Microsoft 365 isn't just Word and Excel; it's the enterprise world's most widely used productivity and collaboration platform. But the plan options are confusing: Business Basic, Business Premium, Enterprise E3, Enterprise E5... Which one contains what, and how is the price/function balance?
01. Two Main Families: Business and Enterprise
Business plans go up to 300 users. Enterprise plans offer unlimited users and more advanced security and compliance features. Companies with 300+ users must move to Enterprise.
02. Business Plans
A short summary:
- Basic ($6/month): web and mobile Office only, Teams, email, OneDrive
- Standard ($12.50/month): desktop Office apps added
- Premium ($22/month): advanced security (Intune, Defender, Purview)
03. Enterprise Plans
A summary for Enterprise:
- E3 ($36/month): full Office + Teams + advanced compliance
- E5 ($57/month): E3 + Advanced Threat Protection, Power BI Pro, Phone System
04. The Copilot Add-on
Whichever plan you have, adding the Copilot license costs an extra $30/month per user. For most companies this starts not at Basic but at Standard or above.
05. Choosing the Right Plan
A short guide:
- Small company, remote-work focused: Business Basic or Standard
- Mid-sized company, security matters: Business Premium
- 300+ users: Enterprise E3
- Heavy regulation, need for a phone system: Enterprise E5