of 10 participants to ensure personalised attention.
  
  
• Scalable Courses: Can be run as one or more courses, or as a digital transformation training programme bringing entire departments and organisations up to the benchmark of Excel knowledge and confidence needed.

Microsoft Excel Training Reviews from our UK Customers

Backed by almost 20 years of experience delivering outstanding training to clients across the UK

Consistent & Outstanding Customer Satisfaction for our Excel Courses: 5-Star Rated

Out of students who completed our Excel course questionnaires over the past two years we have an aggregated customer satisfaction score of 4.86/5.0 based on our KPI feedback. Of these 96.36% of our clients would recommend us and 99.09% would recommend our Excel courses.

An excellent, clear and patient tutor who guided me through the course seamlessly.
M Menzies (Online Excel training 365 (virtual classroom))

Can I just pass on my thanks to your team for the training you provided in York. I've had lots of positive feedback from the staff involved.
J Whiley, NHS York and Selby (Excel training York, North Yorkshire)

Really useful. Really knowledgeable trainer.
A Ward, Aeromet (Advanced Excel Training Worcester, Worcestershire)

The trainer explained everything really well. I found the course easy to follow.
V Broxham, Baywa-re Operational Services (Intermediate Excel training Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire)

Happy with everything.
M Aston, Bierce Surveying Ltd (Advanced Excel Training Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire)

We have had a few people over the years but the way the trainer picked up our business and requirements so quickly – all I can is you have a diamond there.
S Jenkins, Concorde Glass (Intermediate Excel Training Grimsby, Lincolnshire)

We all thoroughly enjoyed the course, we learned a great deal and thought Sara was a brilliant trainer, very patient with a fantastic way of teaching us, so thank you for that.
C Waldock, Darlington Borough Council (Intermediate Excel training Darlington, County Durham)

The content covered the exact content required after the beginners course. The information will allow me to improve the spreadsheets currently in use.
L Powell, Dudley Building Society (Intermediate Excel Training Dudley, West Midlands)

Great course!
V Franklin, E-Leather (Excel Beginners Training Peterborough, Cambridgeshire)

The training approach and style was great. Incredibly informative and supportive.
L Shier, One YMCA (Introduction to Excel Training Watford, Hertfordshire)

Great teacher!
J Smith, Fisher German (Intermediate Excel Training Canterbury, Kent)

Its an excellent course. I was impressed by the discovery of so many tools that will facilitate our working life. The trainer is excellent, everything was perfect.
S Green, HW Martin (Beginners Excel Training Cambridgeshire)

Very happy to learn so much.
O Chawishly, LM Information Delivery (Intermediate Excel Training Oxfordshire)

Covered all objectives. Wish We'd had two days.
B Hough, Homebase (VBA for Excel Training Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire)

The course was excellent, covering more in a single day of training than I anticipated would be possible with a high degree of clarity.
Unsigned, New Economy, (VBA for Excel training Manchester, North West)

Very informative, easy to follow. Trainer was clear with his explanations
S Nottingham, Denney O'Hara (Microsoft Excel training Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Excellent day!
L McLachlan, Grange School (Excel training Rochdale, Greater Manchester)

Brilliant Training, went at the right speed [and] was made relevant to work
Kathryn Strong, Tennants Distribution (Excel training Manchester, North West)

Fantastic course, not too much information overload. Explained simple. Exactly what I needed. Many thanks.
K Stobbs, Depuy Spine - A Jonson and Jonson Company (Introductory Excel training Leeds, West Yorkshire)

The flexibility of the course was ideal.
S Walsh, Progress Rail (Advanced Excel training Edinburgh, Midlothian)

The guys who came to the course this week were very impressed with the whole set up and are now eager to attend the next level up.
E Dixon, Connaught PLC (Beginners Excel training Leeds, West Yorkshire)

The course has improved my knowledge of Microsoft Excel and was a good pace so easily understandable. Gerry was very patient and helped each of us where we needed it.
L Muir, Filtronic Broadband (Microsoft Excel training Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Although a total beginner on Excel, I found the course to be extremely helpful.
S Antonie, Filtronic (Excel training Shipley)

Made what I thought was going to be completely foreign to me easy to understand. I can actually see where I can use Excel in my day job now. Max was very good and took the time to make sure we understood. [...] Nothing could be improved.
C Elsmore, Elmwood Design (Excel training Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Straight forward clear exercises, well presented.
Microsoft Excel Beginners Training for a client in Coventry, CV6)

Very Useful.
J Collins, Cooper Research Technology Ltd (Advanced MS Excel Training Ripley, Derbyshire)

Enjoyable and informative.
N. Bell, Cosalt PLC (Excel advanced training Grimsby, Lincolnshire)

The training session went very well and I have had a lot of good feedback from the participants.
P Ogden, InterfaceFLOR (Microsoft Excel Training Halifax West Yorkshire)

Course exceeded expectations.
K. Richards, Ashfield Homes (Microsoft Excel Training Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire)

The day was very well constructed and presented.
D. Coulthand, Crossgates Shopping Centre, Leeds (Intermediate Microsoft Excel Training Leeds, West Yorkshire)

Very happy with the training and with [the trainer] and we would like to use yourselves again.
Microsoft Excel Beginners Training for a client in Sheffield, S4)

Its an excellent course. I was impressed by the discovery of so many tools that will faciliate our working life. The trainer is excellent, everything was perfect.
Microsoft Excel Beginners Training for a client in Peterborough, PE6)

Training very clear. Never felt rushed or pressured to complete tasks. Each item explained and demonstrated very well. Easy to follow
S. Hope, Lear Corporation (Advanced Microsoft Excel Training Coventry, West Midlands)

Good course, good information, good trainer and at a nice tempo
A. Webster, BE Aerospace (Advanced Microsoft Excel Training Hinckley, Leicestershire)

Excellent, the best Excel course I have ever been on. Trainer gave time and patience to us all.
D. Gill, Persimmon Homes (Beginners Microsoft Excel Training Malmesbury, Wiltshire)

A very robust day's training.
T. Camp, Ideal Shopping (Beginners Microsoft Excel Training Peterborough, Cambridgeshire)

The course in Edinburgh was incredible
C. Rowley (Beginners Microsoft Excel Training Edinburgh, Midlothian)

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MS Excel Course Levels

Beginners Excel

- introductory topics for working with Excel spreadsheets

Intermediate Excel

- conditional formatting, VLOOKUP, IF, apply formulas across worksheets, database features, security and conditional formatting etc.

Advanced Excel

- What-If Analysis, PivotTables, PivotCharts, Goal Seek, Sparklines, protecting workbooks, formula auditing etc.

Masterclass Excel

- 'zero to hero' three-day intensive Excel course

Excel for VBA beginners

- one or two day introduction to programming with VBA

Excel Power Query course

- Introduction to using Excel Power Query along with Pivot Tables, Power Pivot and Power Pivot Measures

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