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SharePoint Cost and Licensing: How Much Does SharePoint Cost

Posted by Errin O'Connor on Apr, 07, 2021 08:04

SharePoint Cost and Licensing: How Much Does SharePoint Cost

Asking the above question is not the worst thing you can do, nor is it the best. It sounds like you are about to decide based on price. Meanwhile, your best bet is to choose based on value. First, however, we will answer your question with a detailed explanation of the benefits of SharePoint and how we can help you. 

To answer your question, SharePoint pricing varies based on the type of plan you subscribe to. 

Nevertheless, SharePoint was created by Microsoft in 2001. Over the years, several improvements have been made to the system. At first, SharePoint operated as a single-server product. But as the improvements were made, its capacity was upgraded to give room for more servers. 

Instead of only using the system to manage documents and contents, you can now connect your team members to communicate about projects and stay informed. Furthermore, you and your team can execute light tasks and share files across the system. You can subscribe to three plans: SharePoint online plan 1, SharePoint online plan 2, and Office 365 E3. Regardless of the SharePoint pricing of each plan, it would be best if you focused on the benefits they provide.

The major difference between SharePoint online and on-premises is the host.

Microsoft Sharepoint Pricing

SHAREPOINT PLANSCOSTPURPOSEOFFICE APPSSERVICES
Sharepoint online plan 1$5/monthMeant for small and mid-sized businesses NoneSharepoint, OneDrive, and lists
Sharepoint online plan 2$10/monthCapable for enterprises NoneSharepoint, OneDrive, and lists
Office 365 E3$23/monthThis meant for business organizations that need office services and IT featuresOutlook, word, excel, PowerPoint, publisher, and accessExchange, OneDrive, Skype for business, SharePoint, teams, yammer, delve, and lists

There are 3 types of SharePoint sites; communication, teams, and hub sites.

Note: a hub site can encompass the two other sites into one.

Sharepoint-online-structure

SharePoint Online Plan 1 Features

The target users of this plan are small and mid-sized businesses. As part of the SharePoint Online Plan 1, you can access OneDrive and all SharePoint features. Subscribing to this plan will cost you $5/month per user with an annual commitment.

Features of this plan are:

  • Each user will enjoy 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage 
  • Seamless and secure sharing of files within and outside your business.
  • You can sync your local documents to enable offline viewing and edit them using a PC or Mac.
  • This plan allows you to co-author files and documents through popular Microsoft applications.
  • You can efficiently manage your content and documents using the list and library features.
  • Features such as record administration, retention policies, and metadata are easily accessible.
  • Files can be shared between SharePoint and OneDrive.
  • SharePoint is compatible with your mobile work applications.
  • You can access SharePoint and OneDrive through the mobile application available for Android, windows, and iOS devices.
  • Enables fast-track deployment support.
  • A user support system is available 24/7.
  • You can search for people and indexed content.

In addition, this plan is available as part of the commercial license. You can connect your team to this plan using the portals and intranets. That way, you can share updates and stay informed. Also, whatever news you or a team member shares will be aesthetically displayed on a well-designed website. Using this website, you and your team can communicate about content effectively.

With the SharePoint online plan 1, you will have access to enterprise features, but the access will be limited. For example, you can view Visio diagrams and log on to access-based pages. In addition, you will have access to embedded Excel content and data insights within the range.

SharePoint Online Plan 2 Features

The target users of SharePoint online plan 2 are larger-scale businesses and organizations. All of the features needed to allow an enterprise to function effectively are available on this plan. This plan costs $10/ month per user. All the elements in plan 1 are also part of the SharePoint online plan 2. However, the SharePoint online plan 2 has additional features that help it provide top-notch efficiency. 

These features are:

  • Instead of the one terabyte storage per user on plan 1, users of this plan 2 will get unlimited cloud storage.
  • Sharepoint online plan 2 will give you access to advanced DLP capabilities. This is handy when identifying, monitoring, and protecting sensitive files.
  • Using Plan 2 comes with advanced search options. For example, you can customize your search and search for companies within limits.
  • If you need a document for legal or litigation purposes, use the digital search format to look for the file. Also, this option is valuable when auditing drives, as data can be presented electronically.

If you own a large company, this plan perfectly fits your business. You will have full access to enterprise features. Along with viewing Visio diagrams, you can create yours. Also, you can create and execute access-based applications. In addition, you will be able to develop embedded Excel content and graphs. Finally, create, publish, and submit InfoPath forms.

Office 365 E3

office-365-sharepoint

Understanding Office 365 enterprise is quite difficult due to its tedious nature. Subsequently, understanding Office 365 E3 licensing for SharePoint is complex due to the different components involved. Therefore, you must consider all available products, such as InfoPath and Visio. Also, understanding the additional licenses under Office 365 E3 is necessary. 

With Office 365 E3, businesses are provided with the tools needed for efficient growth without limitations. The subscription is built for organizations of 300 workers. Some features of Office 365 E3 are 

  • Business class email
  • Unlimited OneDrive
  • Safe and secure communication 
  • Rights management services 
  • Automation

All Office 365 E3 subscriptions include SharePoint. This might make it difficult for you to decide the best plan for your business. However, we have explained these plans’ key features and benefits.

Office 365 Business Basic

The basic business plan comes with a 50GB email hosting mailbox. This plan is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. The primary Office 365 applications, along with a professional email, online data storage, team collaboration solutions, and video conferencing tools, are available on this plan. 

This subscription suits you if you want the Office 365 apps, excluding Office client apps. Also, you will have access to Microsoft Teams. This plan costs $6/month per user with an annual commitment of $5.

Key features

  • No more than 300 users
  • 50Gb mailbox
  • 1 TB online storage
  • Microsoft Teams access
  • Phone and web support
  • License for commercial use
  • Guaranteed SLA 99.9% uptime

Office 365 Business Standard

This plan is quite popular amongst small and medium-sized companies. It provides access for up to 300 members of your workforce, with the complete efficiency of Microsoft 365 available. All Office 365 business basic features are available as part of this plan. 

In addition, companies looking to operate entirely remotely can use this plan for efficient collaboration solutions. It includes advanced security features to help create a secure and modern remote workplace. The plan costs $15/month per user, with an annual commitment of $12.5.

Key features

  • Maximum of 300 users
  • Apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are available.
  • 50Gb mailbox with a custom domain 
  • Each user can use their subscription on five devices (mobile, tablets, and PC)
  • 1 TB online storage

Office 365 Business premium 

The plan requires you to use Windows 10 Professional because of the window’s advanced security and management features. At most, 300 employees are allowed on the system. All the features of business basic and standard plans are a part of this plan. This plan costs $23/month, with an annual commitment of $20.

Key features

  • No more than 300 users
  • It can be used on Windows 10 pro
  • Rights can be upgraded from Windows 7 or 8.1 pros to Windows 10.
  • Desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are available 
  • Each user can use the subscription on five devices
  • 50Gb mailbox with customized domain
  • Information encryption feature
  • Advanced protection against phishing attacks, cyberattacks, and ransomware. 

Key Differences Between Sharepoint Online Plan 1, 2, and Office 365

NoSOP 1SOP 2OFFICE 365
1.This plan costs $5/monthThis plan costs $10/monthThis plan costs $23/month
2.Meant for small and mid-sized businesses Capable of servicing enterprisesThis is intended for businesses that need an office and advanced services 
3.1TB of OneDrive cloud storage per userUnlimited cloud storage per user50Gb mailbox storage with business ideas email hosting
4.Sync local files and folders to view offlineFind and view contents in an electronic formatAccess to office applications suitable for PC
5.Use the team site to connect teams to create and manage contentUse in-place holds to prevent content from being deleted or editedUse the hub site to communicate and join teams using Microsoft Teams

The above information is the primary difference between SOP 1, 2, and Office 365.

However, before deciding on the best plan for your business, you should consider these factors:

  • Your existing framework: the first factor to consider is the quality of the software and how it will fit into your work system seamlessly. Can all your staff connect and communicate on the software?
  • Your business needs: it is essential to know what your business needs to be more efficient. It could be communication, productivity, or security. Understanding your needs will help you identify the plan with the features to satisfy your needs.
  • Your budget: always consider this after considering the needs of your business. If you are already operating on one plan – aside from the cost of a new plan – you should consider the cost of migrating to a new one. 
  • Compare all plans: the next step is to gather all the needed information about each of these plans and compare them to see which one provides the best value.

Benefits of Using Sharepoint in Your Organization in 2023

sharepoint-benefits

As a business owner, investing in tools that allow your teams to connect and work together is profitable. SharePoint is the best tool to improve your business efficiency and productivity. It provides several benefits, and they are:

  • Improved data management: recent research shows that the amount of data per employee has increased in recent years. Organizing all of this data can be difficult. You will need a system to help you store the data and documents and allow other employees to access them. SharePoint provides you with features that will enable you to control all of these data and documents and also give access to other employees.
  • Simplified business functions: businesses’ day-to-day operation involves several workflows essential to efficiency. It cannot be easy to manage this workflow physically, but that can be made easy using SharePoint.
  • Regulatory compliance and cyber security: there are regulations and guidelines that professionals in every industry must adhere to. Specifically, measures are implemented to ensure that only authorized personnel can access specific files. For example, with SharePoint, you can specify security settings that will make certain documents confidential and require clearance before certain employees can access them.
  • Optimized content management: There are different processes between the blog writer, editor, and publisher. The whole process consumes more time than is necessary. However, SharePoint can help you manage the process between your team to save more time. Articles can be submitted, feedback will be provided, corrections will be made, and articles will be published within minutes.
  • Unprecedented collaboration: regardless of the number of staff you have, it is essential that they can communicate and collaborate effectively. Investing in a tool that will help to enhance collaboration and communication between your team is the best option. SharePoint helps bring your staff closer; they can communicate and collaborate better and faster.

EPC Group Expertise in SharePoint Deployment 

This brand has been in the industry for about 24 years, and they have valuable experience regarding SharePoint consultations. Based on multiple factors, they are regarded as one of the best companies that can help you provide SharePoint subscription and migration services. 

Other services they provide include Office 365 consultation, cloud computing, routine data services, Internet Information Services, networking infrastructure services, Microsoft Power BI, Active Directory domain services, and software integration.

At EPC group, you will be provided with the necessary information to help you decide on the perfect plan for your business. 

The customer support representatives are always available to answer your questions. In addition, you will be provided with a professional team member who will work with you through your subscription or migration process. Regardless of the service you require from the EPC group, you can get the best products and expertise at cost-effective prices.

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Errin O'Connor
About the Author

Errin O'Connor

With over 25 years of experience in Information Technology and Management Consulting, Errin O’Connor has led hundreds of large-scale enterprise implementations from Business Intelligence, Power BI, Office 365, SharePoint, Exchange, IT Security, Azure and Hybrid Cloud efforts for over 165 Fortune 500 companies.

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