Microsofts Guide To The Office 365 Business Plans
Microsoft 365 Business Plans Comparison Guide
Microsoft 365 Business plans are designed for organizations with up to 300 users. Three tiers cover cloud productivity, collaboration, and security at different price points. This guide compares Business Basic, Standard, and Premium — with pricing, features, and guidance on which plan fits your organization.
Key facts
- Microsoft 365 Business plans are for organizations up to 300 users.
- Business Basic: $6/user/month — web/mobile apps, Teams, Exchange, SharePoint.
- Business Standard: $12.50/user/month — adds full Office desktop apps and Publisher.
- Business Premium: $22/user/month — adds Microsoft Defender, Intune, and Azure AD P1.
- Enterprise plans (E1/E3/E5) have no user cap and add advanced compliance and security.
- EPC Group has helped hundreds of organizations select and deploy the right M365 plan.
Plan comparison
| Feature | Business Basic ($6) | Business Standard ($12.50) | Business Premium ($22) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web/mobile Office apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, etc.) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Teams | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Exchange Online | Yes (50 GB mailbox) | Yes (50 GB mailbox) | Yes (50 GB mailbox) |
| SharePoint Online | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Defender for Business | No | No | Yes |
| Microsoft Intune | No | No | Yes |
| Azure AD P1 (Conditional Access) | No | No | Yes |
| Information protection (AIP P1) | No | No | Yes |
| Max users | 300 | 300 | 300 |
Which plan should you choose?
EPC Group recommends based on your size, security requirements, and compliance needs.
- Business Basic ($6): Organizations that only need cloud email, Teams, and web-based Office. No desktop app requirement.
- Business Standard ($12.50): Organizations that need full desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) plus Teams and SharePoint.
- Business Premium ($22): Organizations needing built-in endpoint security (Defender), device management (Intune), and Conditional Access. Best for HIPAA and SOC 2 compliance baseline.
- Enterprise E3 ($36): Over 300 users or need advanced compliance tools, unlimited archiving, and advanced eDiscovery.
Enterprise plans (E3 and E5)
The Office 365 name still exists for enterprise plans. E3 and E5 have no user cap.
- Microsoft 365 E3: $36/user/mo — full suite plus compliance tools (DLP, eDiscovery, audit logging).
- Microsoft 365 E5: $57/user/mo — adds Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Defender for Cloud Apps, Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Customer Lockbox, and 6-year audit log retention.
E5 is roughly $35/user/mo of additional security value over E3 if purchased as add-ons separately.
Government plans
Federal agencies and contractors may need Microsoft 365 GCC or GCC High.
- M365 GCC: for state and local government; FedRAMP Moderate.
- M365 GCC High: for federal contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Required for CMMC Level 2 (110 NIST 800-171 controls) or Level 3 (134 controls).
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business plans?
Business Basic ($6) is web-only Office. Business Standard ($12.50) adds full desktop apps. Business Premium ($22) adds enterprise security — Defender for Business, Intune, and Conditional Access. All plans cap at 300 users.
Should I choose Business Premium or Microsoft 365 E3?
If you have under 300 users and need endpoint security but not advanced compliance tools, Business Premium at $22/user/mo is cost-effective. Over 300 users, or if you need advanced eDiscovery and audit logs, go to E3 at $36/user/mo.
What happened to Office 365 Business plans?
Microsoft rebranded Office 365 Business plans as Microsoft 365 Business plans in 2020. The apps are the same. The Microsoft 365 branding adds security and compliance features not in the original Office 365 brand.
Does EPC Group help with Microsoft 365 plan selection?
Yes. EPC Group reviews your org size, compliance requirements, security posture, and existing licensing to recommend the right plan. We also handle deployment, security configuration, and user training.
Schedule a consultation
EPC Group selects, deploys, and optimizes Microsoft 365 plans for enterprise organizations. Call (888) 381-9725 or request a 30-minute discovery call.
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