Copilot Cowork · performance & cost study · Universal Test Matrix

Cowork Model × Effort × Cost × Result Comparison Analysis

Test date: 3 September 202690 of 90 runs complete — final resultsEvidence files on GitHub
01

Key findings

Complete matrix. Ten business tasks across eight industries and ten departments, each run on three models and three effort levels — all 90 runs complete, 67,218 credits ($672.18) recorded. Every figure below is measured from the test workbook and the generated files; each cell is a single run.
90
runs — complete matrix
10 tasks × 3 models × 3 effort levels · one run per cell
67,218
credits recorded
$672.18 across 90 metered runs ($0.01 per credit)
3,682
most expensive run
#31 · RET Campaign · Fable 5.1 · Maximum
6 min
break-even per deliverable
saved time that covers the average run ($7.47) at a $72/hour loaded rate
1.5–9.0×
Light → Maximum
cost multiplier across 30 effort ladders · median 3.0×
13·17·0
cheapest model (Auto · Opus · Fable)
task×effort cells won out of 30 · Opus 5 total 18% below Auto

Effort is the biggest lever you control.

Maximum cost 1.5–9× the Light run for the same task and model (median 3.0×). Medium landed at a median 47% of the Maximum cost — the sensible default.

What you ask for outweighs which model you pick.

Median impact, measured like-for-like: the task 4.5×, the effort setting 3.0×, the model just 1.4× between Auto and Opus 5. Size the deliverable first — the model picker is the smallest dial.

Spend concentrates in decks.

Decks are 30% of runs but 45% of all credits, averaging 1,125 against 639 for documents. The dearest 20% of runs carry 45% of the total.

Fable 5.1 is the premium option.

Never the cheapest in any of the 30 comparisons: a median 1.6× and up to 7× the Auto or Opus 5 figure, and 1.5× Auto's total bill. It did attach the most source links (261 vs 110 for Auto).

Higher effort buys depth, not compliance.

26 of 27 decks hit the slide count and every workbook had its sheets, at every effort level. Maximum mainly adds words to documents (1,979→3,369 median), rows to workbooks (50→95) and speaker notes to decks.

Source links depend on the task — and decks never link.

All 27 decks cite as plain text; CS Themes and PMO Actions produced no links on any model or effort. Ask for linked sources explicitly where auditability matters.

02

Test design

Ten realistic business tasks — one per department, spread across industries and output formats — each executed with the same prompt on every combination of model and effort level. Every prompt tells Cowork to use Work IQ (email, Teams, meetings, files) as the primary source, Web Search for public benchmarks, and to cite sources.

Factors

  • Task — 10 tasks: FS Account Plan, MFG Supply Risk, HLS Workforce, RET Campaign, PS Budget Review, ENU IT Dashboard, PRO Compliance, EXEC QBR, CS Themes, PMO Actions
  • Model — Auto Opus 5 Fable 5.1
  • Effort level — Light Medium Maximum
  • Output type (fixed per task) — DOCX 3 tasks · XLSX 3 tasks · PPTX 3 tasks · HTML 1 task

What is recorded per run

  • Cost in Copilot credits and the equivalent in USD, as entered in the workbook
  • Skills & plugins invoked and the tools Cowork called (Calendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ)
  • The generated artefact, kept in the SharePoint output_v2 folder and profiled below (words, slides, sheets, tables, charts, source links)

A run counts as complete when both the cost and the output file are available. Outputs whose cost is still to be entered are shown but excluded from every cost figure.

The ten tasks10 tasks · 8 industries · 10 departments — with the exact prompt used for each
TaskIndustryDepartmentOutputSkillStatus
FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCX Word documentWord9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptBuild an account plan for my most active banking customer this quarter. Pull the latest context from my emails, Teams chats and meetings with that account, plus any related files in SharePoint/OneDrive. Then use Web Search for the customer's latest public news, results and strategic priorities. Produce a Word document with: executive summary, relationship map, open opportunities and risks, competitive landscape, and a 90-day action plan. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSX Excel workbookExcel9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptCreate a supply-chain risk tracker. Scan my email and Teams for supplier, logistics, delay or shortage discussions in the last 90 days, and check my meeting notes for related decisions. Use Web Search for current commodity price and freight trend indicators. Produce an Excel workbook with a Risk Register (risk, supplier, impact, likelihood, owner, mitigation, source) plus a Summary sheet with counts by severity. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTX PowerPoint deckPowerPoint9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptPrepare a workforce and hiring update for leadership. Use my email, Teams and meetings to gather current hiring, onboarding and retention topics my team is discussing, and my org data for team structure. Use Web Search for current healthcare talent market and clinical staffing trends. Produce a 6-slide PowerPoint: current state, key issues, market context, risks, recommendations, next steps. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTX PowerPoint deckPowerPoint9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptBuild a campaign readout deck. Pull campaign performance discussions, approvals and asset feedback from my email, Teams and recent meetings, plus any campaign files I have. Use Web Search for competitor campaigns and current retail consumer trends. Produce a 5-slide PowerPoint: results vs goals, what worked, competitive/market context, learnings, next campaign plan. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSX Excel workbookExcel, Deep Research9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptProduce a budget and spend review. Extract budget, cost, invoice and approval items from my email and Teams for the current fiscal period, and any budget spreadsheets I have. Use Web Search for public-sector inflation and procurement cost benchmarks. Produce an Excel workbook with a line-item sheet (item, owner, planned, actual, variance, comment) and a variance summary with totals. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTML HTML dashboard</> HTML, Content Creation9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptCreate a single-page HTML status dashboard for our current technology programme. Gather status, blockers, owners and milestones from my email, Teams channels and recent meeting transcripts. Use Web Search for relevant vendor roadmap or product release information. Produce a self-contained HTML page with programme health cards, milestone timeline, risk table and an external-signals section. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCX Word documentWord9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptDraft a compliance readiness brief. Search my email, Teams and files for policy, audit, privacy or regulatory discussions in the last 6 months. Use Web Search for the current status of the relevant regulations (e.g. EU AI Act, GDPR guidance) and recent enforcement examples. Produce a Word document with: scope, internal findings, regulatory landscape, gap analysis table, and prioritised remediation actions with owners. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTX PowerPoint deckPowerPoint, Deep Research9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptBuild a QBR deck for my business. Use my calendar, email, Teams and files from the last quarter to reconstruct what we delivered, what slipped and what decisions were made. Use Web Search for market and competitor developments in that period. Produce a 6-slide PowerPoint: quarter at a glance, delivery scorecard, market context, risks and issues, asks/decisions needed, next-quarter priorities. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCX Word documentWord9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptSummarise customer support themes and produce an improvement plan. Mine my email and Teams for escalations, complaints and recurring issues in the last 90 days, plus meeting discussions about support quality. Use Web Search for current customer-service benchmarks (CSAT, first-contact resolution). Produce a Word document with: top themes with evidence, root causes, benchmark comparison table, and a prioritised improvement plan. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSX Excel workbookExcel9/9 complete · 9 outputs
PromptCreate a consolidated action-item and RAID tracker. Pull open actions, owners and due dates from my recent meeting transcripts, Teams chats and email threads. Use Web Search only to validate any external dependency dates (vendor releases, regulatory deadlines). Produce an Excel workbook with an Actions sheet (action, owner, source, due date, status) and a RAID sheet (risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies). Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search for external/public benchmarks. Cite sources.
03

Cost analysis

All figures in US dollars at $0.01 per credit. Every chart is clickable — select a bar to open that run's evidence.

What actually drives cost

Each lever measured like-for-like — holding everything else constant and taking the spread across the matrix. The task you set moves cost furthest; the model picker moves it least.

LeverCompared acrossMedian impactRangeRelative weight
What you ask forthe task itself4.5×4.0–6.3×
The effort settingLight → Maximum3.0×2.0–9.0×
The model, including Fable 5.1Auto · Opus 5 · Fable 5.12.0×1.0–6.9×
The model, generally available onlyAuto vs Opus 51.4×1.0–3.4×

Read as: swapping the task for another in this matrix changes cost by a median 4.5×, while swapping Auto for Opus 5 on the same task and effort changes it 1.4×. Bars are scaled to the largest lever.

Average cost by number of tools invokedMore tools, more cost — average credits by tools invokedCorrelation with cost r = 0.45. Higher effort calls more tools: 4.9 at Light, 6.6 at Maximum.05001,0001,5002 tools · 1 run · 170 credits average1702n=13 tools · 4 runs · 265 credits average2653n=44 tools · 9 runs · 568 credits average5684n=95 tools · 21 runs · 512 credits average5125n=216 tools · 31 runs · 699 credits average6996n=317 tools · 20 runs · 1,141 credits average1,1417n=208 tools · 4 runs · 1,404 credits average1,4048n=4Tools invoked by the run (Calendar, SharePoint, Graph, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ)

Cost against the time it returns

At a $72/hour fully loaded rate — a common planning assumption, not a measured figure — here is how much saved time each deliverable has to return before it pays for itself.

DeliverableAverage costBreak-even
PPTX PowerPoint deck$11.259 min
DOCX Word document$6.395 min
XLSX Excel workbook$5.775 min
HTML HTML dashboard$4.444 min
Most expensive run in the matrix$36.8231 min

Break-even = cost ÷ hourly rate. The rate is an assumption you should replace with your own; halving it doubles every figure in the last column.

Results matrix

One grid per task. Cheapest combination sits bottom-left, dearest top-right; colour runs green (cheapest) through amber to red (dearest) within each task, so scales are not comparable between tasks. The large figure is the dollar cost, the small one the credits. Select a cell to open its evidence.

FS Account Plan DOCX Financial Services (Banking) · Sales / Account Management
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Opus 53.8×
Fable 5.13.0×
Auto2.5×
MFG Supply Risk XLSX Manufacturing · Operations / Supply Chain
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Fable 5.14.2×
Auto4.0×
Opus 57.0×
HLS Workforce PPTX Healthcare / Life Sciences · Human Resources
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Fable 5.12.8×
Opus 52.0×
Auto4.0×
RET Campaign PPTX Retail / Consumer Goods · Marketing
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Fable 5.17.2×
Opus 53.0×
Auto8.0×
PS Budget Review XLSX Public Sector / Government · Finance
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Fable 5.12.1×
Opus 52.1×
Auto9.0×
ENU IT Dashboard HTML Energy & Utilities · IT / Engineering
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Fable 5.13.3×
Auto3.4×
Opus 53.1×
PRO Compliance DOCX Professional Services · Legal / Compliance
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Fable 5.12.8×
Auto3.3×
Opus 54.1×
EXEC QBR PPTX Cross-industry · Executive Leadership
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Fable 5.12.6×
Auto2.6×
Opus 52.0×
CS Themes DOCX Cross-industry · Customer Service / Support
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Auto2.6×
Fable 5.12.2×
Opus 52.8×
PMO Actions XLSX Cross-industry · Project / Programme Management
ModelLightMediumMaximumCheapest → dearest
Fable 5.12.3×
Auto4.4×
Opus 56.0×

Cost by model and effort

FS Account Plan — Word document — cost by model and effortFS Account Plan — Word document — cost by model and effort$0.00$5.00$10.00$15.00$20.00LightAuto · Light · $4.01 (401 credits, run #3)$4.01Opus 5 · Light · $4.09 (409 credits, run #9)$4.09Fable 5.1 · Light · $4.42 (442 credits, run #6)$4.42MediumAuto · Medium · $6.10 (610 credits, run #2)$6.10Opus 5 · Medium · $4.03 (403 credits, run #8)$4.03Fable 5.1 · Medium · $8.84 (884 credits, run #5)$8.84MaximumAuto · Maximum · $9.92 (992 credits, run #1)$9.92Opus 5 · Maximum · $15.44 (1,544 credits, run #7)$15.44Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $13.05 (1,305 credits, run #4)$13.05AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptBuild an account plan for my most active banking customer this quarter. Pull the latest context from my emails, Teamschats and meetings with that account, plus any related files in SharePoint/OneDrive. Then use Web Search for thecustomer's latest public news, results and strategic priorities. Produce a Word document with: executive summary,relationship map, open opportunities and risks, competitive landscape, and a 90-day action plan. Use my M365 Work IQ
MFG Supply Risk — Excel workbook — cost by model and effortMFG Supply Risk — Excel workbook — cost by model and effort$0.00$5.00$10.00$15.00LightAuto · Light · $1.64 (164 credits, run #12)$1.64Opus 5 · Light · $1.38 (138 credits, run #18)$1.38Fable 5.1 · Light · $3.20 (320 credits, run #15)$3.20MediumAuto · Medium · $3.69 (369 credits, run #11)$3.69Opus 5 · Medium · $2.21 (221 credits, run #17)$2.21Fable 5.1 · Medium · $3.87 (387 credits, run #14)$3.87MaximumAuto · Maximum · $6.60 (660 credits, run #10)$6.60Opus 5 · Maximum · $9.63 (963 credits, run #16)$9.63Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $13.47 (1,347 credits, run #13)$13.47AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptCreate a supply-chain risk tracker. Scan my email and Teams for supplier, logistics, delay or shortage discussions inthe last 90 days, and check my meeting notes for related decisions. Use Web Search for current commodity price andfreight trend indicators. Produce an Excel workbook with a Risk Register (risk, supplier, impact, likelihood, owner,mitigation, source) plus a Summary sheet with counts by severity. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings
HLS Workforce — PowerPoint deck — cost by model and effortHLS Workforce — PowerPoint deck — cost by model and effort$0.00$5.00$10.00$15.00$20.00LightAuto · Light · $4.81 (481 credits, run #21)$4.81Opus 5 · Light · $5.53 (553 credits, run #27)$5.53Fable 5.1 · Light · $7.97 (797 credits, run #24)$7.97MediumAuto · Medium · $8.80 (880 credits, run #20)$8.80Opus 5 · Medium · $5.75 (575 credits, run #26)$5.75Fable 5.1 · Medium · $6.74 (674 credits, run #23)$6.74MaximumAuto · Maximum · $19.10 (1,910 credits, run #19)$19.10Opus 5 · Maximum · $11.20 (1,120 credits, run #25)$11.20Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $19.17 (1,917 credits, run #22)$19.17AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptPrepare a workforce and hiring update for leadership. Use my email, Teams and meetings to gather current hiring,onboarding and retention topics my team is discussing, and my org data for team structure. Use Web Search for currenthealthcare talent market and clinical staffing trends. Produce a 6-slide PowerPoint: current state, key issues, marketcontext, risks, recommendations, next steps. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the
RET Campaign — PowerPoint deck — cost by model and effortRET Campaign — PowerPoint deck — cost by model and effort$0.00$10.00$20.00$30.00$40.00LightAuto · Light · $2.98 (298 credits, run #30)$2.98Opus 5 · Light · $3.41 (341 credits, run #36)$3.41Fable 5.1 · Light · $5.08 (508 credits, run #33)$5.08MediumAuto · Medium · $13.86 (1,386 credits, run #29)$13.86Opus 5 · Medium · $5.37 (537 credits, run #35)$5.37Fable 5.1 · Medium · $8.80 (880 credits, run #32)$8.80MaximumAuto · Maximum · $23.91 (2,391 credits, run #28)$23.91Opus 5 · Maximum · $10.17 (1,017 credits, run #34)$10.17Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $36.82 (3,682 credits, run #31)$36.82AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptBuild a campaign readout deck. Pull campaign performance discussions, approvals and asset feedback from my email,Teams and recent meetings, plus any campaign files I have. Use Web Search for competitor campaigns and current retailconsumer trends. Produce a 5-slide PowerPoint: results vs goals, what worked, competitive/market context, learnings,next campaign plan. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary source, and Web Search
PS Budget Review — Excel workbook — cost by model and effortPS Budget Review — Excel workbook — cost by model and effort$0.00$5.00$10.00$15.00$20.00LightAuto · Light · $1.38 (138 credits, run #39)$1.38Opus 5 · Light · $1.70 (170 credits, run #45)$1.70Fable 5.1 · Light · $8.41 (841 credits, run #42)$8.41MediumAuto · Medium · $2.28 (228 credits, run #38)$2.28Opus 5 · Medium · $3.14 (314 credits, run #44)$3.14Fable 5.1 · Medium · $15.83 (1,583 credits, run #41)$15.83MaximumAuto · Maximum · $12.41 (1,241 credits, run #37)$12.41Opus 5 · Maximum · $3.65 (365 credits, run #43)$3.65Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $17.95 (1,795 credits, run #40)$17.95AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptProduce a budget and spend review. Extract budget, cost, invoice and approval items from my email and Teams for thecurrent fiscal period, and any budget spreadsheets I have. Use Web Search for public-sector inflation and procurementcost benchmarks. Produce an Excel workbook with a line-item sheet (item, owner, planned, actual, variance, comment)and a variance summary with totals. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary
ENU IT Dashboard — HTML dashboard — cost by model and effortENU IT Dashboard — HTML dashboard — cost by model and effort$0.00$5.00$10.00$15.00LightAuto · Light · $2.00 (200 credits, run #48)$2.00Opus 5 · Light · $1.64 (164 credits, run #54)$1.64Fable 5.1 · Light · $3.43 (343 credits, run #51)$3.43MediumAuto · Medium · $2.19 (219 credits, run #47)$2.19Opus 5 · Medium · $2.60 (260 credits, run #53)$2.60Fable 5.1 · Medium · $5.00 (500 credits, run #50)$5.00MaximumAuto · Maximum · $6.81 (681 credits, run #46)$6.81Opus 5 · Maximum · $5.03 (503 credits, run #52)$5.03Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $11.27 (1,127 credits, run #49)$11.27AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptCreate a single-page HTML status dashboard for our current technology programme. Gather status, blockers, owners andmilestones from my email, Teams channels and recent meeting transcripts. Use Web Search for relevant vendor roadmap orproduct release information. Produce a self-contained HTML page with programme health cards, milestone timeline, risktable and an external-signals section. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the primary
PRO Compliance — Word document — cost by model and effortPRO Compliance — Word document — cost by model and effort$0.00$5.00$10.00$15.00LightAuto · Light · $2.68 (268 credits, run #57)$2.68Opus 5 · Light · $2.66 (266 credits, run #63)$2.66Fable 5.1 · Light · $3.24 (324 credits, run #60)$3.24MediumAuto · Medium · $4.16 (416 credits, run #56)$4.16Opus 5 · Medium · $3.80 (380 credits, run #62)$3.80Fable 5.1 · Medium · $7.70 (770 credits, run #59)$7.70MaximumAuto · Maximum · $8.75 (875 credits, run #55)$8.75Opus 5 · Maximum · $10.79 (1,079 credits, run #61)$10.79Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $9.03 (903 credits, run #58)$9.03AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptDraft a compliance readiness brief. Search my email, Teams and files for policy, audit, privacy or regulatorydiscussions in the last 6 months. Use Web Search for the current status of the relevant regulations (e.g. EU AI Act,GDPR guidance) and recent enforcement examples. Produce a Word document with: scope, internal findings, regulatorylandscape, gap analysis table, and prioritised remediation actions with owners. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams
EXEC QBR — PowerPoint deck — cost by model and effortEXEC QBR — PowerPoint deck — cost by model and effort$0.00$5.00$10.00$15.00$20.00$25.00LightAuto · Light · $7.13 (713 credits, run #66)$7.13Opus 5 · Light · $5.06 (506 credits, run #72)$5.06Fable 5.1 · Light · $15.81 (1,581 credits, run #69)$15.81MediumAuto · Medium · $6.57 (657 credits, run #65)$6.57Opus 5 · Medium · $9.92 (992 credits, run #71)$9.92Fable 5.1 · Medium · $9.26 (926 credits, run #68)$9.26MaximumAuto · Maximum · $17.08 (1,708 credits, run #64)$17.08Opus 5 · Maximum · $9.16 (916 credits, run #70)$9.16Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $24.36 (2,436 credits, run #67)$24.36AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptBuild a QBR deck for my business. Use my calendar, email, Teams and files from the last quarter to reconstruct what wedelivered, what slipped and what decisions were made. Use Web Search for market and competitor developments in thatperiod. Produce a 6-slide PowerPoint: quarter at a glance, delivery scorecard, market context, risks and issues,asks/decisions needed, next-quarter priorities. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings and files) as the
CS Themes — Word document — cost by model and effortCS Themes — Word document — cost by model and effort$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00$10.00LightAuto · Light · $3.60 (360 credits, run #75)$3.60Opus 5 · Light · $3.03 (303 credits, run #81)$3.03Fable 5.1 · Light · $3.90 (390 credits, run #78)$3.90MediumAuto · Medium · $3.36 (336 credits, run #74)$3.36Opus 5 · Medium · $4.79 (479 credits, run #80)$4.79Fable 5.1 · Medium · $5.41 (541 credits, run #77)$5.41MaximumAuto · Maximum · $8.67 (867 credits, run #73)$8.67Opus 5 · Maximum · $8.43 (843 credits, run #79)$8.43Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $8.60 (860 credits, run #76)$8.60AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptSummarise customer support themes and produce an improvement plan. Mine my email and Teams for escalations, complaintsand recurring issues in the last 90 days, plus meeting discussions about support quality. Use Web Search for currentcustomer-service benchmarks (CSAT, first-contact resolution). Produce a Word document with: top themes with evidence,root causes, benchmark comparison table, and a prioritised improvement plan. Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats,
PMO Actions — Excel workbook — cost by model and effortPMO Actions — Excel workbook — cost by model and effort$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00$10.00LightAuto · Light · $1.36 (136 credits, run #84)$1.36Opus 5 · Light · $1.20 (120 credits, run #90)$1.20Fable 5.1 · Light · $4.76 (476 credits, run #87)$4.76MediumAuto · Medium · $2.78 (278 credits, run #83)$2.78Opus 5 · Medium · $6.02 (602 credits, run #89)$6.02Fable 5.1 · Medium · $4.33 (433 credits, run #86)$4.33MaximumAuto · Maximum · $6.03 (603 credits, run #82)$6.03Opus 5 · Maximum · $7.18 (718 credits, run #88)$7.18Fable 5.1 · Maximum · $9.79 (979 credits, run #85)$9.79AutoOpus 5Fable 5.1PromptCreate a consolidated action-item and RAID tracker. Pull open actions, owners and due dates from my recent meetingtranscripts, Teams chats and email threads. Use Web Search only to validate any external dependency dates (vendorreleases, regulatory deadlines). Produce an Excel workbook with an Actions sheet (action, owner, source, due date,status) and a RAID sheet (risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies). Use my M365 Work IQ (email, Teams chats, meetings
Light to Maximum cost multiplier by task and modelEffort ladder — how many times Maximum cost compared with LightBar label shows how many times the Maximum run cost compared with the Light run.0×1×2×3×4×5×6×7×8×9×FS Account Plan · Auto: 401 → 992 credits (2.5×)2.5×FS Account Plan · Opus 5: 409 → 1,544 credits (3.8×)3.8×FS Account Plan · Fable 5.1: 442 → 1,305 credits (3.0×)3.0×FS Account PlanMFG Supply Risk · Auto: 164 → 660 credits (4.0×)4.0×MFG Supply Risk · Opus 5: 138 → 963 credits (7.0×)7.0×MFG Supply Risk · Fable 5.1: 320 → 1,347 credits (4.2×)4.2×MFG Supply RiskHLS Workforce · Auto: 481 → 1,910 credits (4.0×)4.0×HLS Workforce · Opus 5: 553 → 1,120 credits (2.0×)2.0×HLS Workforce · Fable 5.1: 797 → 1,917 credits (2.4×)2.4×HLS WorkforceRET Campaign · Auto: 298 → 2,391 credits (8.0×)8.0×RET Campaign · Opus 5: 341 → 1,017 credits (3.0×)3.0×RET Campaign · Fable 5.1: 508 → 3,682 credits (7.2×)7.2×RET CampaignPS Budget Review · Auto: 138 → 1,241 credits (9.0×)9.0×PS Budget Review · Opus 5: 170 → 365 credits (2.1×)2.1×PS Budget Review · Fable 5.1: 841 → 1,795 credits (2.1×)2.1×PS Budget ReviewENU IT Dashboard · Auto: 200 → 681 credits (3.4×)3.4×ENU IT Dashboard · Opus 5: 164 → 503 credits (3.1×)3.1×ENU IT Dashboard · Fable 5.1: 343 → 1,127 credits (3.3×)3.3×ENU IT DashboardPRO Compliance · Auto: 268 → 875 credits (3.3×)3.3×PRO Compliance · Opus 5: 266 → 1,079 credits (4.1×)4.1×PRO Compliance · Fable 5.1: 324 → 903 credits (2.8×)2.8×PRO ComplianceEXEC QBR · Auto: 713 → 1,708 credits (2.4×)2.4×EXEC QBR · Opus 5: 506 → 916 credits (1.8×)1.8×EXEC QBR · Fable 5.1: 1,581 → 2,436 credits (1.5×)1.5×EXEC QBRCS Themes · Auto: 360 → 867 credits (2.4×)2.4×CS Themes · Opus 5: 303 → 843 credits (2.8×)2.8×CS Themes · Fable 5.1: 390 → 860 credits (2.2×)2.2×CS ThemesPMO Actions · Auto: 136 → 603 credits (4.4×)4.4×PMO Actions · Opus 5: 120 → 718 credits (6.0×)6.0×PMO Actions · Fable 5.1: 476 → 979 credits (2.1×)2.1×PMO ActionsAutoOpus 5Fable 5.1

Across all 30 Light→Maximum ladders, Maximum cost 1.5–9.0× the Light run — but the slope depends far more on the task and model than on the effort setting itself. The steepest are PS Budget Review on Auto (9.0×), RET Campaign on Auto (8.0×); the flattest EXEC QBR on Fable 5.1 (1.5×), EXEC QBR on Opus 5 (1.8×).

Same task, same effort — which model was cheapest?

TaskIndustryOutputEffortAutoOpus 5Fable 5.1CheapestSpreadSaving vs dearest
FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)DOCXLight$4.01$4.09$4.42Auto1.1×−9% · $0.41
FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)DOCXMedium$6.10$4.03$8.84Opus 52.2×−54% · $4.81
FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)DOCXMaximum$9.92$15.44$13.05Auto1.6×−36% · $5.52
MFG Supply RiskManufacturingXLSXLight$1.64$1.38$3.20Opus 52.3×−57% · $1.82
MFG Supply RiskManufacturingXLSXMedium$3.69$2.21$3.87Opus 51.8×−43% · $1.66
MFG Supply RiskManufacturingXLSXMaximum$6.60$9.63$13.47Auto2.0×−51% · $6.87
HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesPPTXLight$4.81$5.53$7.97Auto1.7×−40% · $3.16
HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesPPTXMedium$8.80$5.75$6.74Opus 51.5×−35% · $3.05
HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesPPTXMaximum$19.10$11.20$19.17Opus 51.7×−42% · $7.97
RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsPPTXLight$2.98$3.41$5.08Auto1.7×−41% · $2.10
RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsPPTXMedium$13.86$5.37$8.80Opus 52.6×−61% · $8.49
RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsPPTXMaximum$23.91$10.17$36.82Opus 53.6×−72% · $26.65
PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentXLSXLight$1.38$1.70$8.41Auto6.1×−84% · $7.03
PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentXLSXMedium$2.28$3.14$15.83Auto6.9×−86% · $13.55
PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentXLSXMaximum$12.41$3.65$17.95Opus 54.9×−80% · $14.30
ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesHTMLLight$2.00$1.64$3.43Opus 52.1×−52% · $1.79
ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesHTMLMedium$2.19$2.60$5.00Auto2.3×−56% · $2.81
ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesHTMLMaximum$6.81$5.03$11.27Opus 52.2×−55% · $6.24
PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesDOCXLight$2.68$2.66$3.24Opus 51.2×−18% · $0.58
PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesDOCXMedium$4.16$3.80$7.70Opus 52.0×−51% · $3.90
PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesDOCXMaximum$8.75$10.79$9.03Auto1.2×−19% · $2.04
EXEC QBRCross-industryPPTXLight$7.13$5.06$15.81Opus 53.1×−68% · $10.75
EXEC QBRCross-industryPPTXMedium$6.57$9.92$9.26Auto1.5×−34% · $3.35
EXEC QBRCross-industryPPTXMaximum$17.08$9.16$24.36Opus 52.7×−62% · $15.20
CS ThemesCross-industryDOCXLight$3.60$3.03$3.90Opus 51.3×−22% · $0.87
CS ThemesCross-industryDOCXMedium$3.36$4.79$5.41Auto1.6×−38% · $2.05
CS ThemesCross-industryDOCXMaximum$8.67$8.43$8.60Opus 51.0×−3% · $0.24
PMO ActionsCross-industryXLSXLight$1.36$1.20$4.76Opus 54.0×−75% · $3.56
PMO ActionsCross-industryXLSXMedium$2.78$6.02$4.33Auto2.2×−54% · $3.24
PMO ActionsCross-industryXLSXMaximum$6.03$7.18$9.79Auto1.6×−38% · $3.76

Spread = dearest ÷ cheapest model in the cell; the cheapest figure in each row is highlighted. Saving = what picking the cheapest model saved against the dearest, for the identical task and effort level. Cells with only one model costed are omitted.

04

Test results

Every run in the matrix, with its cost and the artefact it produced. Select a column heading to sort, use the filters to narrow the list, and choose "View evidence" to open a run's prompt, previews and output profile in a pop-up.

RunTaskIndustryDepartmentOutputModelEffortSkillToolsCreditsCostStatusEvidence
#1FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXAutoMaximumWordCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ992$9.92Complete
#2FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXAutoMediumWordCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ610$6.10Complete
#3FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXAutoLightWordCalendar, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ401$4.01Complete
#4FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXFable 5.1MaximumWordCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,305$13.05Complete
#5FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXFable 5.1MediumWordCalendar, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ884$8.84Complete
#6FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXFable 5.1LightWordCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ442$4.42Complete
#7FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXOpus 5MaximumWord, Deep ResearchCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,544$15.44Complete
#8FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXOpus 5MediumWordCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ403$4.03Complete
#9FS Account PlanFinancial Services (Banking)Sales / Account ManagementDOCXOpus 5LightWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ409$4.09Complete
#10MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXAutoMaximumExcelCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ660$6.60Complete
#11MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXAutoMediumExcelCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ369$3.69Complete
#12MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXAutoLightExcelCalendar, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ164$1.64Complete
#13MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXFable 5.1MaximumExcelCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,347$13.47Complete
#14MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXFable 5.1MediumExcelCalendar, Web Search, Work IQ387$3.87Complete
#15MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXFable 5.1LightExcelCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Web Search, Work IQ320$3.20Complete
#16MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXOpus 5MaximumExcelCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ963$9.63Complete
#17MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXOpus 5MediumExcelCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ221$2.21Complete
#18MFG Supply RiskManufacturingOperations / Supply ChainXLSXOpus 5LightExcelCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ138$1.38Complete
#19HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXAutoMaximumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,910$19.10Complete
#20HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXAutoMediumPowerPointCalendar, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ880$8.80Complete
#21HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXAutoLightPowerPointCalendar, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ481$4.81Complete
#22HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXFable 5.1MaximumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,917$19.17Complete
#23HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXFable 5.1MediumPowerPointCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ674$6.74Complete
#24HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXFable 5.1LightPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ797$7.97Complete
#25HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXOpus 5MaximumPowerPointCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,120$11.20Complete
#26HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXOpus 5MediumPowerPointCalendar, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ575$5.75Complete
#27HLS WorkforceHealthcare / Life SciencesHuman ResourcesPPTXOpus 5LightPowerPointCalendar, People, Web Search, Work IQ553$5.53Complete
#28RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXAutoMaximumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ2,391$23.91Complete
#29RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXAutoMediumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,386$13.86Complete
#30RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXAutoLightPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ298$2.98Complete
#31RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXFable 5.1MaximumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ3,682$36.82Complete
#32RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXFable 5.1MediumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ880$8.80Complete
#33RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXFable 5.1LightPowerPointSharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ508$5.08Complete
#34RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXOpus 5MaximumPowerPointCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,017$10.17Complete
#35RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXOpus 5MediumPowerPointMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ537$5.37Complete
#36RET CampaignRetail / Consumer GoodsMarketingPPTXOpus 5LightPowerPointSharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ341$3.41Complete
#37PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXAutoMaximumExcel, Deep ResearchCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,241$12.41Complete
#38PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXAutoMediumExcelSharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ228$2.28Complete
#39PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXAutoLightExcelSharePoint, Web Search, Work IQ138$1.38Complete
#40PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXFable 5.1MaximumExcelSharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ1,795$17.95Complete
#41PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXFable 5.1MediumExcelSharePoint, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ1,583$15.83Complete
#42PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXFable 5.1LightExcelSharePoint, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ841$8.41Complete
#43PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXOpus 5MaximumExcelCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ365$3.65Complete
#44PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXOpus 5MediumExcelCalendar, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ314$3.14Complete
#45PS Budget ReviewPublic Sector / GovernmentFinanceXLSXOpus 5LightExcelWeb Search, Work IQ170$1.70Complete
#46ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLAutoMaximum</> HTML, Content CreationCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ681$6.81Complete
#47ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLAutoMedium</> HTML, Content CreationCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ219$2.19Complete
#48ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLAutoLight</> HTML, Content CreationMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ200$2.00Complete
#49ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLFable 5.1Maximum</> HTML, Content CreationCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, People, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,127$11.27Complete
#50ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLFable 5.1Medium</> HTML, Content CreationCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ500$5.00Complete
#51ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLFable 5.1Light</> HTML, Content CreationSharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ343$3.43Complete
#52ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLOpus 5Maximum</> HTML, Content CreationCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ503$5.03Complete
#53ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLOpus 5Medium</> HTML, Content CreationCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ260$2.60Complete
#54ENU IT DashboardEnergy & UtilitiesIT / EngineeringHTMLOpus 5Light</> HTML, Content CreationMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ164$1.64Complete
#55PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXAutoMaximumWordSharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ875$8.75Complete
#56PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXAutoMediumWordSharePoint, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ416$4.16Complete
#57PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXAutoLightWordSharePoint, Web Search, Work IQ268$2.68Complete
#58PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXFable 5.1MaximumWordSharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ903$9.03Complete
#59PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXFable 5.1MediumWordSharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ770$7.70Complete
#60PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXFable 5.1LightWordSharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ324$3.24Complete
#61PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXOpus 5MaximumWordCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,079$10.79Complete
#62PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXOpus 5MediumWordSharePoint, Outlook, Web Search, Work IQ380$3.80Complete
#63PRO ComplianceProfessional ServicesLegal / ComplianceDOCXOpus 5LightWordSharePoint, Web Search, Work IQ266$2.66Complete
#64EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXAutoMaximumPowerPoint, Deep ResearchCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,708$17.08Complete
#65EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXAutoMediumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ657$6.57Complete
#66EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXAutoLightPowerPointCalendar, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ713$7.13Complete
#67EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXFable 5.1MaximumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ2,436$24.36Complete
#68EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXFable 5.1MediumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ926$9.26Complete
#69EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXFable 5.1LightPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ1,581$15.81Complete
#70EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXOpus 5MaximumPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ916$9.16Complete
#71EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXOpus 5MediumPowerPointCalendar, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ992$9.92Complete
#72EXEC QBRCross-industryExecutive LeadershipPPTXOpus 5LightPowerPointCalendar, SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ506$5.06Complete
#73CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXAutoMaximumWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ867$8.67Complete
#74CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXAutoMediumWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ336$3.36Complete
#75CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXAutoLightWordCalendar, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ360$3.60Complete
#76CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXFable 5.1MaximumWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ860$8.60Complete
#77CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXFable 5.1MediumWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ541$5.41Complete
#78CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXFable 5.1LightWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ390$3.90Complete
#79CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXOpus 5MaximumWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ843$8.43Complete
#80CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXOpus 5MediumWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ479$4.79Complete
#81CS ThemesCross-industryCustomer Service / SupportDOCXOpus 5LightWordCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ303$3.03Complete
#82PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXAutoMaximumExcelCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ603$6.03Complete
#83PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXAutoMediumExcelMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ278$2.78Complete
#84PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXAutoLightExcelMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ136$1.36Complete
#85PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXFable 5.1MaximumExcelCalendar, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ979$9.79Complete
#86PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXFable 5.1MediumExcelMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ433$4.33Complete
#87PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXFable 5.1LightExcelMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ476$4.76Complete
#88PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXOpus 5MaximumExcelCalendar, SharePoint, Microsoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ718$7.18Complete
#89PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXOpus 5MediumExcelMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ602$6.02Complete
#90PMO ActionsCross-industryProject / Programme ManagementXLSXOpus 5LightExcelMicrosoft Graph, Outlook, Teams, Web Search, Work IQ120$1.20Complete
Total — 90 metered runs67,218$672.18
05

Output profiles

Objective measures taken from the 90 generated files, so cost can be read against what was delivered. Size and structure columns adapt to the output type (words and headings for Word, slides and charts for PowerPoint, sheets and rows for Excel). Use the filters to isolate a task, model or effort level and click any heading to sort. These are counts, not quality judgements — open the evidence to judge that.

Output profile — 90 files
RunTaskOutputModelEffortCreditsSizeStructureLinksFile sizeMeets briefCost per unitEvidence
#3FS Account PlanDOCXAutoLight4011,979 words15 headings · 8 tables558 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables203/1k w
#2FS Account PlanDOCXAutoMedium6102,644 words14 headings · 4 tables455 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables231/1k w
#1FS Account PlanDOCXAutoMaximum9922,477 words8 headings · 5 tables059 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables400/1k w
#9FS Account PlanDOCXOpus 5Light4091,698 words12 headings · 4 tables456 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables241/1k w
#8FS Account PlanDOCXOpus 5Medium4032,507 words10 headings · 4 tables558 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables161/1k w
#7FS Account PlanDOCXOpus 5Maximum1,5443,369 words18 headings · 11 tables066 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables458/1k w
#6FS Account PlanDOCXFable 5.1Light4422,128 words10 headings · 5 tables758 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables208/1k w
#5FS Account PlanDOCXFable 5.1Medium8843,343 words16 headings · 7 tables1364 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables264/1k w
#4FS Account PlanDOCXFable 5.1Maximum1,3055,019 words16 headings · 11 tables1568 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables260/1k w
#12MFG Supply RiskXLSXAutoLight1642 sheets · 28 rows6 formulas · 0 chart518 KB✔ 2 sheets · ✔ cited5.9/row
#11MFG Supply RiskXLSXAutoMedium3694 sheets · 36 rows19 formulas · 1 chart529 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✔ cited10.2/row
#10MFG Supply RiskXLSXAutoMaximum6604 sheets · 70 rows36 formulas · 1 chart935 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✔ cited9.4/row
#18MFG Supply RiskXLSXOpus 5Light1382 sheets · 20 rows5 formulas · 0 chart018 KB✔ 2 sheets · ✘ cited6.9/row
#17MFG Supply RiskXLSXOpus 5Medium2213 sheets · 60 rows12 formulas · 1 chart1125 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✔ cited3.7/row
#16MFG Supply RiskXLSXOpus 5Maximum9635 sheets · 98 rows40 formulas · 1 chart837 KB✔ 5 sheets · ✔ cited9.8/row
#15MFG Supply RiskXLSXFable 5.1Light3203 sheets · 50 rows46 formulas · 1 chart932 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✔ cited6.4/row
#14MFG Supply RiskXLSXFable 5.1Medium3874 sheets · 60 rows33 formulas · 1 chart2433 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✔ cited6.5/row
#13MFG Supply RiskXLSXFable 5.1Maximum1,3474 sheets · 86 rows100 formulas · 2 chart3151 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✔ cited15.7/row
#21HLS WorkforcePPTXAutoLight4816 slides · 540 words1 chart · 1 table · 0 img · 0/6 notes068 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides891/1k w
#20HLS WorkforcePPTXAutoMedium8806 slides · 515 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes0150 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1709/1k w
#19HLS WorkforcePPTXAutoMaximum1,9106 slides · 515 words1 chart · 2 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes0184 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides3709/1k w
#27HLS WorkforcePPTXOpus 5Light5536 slides · 558 words1 chart · 0 table · 0 img · 1/6 notes077 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides991/1k w
#26HLS WorkforcePPTXOpus 5Medium5756 slides · 561 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes0179 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1025/1k w
#25HLS WorkforcePPTXOpus 5Maximum1,1206 slides · 438 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes0158 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides2557/1k w
#24HLS WorkforcePPTXFable 5.1Light7976 slides · 755 words1 chart · 0 table · 0 img · 3/6 notes0223 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1056/1k w
#23HLS WorkforcePPTXFable 5.1Medium6746 slides · 753 words1 chart · 0 table · 0 img · 6/6 notes089 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides895/1k w
#22HLS WorkforcePPTXFable 5.1Maximum1,9176 slides · 556 words1 chart · 0 table · 2 img · 6/6 notes0337 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides3448/1k w
#30RET CampaignPPTXAutoLight2985 slides · 449 words1 chart · 0 table · 0 img · 0/5 notes061 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides664/1k w
#29RET CampaignPPTXAutoMedium1,3865 slides · 373 words1 chart · 0 table · 1 img · 1/5 notes0169 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides3716/1k w
#28RET CampaignPPTXAutoMaximum2,3915 slides · 503 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 5/5 notes0129 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides4753/1k w
#36RET CampaignPPTXOpus 5Light3415 slides · 486 words1 chart · 1 table · 0 img · 1/5 notes069 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides702/1k w
#35RET CampaignPPTXOpus 5Medium5375 slides · 446 words1 chart · 1 table · 0 img · 0/5 notes063 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides1204/1k w
#34RET CampaignPPTXOpus 5Maximum1,0175 slides · 535 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 5/5 notes0157 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides1901/1k w
#33RET CampaignPPTXFable 5.1Light5085 slides · 698 words1 chart · 0 table · 0 img · 5/5 notes077 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides728/1k w
#32RET CampaignPPTXFable 5.1Medium8805 slides · 635 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 5/5 notes0165 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides1386/1k w
#31RET CampaignPPTXFable 5.1Maximum3,6825 slides · 532 words1 chart · 0 table · 6 img · 5/5 notes0189 KB✔ 5/5 slides · — links on slides6921/1k w
#39PS Budget ReviewXLSXAutoLight1383 sheets · 48 rows45 formulas · 0 chart620 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✔ cited2.9/row
#38PS Budget ReviewXLSXAutoMedium2285 sheets · 83 rows54 formulas · 0 chart2729 KB✔ 5 sheets · ✔ cited2.7/row
#37PS Budget ReviewXLSXAutoMaximum1,2414 sheets · 87 rows76 formulas · 0 chart2129 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✔ cited14.3/row
#45PS Budget ReviewXLSXOpus 5Light1705 sheets · 70 rows41 formulas · 0 chart1223 KB✔ 5 sheets · ✔ cited2.4/row
#44PS Budget ReviewXLSXOpus 5Medium3144 sheets · 45 rows29 formulas · 0 chart624 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✔ cited7.0/row
#43PS Budget ReviewXLSXOpus 5Maximum3655 sheets · 93 rows56 formulas · 0 chart1533 KB✔ 5 sheets · ✔ cited3.9/row
#42PS Budget ReviewXLSXFable 5.1Light8415 sheets · 66 rows48 formulas · 0 chart1829 KB✔ 5 sheets · ✔ cited12.7/row
#41PS Budget ReviewXLSXFable 5.1Medium1,5835 sheets · 79 rows58 formulas · 1 chart2138 KB✔ 5 sheets · ✔ cited20.0/row
#40PS Budget ReviewXLSXFable 5.1Maximum1,7956 sheets · 137 rows81 formulas · 1 chart2144 KB✔ 6 sheets · ✔ cited13.1/row
#48ENU IT DashboardHTMLAutoLight200924 words10 sections · 1 table012 KB✔ risk table · ✘ cited · ✔ no script216/1k w
#47ENU IT DashboardHTMLAutoMedium2191,918 words12 sections · 1 table921 KB✔ risk table · ✔ cited · ✔ no script114/1k w
#46ENU IT DashboardHTMLAutoMaximum6811,740 words19 sections · 3 table741 KB✔ risk table · ✔ cited · ✔ no script391/1k w
#54ENU IT DashboardHTMLOpus 5Light1641,509 words14 sections · 1 table418 KB✔ risk table · ✔ cited · ✔ no script109/1k w
#53ENU IT DashboardHTMLOpus 5Medium2602,026 words10 sections · 1 table724 KB✔ risk table · ✔ cited · ✔ no script128/1k w
#52ENU IT DashboardHTMLOpus 5Maximum5032,275 words16 sections · 1 table628 KB✔ risk table · ✔ cited · ✔ no script221/1k w
#51ENU IT DashboardHTMLFable 5.1Light3431,609 words14 sections · 1 table2127 KB✔ risk table · ✔ cited · ✔ no script213/1k w
#50ENU IT DashboardHTMLFable 5.1Medium5001,971 words15 sections · 1 table1328 KB✔ risk table · ✔ cited · ✔ no script254/1k w
#49ENU IT DashboardHTMLFable 5.1Maximum1,1273,728 words23 sections · 1 table4058 KB✔ risk table · ✔ cited · ✔ no script302/1k w
#57PRO ComplianceDOCXAutoLight2681,694 words13 headings · 2 tables1041 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables158/1k w
#56PRO ComplianceDOCXAutoMedium4162,114 words16 headings · 2 tables041 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables197/1k w
#55PRO ComplianceDOCXAutoMaximum8753,900 words20 headings · 2 tables248 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables224/1k w
#63PRO ComplianceDOCXOpus 5Light2661,579 words8 headings · 2 tables042 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables168/1k w
#62PRO ComplianceDOCXOpus 5Medium3802,202 words14 headings · 2 tables042 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables173/1k w
#61PRO ComplianceDOCXOpus 5Maximum1,0792,820 words17 headings · 2 tables257 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables383/1k w
#60PRO ComplianceDOCXFable 5.1Light3242,829 words16 headings · 3 tables645 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables115/1k w
#59PRO ComplianceDOCXFable 5.1Medium7703,175 words16 headings · 2 tables1045 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables243/1k w
#58PRO ComplianceDOCXFable 5.1Maximum9035,461 words17 headings · 4 tables1257 KB✔ cited · ✔ tables165/1k w
#66EXEC QBRPPTXAutoLight7136 slides · 547 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 2/6 notes01,287 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1303/1k w
#65EXEC QBRPPTXAutoMedium6576 slides · 590 words1 chart · 0 table · 1 img · 4/6 notes0546 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1114/1k w
#64EXEC QBRPPTXAutoMaximum1,7086 slides · 534 words1 chart · 2 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes0183 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides3199/1k w
#72EXEC QBRPPTXOpus 5Light5066 slides · 484 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 0/6 notes01,394 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1045/1k w
#71EXEC QBRPPTXOpus 5Medium9927 slides · 619 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 0/7 notes0121 KB✘ 7/6 slides · — links on slides1603/1k w
#70EXEC QBRPPTXOpus 5Maximum9166 slides · 547 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes0745 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1675/1k w
#69EXEC QBRPPTXFable 5.1Light1,5816 slides · 851 words0 chart · 0 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes0137 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1858/1k w
#68EXEC QBRPPTXFable 5.1Medium9266 slides · 868 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes01,385 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides1067/1k w
#67EXEC QBRPPTXFable 5.1Maximum2,4366 slides · 867 words1 chart · 1 table · 1 img · 6/6 notes0796 KB✔ 6/6 slides · — links on slides2810/1k w
#75CS ThemesDOCXAutoLight3602,023 words14 headings · 3 tables042 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables178/1k w
#74CS ThemesDOCXAutoMedium3362,254 words12 headings · 2 tables041 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables149/1k w
#73CS ThemesDOCXAutoMaximum8673,369 words15 headings · 3 tables045 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables257/1k w
#81CS ThemesDOCXOpus 5Light3031,767 words18 headings · 1 tables040 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables171/1k w
#80CS ThemesDOCXOpus 5Medium4792,577 words12 headings · 2 tables043 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables186/1k w
#79CS ThemesDOCXOpus 5Maximum8433,350 words15 headings · 4 tables047 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables252/1k w
#78CS ThemesDOCXFable 5.1Light3902,864 words16 headings · 3 tables044 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables136/1k w
#77CS ThemesDOCXFable 5.1Medium5412,599 words14 headings · 4 tables048 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables208/1k w
#76CS ThemesDOCXFable 5.1Maximum8603,202 words14 headings · 4 tables045 KB✘ cited · ✔ tables269/1k w
#84PMO ActionsXLSXAutoLight1363 sheets · 54 rows0 formulas · 0 chart025 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✘ cited2.5/row
#83PMO ActionsXLSXAutoMedium2783 sheets · 67 rows7 formulas · 0 chart027 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✘ cited4.1/row
#82PMO ActionsXLSXAutoMaximum6034 sheets · 95 rows72 formulas · 0 chart028 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✘ cited6.3/row
#90PMO ActionsXLSXOpus 5Light1203 sheets · 50 rows0 formulas · 0 chart024 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✘ cited2.4/row
#89PMO ActionsXLSXOpus 5Medium6023 sheets · 66 rows7 formulas · 0 chart029 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✘ cited9.1/row
#88PMO ActionsXLSXOpus 5Maximum7184 sheets · 130 rows46 formulas · 0 chart035 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✘ cited5.5/row
#87PMO ActionsXLSXFable 5.1Light4763 sheets · 61 rows43 formulas · 0 chart028 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✘ cited7.8/row
#86PMO ActionsXLSXFable 5.1Medium4333 sheets · 64 rows22 formulas · 0 chart029 KB✔ 3 sheets · ✘ cited6.8/row
#85PMO ActionsXLSXFable 5.1Maximum9794 sheets · 96 rows87 formulas · 0 chart038 KB✔ 4 sheets · ✘ cited10.2/row

Size = body words (Word), slides and slide text (PowerPoint) or sheets and populated rows (Excel). Structure counts headings, tables, charts and images; for decks it also shows how many slides carry speaker notes. Links = hyperlinks found in the file body (speaker notes excluded). Meets brief = the structural asks in the prompt (cited Word document with tables; the requested slide count; a multi-sheet, cited workbook). Cost per unit = credits per 1,000 words (Word, PowerPoint) or per populated row (Excel), shown only where cost is recorded.

06

Compare runs side by side

Pick up to three runs — any task, model or effort level — and see their cost, output profile and generated artefact next to each other. Best value in each row is highlighted where lower or higher is unambiguously better. The two preset buttons build the set from whichever run is chosen as Run A.

Choose at least two runs, or use one of the preset buttons.

07

Recommendations

Working rules from the complete 90-run matrix. Each cell is a single run, so treat them as strong indications rather than measured policy — see the caveats below.

Start at Medium; step down before stepping up.

Medium delivered structurally complete outputs at a median 47% of the Maximum cost (range 18–108%; in 1 cell it cost more than Maximum). Light is usually cheaper again — a median 63% of Medium — but in 6 of 30 pairs it cost the same or more, so check rather than assume.

Size the deliverable before you touch the model picker.

Ranked like-for-like, the task moves cost a median 4.5×, the effort setting 3.0×, and the choice between Auto and Opus 5 only 1.4×. Decks are the expensive shape — 45% of all credits from 30% of runs — so scope the deck before optimising anything else.

Treat model choice as a per-task decision — Opus 5 if you must pick blind.

Opus 5 was cheapest in 17 of 30 cells, 18% cheaper than Auto in total and cheaper in aggregate at every effort level. Auto still won 13 cells, so for anything repeated (weekly trackers, monthly decks) run both once at Medium and lock in the cheaper one.

Plan for Fable 5.1 as a premium, metered model.

Fable 5.1 cost a median 1.6× (0.6–6.9×) the Auto/Opus 5 figure for the same cell, beat one of them in only 7 of 60 pairings, and produced the most expensive run in the set. It linked its sources more consistently than either, so reserve it for work where that depth is worth paying for — and re-check its pricing while it is in preview.

Judge the meter against the time it returns.

At a $72/hour loaded rate the average deliverable ($7.47) pays for itself after 6 minutes of saved time; the most expensive run in the matrix ($36.82) needs 31 minutes. Even a Maximum-effort deck clears its cost in under a quarter of an hour.

08

Method, sources & caveats

Sources

  • Test log: Cowork-Universal-Test-Matrix.xlsx (sheet Comparison, 90 rows) — task, industry, department, prompt, output type, model, effort, skills & plugins, tools, cost in credits and USD. Every cost figure in this report is reproduced from that sheet.
  • Evidence: BojanBuhac/Cowork-Comparison-Analysis → evidence on GitHub — 90 generated files, named Task – Model – Effort – title, published publicly so every figure in this report can be checked against the artefact it came from. Office files link to the Microsoft Office web viewer (opens in the browser, no sign-in), a direct download, and the file's GitHub page; HTML dashboards are embedded live in the report and can be downloaded from GitHub.
  • Output measures (words, headings, tables, slides, notes, charts, sheets, rows, formulas, source links) were extracted from the files themselves; page and slide previews were rendered from the files for this report and may differ slightly from Office rendering.
  • Billing background: Manage Copilot Cowork for your organization (model responses, tool and skill calls, image generation and browser tasks count toward consumption) and Choose a model for Copilot Cowork.

Caveats

  • One run per cell. Cowork is not deterministic; repeat runs are needed to estimate variance before treating a difference as real.
  • Task and format are still partly confounded. Output types map to a small number of tasks each (DOCX: 3 task(s), XLSX: 3 task(s), PPTX: 3 task(s)), so format averages still carry the character of those particular tasks.
  • Fable 5.1 is a preview model; its availability and metering may change.
  • Cost unit. Credits and USD are reproduced as entered in the workbook ($0.01 per credit).
  • Break-even is an assumption, not a measurement. The $72/hour fully loaded rate is a planning figure chosen for this report; no time-saving was measured in these tests. Break-even shows only how much saved time would cover the metered cost — substitute your own rate.
Evidence
Cowork confidence check
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