How is Microsoft Search priced now?

I think MS Search (search inside MS 365 apps) stays included in existing MS 365 licenses with no pricing change, and the only retired item was MS Search in Bing.

Hello sysadmin,

Greetings! Thanks for raising this question in the Q&A forum.

Your frustration is completely valid this change happened quietly and Microsoft didn't make the new situation easy to find. Let me explain exactly what happened and what the current state looks like.

Here's what actually happened:

This is a two-part story Microsoft Search in Bing (the feature that surfaced work content like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange results directly inside bing.com search) was officially retired. Microsoft announced in December 2024 via message center notification MC961557 their intention to remove Microsoft Search in Bing, with the retirement taking effect on March 31, 2025. The stated reason was to "streamline search experiences and focus on enhancing core productivity tools."

The licensing page you referenced (learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftsearch/licensing) was removed around February 2026 as confirmed by the Wayback Machine snapshots you shared which aligns with Microsoft cleaning up documentation for a retired feature.

So what replaced it?

Microsoft launched Microsoft 365 Copilot Search described as "a new AI-powered, enterprise-grade search experience" — available for tenants with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses. It reminds many users of the old Microsoft Search in Bing feature, but with BizChat integration layered on top.

Microsoft suggested Copilot Search as the direct alternative to Microsoft Search in Bing, and it is now the search engine for licensed users in the M365 Copilot app and website. Although Microsoft Search still remains active within M365 apps, recent retirements of features suggest its role is gradually diminishing.

What does this mean for pricing?

This is the part that stings. A more honest assessment of the change is that Microsoft 365 Copilot (BizChat) is now the preferred replacement meaning a previously free facility has been replaced by one requiring a paid Copilot license costing $360 per user annually.

Here's a quick summary of what you're looking at today:

Microsoft Search (within M365 apps like SharePoint, Teams, Outlook) still free, included with your existing Microsoft 365 license. No change here.

Microsoft Search in Bing retired March 31, 2025. Gone. No replacement at the same price (free).

Copilot Search (the replacement) requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on license. This is priced at $30 per user per month, billed annually ($360 per user per year), on top of a qualifying M365 base license such as E3, E5, or Business Premium.

What should you do now?

If your users only need search within Microsoft 365 apps (Teams, SharePoint, Outlook) — you're fine with your existing license and no action is needed.

If your users were relying on Microsoft Search in Bing to surface work content from bing.com searches — that is gone, and the only like-for-like replacement is Microsoft 365 Copilot Search, which requires the paid Copilot add-on license.

1. To check current official pricing and licensing requirements for Copilot Search, visit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/copilot/extensibility/cost-considerations
2. For the official M365 pricing and packaging changes coming July 2026 (which may also affect your planning), refer to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/licensing/news/2026-m365-packaging-pricing-updates
3. If budget is a concern, it's worth raising a formal request with your Microsoft account team to discuss whether any promotional Copilot licensing offers apply to your organization as of April 2026, Microsoft has been running Copilot for All promotions offering 30% to 40% discounts for qualifying customers, with the 1,000 license minimum threshold recently reduced from 1,500.

In short yes, Microsoft Search in the Bing context is effectively now a paid feature through the Copilot license. The free era of that specific experience is over.

If this answer helps you kindly accept the answer which will help others who have similar questions.

Best Regards,

Jerald Felix.