SharePoint Cost And Licensing How Much Does SharePoint Cost

SharePoint Cost and Licensing Guide

SharePoint Online is included in most Microsoft 365 business and enterprise plans — there is no longer a standalone "SharePoint" subscription for most buyers. Prices range from $5/user/month (Microsoft 365 Business Basic) to $57/user/month (Microsoft 365 E5). This guide covers standalone plans, bundle pricing, hidden costs, on-premises licensing, and enterprise licensing strategies.

Key facts

• SharePoint Plan 1: $5/user/month (standalone, limited to web-based Office apps).
• SharePoint Plan 2: $10/user/month (adds compliance features, eDiscovery, Hybrid).
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6/user/month — includes SharePoint, Teams, Exchange.
• Microsoft 365 E3: $36/user/month — full Office apps, Conditional Access, DLP.
• Microsoft 365 E5: $57/user/month — adds Defender, Sentinel, Purview Premium, Customer Lockbox.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on: $30/user/month (requires E3 or E5 base license).

SharePoint Online Standalone Plans

Microsoft still sells two standalone SharePoint plans. Most enterprises buy bundles instead because standalone plans exclude desktop Office apps.

• SharePoint Plan 1 — $5/user/month. Web-only Office apps, 1 TB OneDrive, basic document management.
• SharePoint Plan 2 — $10/user/month. Adds eDiscovery, compliance features, Hybrid configuration, and unlimited personal storage.

SharePoint in Microsoft 365 Bundles

For most organizations, a Microsoft 365 bundle is better value than standalone SharePoint.

| Plan | Price/user/month | Includes | |---|---|---| | Business Basic | $6 | SharePoint, Teams, Exchange, web Office | | Business Standard | $12.50 | Adds desktop Office apps | | Business Premium | $22 | Adds Intune, Defender, Conditional Access | | E3 | $36 | Full compliance, DLP, standard audit (90 days) | | E5 | $57 | Adds Defender for Endpoint, Sentinel, Purview Premium, 6-year audit |

What E5 Adds Over E3

The $21/user/month premium for E5 over E3 includes significant security and compliance capabilities.

• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2.
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps.
• Insider Risk Management.
• Communication Compliance.
• Microsoft Sentinel-fed audit logs.
• Customer Lockbox.
• Audit (Premium) with 6-year retention.
• Advanced eDiscovery.

For organizations needing SOC 2, HIPAA, or FedRAMP compliance, E5 often pays for itself through audit efficiency alone.

Hidden Costs and Add-Ons

Several costs do not appear in the base Microsoft 365 price.

• SharePoint Premium (formerly Syntex) — AI document processing at $0.01–$0.05/page; eSignature at $0.10–$2.00/request.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot — $30/user/month add-on; requires E3 or E5. At Fortune 500 scale (1,000–2,000 users), this runs $360K–$600K/year.
• Extra storage — tenant storage beyond the included 1 TB per user pool has additional per-GB costs.
• Power BI Pro — required for dashboard sharing; $10/user/month or included in E5.
• Azure AD P2 — required for Privileged Identity Management and risk-based Conditional Access; $9/user/month.

SharePoint Server On-Premises Licensing

SharePoint Server is licensed separately from Microsoft 365. It uses a server-plus-CAL model.

• SharePoint Server Standard — server license + Standard CAL per user.
• SharePoint Server Enterprise — server license + Enterprise CAL (adds PerformancePoint, Excel Services, Visio).
• SharePoint Server 2019 is the last version before Microsoft shifted focus entirely to SharePoint Online.
• SharePoint Server Subscription Edition (SPSE) is the current on-premises release — annual subscription model.

Enterprise Licensing Strategies

Organizations with 500+ users often have licensing optimization opportunities. EPC Group has optimized Microsoft licensing for enterprises spending $500K to $11M+ annually on Microsoft 365.

• License mixing — assign E5 only to compliance-intensive roles; use E3 or F3 for frontline workers.
• Add-on consolidation — E5 often costs less than E3 plus individual security add-ons.
• Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) — three-year commitments include True-Up flexibility and volume discounts.
• Microsoft 365 F3 (Frontline) — $8/user/month; suitable for workers needing Teams and SharePoint access only, not full desktop Office.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does SharePoint cost per month?

SharePoint standalone plans cost $5–$10/user/month. In Microsoft 365 bundles it ranges from $6/user/month (Business Basic) to $57/user/month (E5). Most enterprises pay $36–$57/user/month for full compliance and desktop apps.

Is SharePoint included in Microsoft 365?

Yes. SharePoint Online is included in every Microsoft 365 Business and Enterprise plan. The standalone SharePoint Plan 1 and Plan 2 subscriptions exist but are rarely the right choice for organizations with more than 50 users.

What is the difference between SharePoint Plan 1 and Plan 2?

Plan 1 ($5/user/month) covers basic SharePoint and web-based Office apps. Plan 2 ($10/user/month) adds eDiscovery, compliance features, unlimited personal storage, and Hybrid configuration. Most compliance-driven organizations need Plan 2 or an E3/E5 bundle.

Does Microsoft 365 E5 include SharePoint Premium?

No. SharePoint Premium (formerly Syntex) is a separate pay-per-use add-on. It is not included in E5. AI document processing starts at $0.01/page and eSignature at $0.10/request.

How do I optimize SharePoint licensing costs?

Mix license tiers by role — E5 for compliance-intensive users, E3 for knowledge workers, F3 for frontline staff. Compare E5 against E3-plus-add-ons for your specific add-on stack. A Microsoft Enterprise Agreement with three-year commitment provides the best volume pricing.

Get a Licensing Assessment

EPC Group helps enterprises optimize Microsoft 365 licensing — often reducing per-seat cost by 15–30%. Call (888) 381-9725 or request a 30-minute licensing review.