Buying guide
· 7 min read· Updated 2026-05-18Choose a Microsoft 365 Business plan
Microsoft sells four Business plans. Here's the decision tree, real per-user prices and the security cliff between Standard and Premium.
- Microsoft 365
- Business
- Buyer's guide
The four plans on one page
| Feature | Basic | Apps | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop Office apps | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Exchange (50 GB mailbox) | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| SharePoint + OneDrive (1 TB) | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Teams (add-on) | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Defender for Business | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Intune (device management) | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Entra ID P1 (Conditional Access) | — | — | — | ✓ |
| Max users | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Per-user/month (annual) | ~€6 | ~€9 | ~€12 | ~€21 |
Decision tree
- · Need desktop Office? No → Basic. Yes → continue.
- · Need Exchange/Teams/SharePoint? No (you have Gmail/Slack) → Apps for Business.
- · Handle customer PII, payments, or regulated data? No → Standard. Yes → Premium.
- · Have >300 users? You've outgrown Business — move to Microsoft 365 E3/E5 Enterprise.
The Standard → Premium cliff
Going from Standard (€12) to Premium (€21) nearly doubles the price, but you get three security products that would cost much more à la carte:
- · Defender for Business: ~€3/user/mo standalone.
- · Intune: ~€8/user/mo standalone.
- · Entra ID P1: ~€6/user/mo standalone.
- · Bundled cost in Premium ≈ €17/user/mo equivalent — Premium is a discount, not a premium.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I add Copilot to a Business plan?
- Yes. Copilot for Microsoft 365 (€28/user/mo) is an add-on that works on Business Standard, Premium and Apps for Business plans.
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