Microsoft has announced that Cowork is moving to General Availability, and will transition to a usage-based billing model through Copilot Credits. The change means Cowork will no longer be an included feature in existing licensing, and will instead be charged based on consumption.

Cowork is a feature of Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot, which is designed for more complex, multi-step tasks. While Copilot typically responds to prompts and generates content, Cowork can carry out agentic actions across Microsoft 365 services and applications on a user’s behalf.

From 30 June 2026, organisations wishing to continue using Cowork will need:

• A qualifying Microsoft Copilot licence
• An Azure subscription
• Usage-based billing configured in the Microsoft Admin Centre

Users may still see the Cowork option within the Windows Copilot app, but access may be restricted until the required licensing and billing arrangements have been configured. Please get in touch with us if you require assistance with the setup.

The move reflects a wider trend across the AI market, with tech companies increasingly introducing consumption-based pricing for advanced AI capabilities due to the underlying costs involved.