ChatGPT for business: how it compares with Claude and Copilot, and when to go custom
Short answer: ChatGPT Business costs $20 a user a month billed yearly, or $25 billed monthly, as of October 2026. Claude Team costs the same, and Microsoft 365 Copilot Business is listed at $18 a user a month on a yearly plan. All three business plans say they don't train their models on your business data by default. A custom AI tool makes more sense when the AI must work inside your own systems or follow your own process.
You're already using ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot at work and want to know whether a business plan is enough, or whether you need something built around it.
I'm Ranjit, and I run Blur Studio: 15+ years building software, 120 apps taken live, and clients who have gone on to raise $10M+. I build AI systems and processes that help businesses do a lot more with a lot less time. I also work differently from most of what else is out there, more on that further down this page. Say hello.
What is ChatGPT for business?
OpenAI sells two main plans for companies. ChatGPT Business is for small and mid-sized teams. ChatGPT Enterprise is for larger companies that need custom terms.
ChatGPT Business used to be called ChatGPT Team. OpenAI renamed it on August 29, 2025. OpenAI says this was a name change only, and the features, prices and limits stayed the same.
What does ChatGPT Business cost?
As of October 2026, OpenAI's help center lists these seat prices.
- Standard seat: $20 per user a month on an annual plan, or $25 on a monthly plan.
- Premium seat: $100 per user a month on an annual plan, or $125 on a monthly plan.
A workspace needs at least two paid seats, and you can mix seat types. Workspaces created from August 24, 2026 can have up to 200 paid seats in total.
What does ChatGPT Enterprise cost?
OpenAI does not publish an Enterprise price. Its pricing page lists custom pricing, and you contact sales for a quote.
How does OpenAI treat business data?
OpenAI's enterprise privacy page says it does not train its models on your data by default. This covers ChatGPT Business, Enterprise and Edu, and its API. Data is used for training only if you opt in.
The same page says you own your inputs and outputs, where the law allows. Other points on that page include these.
- Business: Workspace admins can control how long data is kept. Deleted chats are removed from OpenAI's systems within 30 days, unless the law requires longer.
- Enterprise: Admins control how long data is kept.
- Audits: OpenAI says ChatGPT Business has completed a SOC 2 Type 2 audit. SOC 2 is an outside check of a company's security controls.
These promises apply to the business plans. A staff member's personal ChatGPT account is a separate account under separate terms. So move work use onto the business workspace.
What is Claude for business?
Claude is the AI assistant made by Anthropic. It offers a Team plan and an Enterprise plan. As of October 2026, Anthropic's pricing page lists these prices.
| Claude plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro (one person) | $20 a month | $17 a month, paid as $200 up front | 1 |
| Team, standard seat | $25 a seat | $20 a seat | 2 to 150 |
| Team, premium seat | $125 a seat | $100 a seat | 2 to 150 |
| Enterprise | Not offered | $20 a seat a month, plus usage at API rates | 20 minimum |
The Enterprise price works differently. You pay a seat fee plus the cost of what your team uses. So your bill depends on how much your staff use Claude.
How does Anthropic treat business data?
Anthropic's pricing page says Team includes no model training on your content by default. For Enterprise, the model training row says there is none by default. On the Free, Pro and Max plans, model training is listed as opt-out, so each user has to turn it off.
What is Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Microsoft 365 Copilot puts AI into Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and other Microsoft apps. It suits businesses that already run on Microsoft 365. As of October 2026, Microsoft lists these prices per user a month on an annual plan.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Business add-on: $18, down from a listed $21. Billed monthly, it is $25.20.
- Business Standard with Copilot: $23.50.
- Business Premium with Copilot: $32.
Eligible Microsoft 365 plans also come with Copilot Chat, a web-based AI chat, at no added cost. It says some advanced AI features have usage-based billing on top.
How does Microsoft treat business data?
Microsoft says that with enterprise data protection in Copilot, prompts and responses stay within the Microsoft 365 service boundary. It also says prompts and responses are not used to train the underlying AI models.
How do ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot compare?
| ChatGPT Business | Claude Team | Microsoft 365 Copilot Business | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price, annual | $20 per user a month | $20 per seat a month | $18 per user a month, as an add-on |
| Starting price, monthly | $25 per user a month | $25 per seat a month | $25.20 per user a month |
| Minimum seats | 2 | 2 | Needs an eligible Microsoft 365 plan |
| Training on your data | Not by default | Not by default | Microsoft says prompts and responses are not used to train its models |
| Works best for | General writing, research and analysis across many tasks | Long documents, writing and work across connected apps | Teams that live in Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams |
All prices are as of October 2026 and come from each vendor's own pages.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose ChatGPT Business if: Your team wants one general AI assistant for many kinds of tasks, and most staff already know ChatGPT.
- Choose Claude Team if: Your team works with long documents and writing, or you want Claude to work across apps such as Google Drive and Slack.
- Choose Microsoft 365 Copilot if: Your business already runs on Microsoft 365 and you want AI inside the apps your team opens every day.
Many teams test two of them for a month before they decide. Give a few staff each tool, use them on real work and compare.
How do you roll out an AI assistant safely?
- Write a short AI policy: Say which tool staff may use for work and what data they must never paste in. Examples include card numbers, health records and passwords.
- Move everyone onto the business plan: Ask staff to stop using personal accounts for work.
- Set data controls: In the admin settings, set how long chats are kept and who can share what.
- Train staff for an hour: Show them good uses for their own job. Tell them to check every fact, number and quote the AI gives.
- Review after 30 days: Ask what saved time and what went wrong. Adjust your policy.
For more ideas on where AI helps a small team, see my guide to AI for small business.
What is shadow AI, and why does it matter?
Before you roll out an official plan, it is worth checking what is already happening. Staff commonly paste real company information, client details, draft contracts, internal numbers, into personal ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini accounts they signed up for themselves, with no business agreement, no admin oversight and no guarantee about how that data is handled. This is sometimes called shadow AI, and it is extremely common precisely because these tools are genuinely useful and free to start using.
The fix is not a ban, which people quietly ignore, it is giving staff a sanctioned business account that is actually good enough that they prefer it, paired with a short, specific policy on what can and cannot go into any AI tool, personal or business. Ask what is already being pasted into personal accounts before you roll anything out officially, the honest answer is usually more than owners expect.
When is a custom AI tool better than ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot?
These assistants are good general helpers. A person still has to copy information in, read the answer and act on it. A custom AI tool does a set job inside your own systems. It makes more sense in these cases.
- The AI must use your own data: It needs to read your job records, price lists or client files from a custom database or portal.
- The task repeats all day: Staff paste the same kind of thing into ChatGPT many times a day. A tool that does it automatically saves more time.
- You need consistent results: Quotes, reports or replies must follow your rules every time, with the same format.
- You have many seats: Per-seat fees for a large team add up, while the AI cost of one focused tool may be lower.
- You must control the data: You need to decide where data lives, who sees it and how long it is kept.
- Your tools don't talk to each other: One custom tool can connect your CRM, inbox and accounting software.
For example, a firm might have staff paste each new client email into ChatGPT to draft a reply. A custom tool could read the email and look up the client in the CRM. Then it could draft the reply in the firm's style and wait for a person to approve it. If you want to try a simple version yourself first, read my guide on how to build an AI agent. For company documents and policies, an AI knowledge base is often the right first build.
How does Blur Studio approach custom AI tools?
I start by looking at how your staff use ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot today, including, honestly, what is already happening in personal accounts the business does not control. The tasks they repeat most often are the best candidates for a custom tool. If a business plan already covers your needs, I will tell you to keep it.
When a custom tool makes sense, I build it around one job and connect it to your systems through their APIs, the links that let a tool read and update data in those systems. I add approval steps, logs and access controls. The finished tool, its code and its AI accounts are yours. I can look after the tool after launch as your business changes. See my guide to AI integration services for more on connecting AI to your existing tools.
Questions people ask
How much does ChatGPT for business cost?
As of October 2026, ChatGPT Business costs $20 per user a month on an annual plan, or $25 on a monthly plan, for a standard seat. You need at least two seats. ChatGPT Enterprise has custom pricing.
Is ChatGPT Team the same as ChatGPT Business?
Yes, it is the same plan with a new name. OpenAI renamed ChatGPT Team to ChatGPT Business on August 29, 2025, and said features, prices and limits stayed the same.
Does ChatGPT Business train on my company's data?
OpenAI says it does not train its models on ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu or API data by default. Your data is used for training only if you opt in.
Is Claude or ChatGPT better for business?
Both are strong general assistants, and their Team and Business plans cost the same as of October 2026. Test each one on your own real tasks for a few weeks, then pick the one your staff prefer.
Is Microsoft Copilot worth it for a small business?
It is worth testing if your team already works in Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams. As of October 2026, Microsoft lists the Copilot Business add-on at $18 per user a month on an annual plan.
What is shadow AI and is it a real risk for a small business?
Shadow AI is staff using personal, unmanaged AI accounts for work tasks, often pasting in real company or client information. It is a genuine risk because that data sits outside any business agreement or admin oversight. The practical fix is a sanctioned account good enough that people prefer it, not a ban nobody follows.
Does ChatGPT Business train its models on my company's data?
No, by default. OpenAI states that inputs and outputs from Business and Enterprise accounts are excluded from model training unless the organization explicitly opts in. Confirm this setting yourself in the admin console rather than assuming it, since defaults can change.
Roughly what does this cost?
As a broad reference, fixes and finishes start at around $1,500, and new builds start higher, always a fixed price agreed in writing before I start, never an hourly rate. My AI app cost guide explains what actually drives a quote up or down.
Is my project too small for this?
No. Most of the owners I work with have no tech team at all, that is the whole point. If the smarter move is a cheap software subscription instead of custom software, I will tell you that on the first call, even though it means I do not get paid.