AI tool privacy · Comparison
ChatGPT vs Microsoft Copilot: how each handles your data
By David Michaelson, MS Last checked October 23, 2026
The short answer
ChatGPT
ChatGPT Business and Enterprise do not train on your data by default; on Free, Plus, and Pro, OpenAI may use your chats to train its models unless you turn that off.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot at work does not use your prompts, responses, or files to train its foundation models; the free personal Copilot app lets you opt out of model training and keeps conversations for 18 months by default.
For a team: compare the plan you would actually buy, not just the brand. The tables below show each plan’s answers, with sources.
Side by side
Every answer links to the vendor’s own page and shows the date we read it. Where we could not confirm an answer, the cell says so in plain words and links to the page we checked.
| Question | ChatGPTFree, Plus, and Pro | Microsoft CopilotCopilot app, personal Microsoft account |
|---|---|---|
| Trains on your data by default? | Yes, unless you turn it off. OpenAI says it may use your content to train its models. Turn off “Improve the model for everyone” under Settings > Data controls. If you give a thumbs up or down, the whole chat may be used for training even after you opt out. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | You can opt out. Microsoft says you control whether it can use your conversations to train its generative AI models, and you can opt out at any time. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: support.microsoft.com |
| How long your data is kept | Saved chats stay until you delete them. Deleted chats are scheduled for permanent deletion within 30 days, unless OpenAI must keep them longer for security or legal reasons. Temporary chats may be kept for up to 30 days for safety. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | 18 months by default. Files you share are kept no longer than 18 months and then deleted automatically. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: support.microsoft.com |
| Who can see it | OpenAI’s policy does not describe company access to a personal account. It says that if you sign up with a work email, OpenAI may share that you have an account, and your email address, with your employer. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: openai.com | Not described on the page we read. Page checked: support.microsoft.com, October 23, 2026 |
| Where data is stored | On servers in the United States and in other countries where OpenAI’s affiliates, partners, or vendors are located. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: openai.com | Not stated on the page we read. Page checked: support.microsoft.com, October 23, 2026 |
| How to delete | In your chat history, open the ••• menu on a chat and select Delete. To clear everything, open Settings > Data controls > Delete all chats. Deleted chats cannot be restored. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | Delete one conversation, or your entire conversation history, at any time from your conversation history. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: support.microsoft.com |
| Question | ChatGPTChatGPT Business | Microsoft CopilotMicrosoft 365 Copilot (work account) |
|---|---|---|
| Trains on your data by default? | No, not by default. OpenAI says it does not use inputs or outputs from ChatGPT Business to improve its models, and a thumbs up or down does not change that. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | No. Microsoft says prompts, responses, and data accessed through Microsoft Graph are not used to train its foundation models. Optional feedback may be used to improve Copilot, and admins can manage it. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: learn.microsoft.com |
| How long your data is kept | Workspace admins can control how long data is kept. Deleted or unsaved conversations are removed within 30 days, unless the law or protecting the service requires longer. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: openai.com | Prompts and responses are stored with your organization’s other Microsoft 365 content. Admins can set retention policies for Copilot chats in Microsoft Purview. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: learn.microsoft.com |
| Who can see it | Each person sees their own conversations. Workspace admins can view, access, export, and delete members’ conversations. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: openai.com | Admins can view and manage stored prompts and responses with Content search or Microsoft Purview. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: learn.microsoft.com |
| Where data is stored | Not stated for this plan on the page we read. OpenAI lists data residency choices for eligible Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare, and API customers, not Business. Page checked: openai.com, October 23, 2026 | For EU customers, Copilot is an EU Data Boundary service. Customers outside the EU may have their queries processed in the US, the EU, or other regions. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: learn.microsoft.com |
| How to delete | Members delete chats from the ••• menu or Settings > Data controls. Admins can also delete members’ conversations. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | Each person can delete their Copilot activity history, including prompts and responses, in the My Account portal. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: learn.microsoft.com |
Building your own approved tools list? The SafeStart Handbook includes one, with company accounts and safer privacy settings.