As organizations move towards digital transformation, Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365) has become an essential productivity suite for many businesses. However, with so many different versions and licenses available, it can be challenging to determine which one best suits your organization's needs.
In this blog, we'll explore the differences between some of the most common Microsoft 365 licenses, including the Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, Enterprise E3, and Enterprise E5 licenses to provide a more comprehensive understanding of which license is right for your organization.
When searching for the Microsoft 365 license that's most appropriate for their end-users, some organizations find where to start the most overwhelming part of the entire process.
How do you know which one is right for your organization? Should you choose Enterprise E3, or will Business Standard be sufficient? What's the difference between Business Premium and Enterprise E5? What apps and services come with each of the licenses?
At ProServeIT, we understand your frustration. To help you make the right decision, we've created a Microsoft 365 Decision Tree and provided you with a quick overview of each of the licenses. Read along to learn about the various versions of Microsoft 365, and use our Microsoft 365 Decision Tree to choose the right Office 365 license for your organization!
What is the difference between 365 for enterprise and 365 for Business?
For the sake of this post, we'll focus on the most common licenses included with Microsoft 365. For add-ons and packages, you can include with your subscription, contact us!
Business Licenses (for organizations with under 300 Users)
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
$7.70 CAD/user/month (annual commitment)
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Best for businesses that need easy remote solutions, with Microsoft Teams, secure Cloud storage, and Office Online (desktop versions not included).
Applications include Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
Services included: Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook -
Microsoft 365 Apps for Business
$11.00 CAD/user/month (annual commitment)-
Best for businesses that need desktop versions of Office apps with premium features.
Applications include Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.
Services included: Exchange, OneDrive, Access (PC only), and Publisher (PC only)
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Microsoft 365 Business Standard
$16.00 CAD/user/month (annual commitment)
- Best for businesses that need full remote work and collaboration tools, including Microsoft Teams, secure cloud storage, business email, and premium Office applications across devices.
- Applications included: Online, mobile, and desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher (PC only), Access (PC only), Bookings, and MileIQ.
- Services included: Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
$28.20 CAD/user/month (annual commitment)
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Best for businesses that require secure, remote work solutions with everything included in Business Standard, advanced cyber threat protection, and device management.
Applications included: Online, mobile, and desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher (PC only), Access (PC only), and Bookings.
Services included: Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Intune, and Azure Information Protection.
Enterprise Licenses (for organizations with 300+ Users)
Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3
$47.90 CAD/user/month (annual commitment)
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Best for businesses looking for best-in-class productivity apps combined with core security and compliance capabilities.
Applications include Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Access (PC only).
Services included: Outlook, Exchange, Bookings, Teams, SharePoint, Yammer, OneDrive, Stream, Sway, Lists, Power Apps, Power Automate, Planner, and To D
Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5
$73.00 CAD/user/month (annual commitment)
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Best for businesses looking for best-in-class productivity apps and advanced security, compliance, voice, and analytical capabilities.
Applications include: Web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Access (PC only).
Services included: Outlook, Exchange, Bookings, Teams, SharePoint, Yammer, OneDrive, Stream, Sway, Lists, Power Apps, Power Automate, Planner, To Do, Power BI Pro, Viva Insights, Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2, Microsoft Defender for Office365, Microsoft defender for Identity, Azure Information Protection P2, Microsoft Defender for Clouds Apps, Advanced eDiscovery, advance audit, Insider Risk management, Communication compliance, Information barriers, Customer Lockbox, Privileges Access management, Built-in third-party connections and Azure Active Directory Premium Plan 2.
Which Office 365 License Is Right for My Organization? [Decision Tree]
It’s important to note that this Office 365 Decision Tree isn’t an exact science – every customer is different, and some customers require more customization than others. However, the below graphic will walk you through some basic questions to help you understand which version could suit your unique business needs.
Start Your Office 365 Journey with A Free Trial
If you still aren’t sure which version is the right one for your organization, talk to our Microsoft 365 experts today. With our commitment to eliminating our customers’ “IT debt”, we’ll make sure you choose the right version of Microsoft 365 for your specific business needs so that you’re getting the maximum ROI for your money.
If you want to try Microsoft 365 out and see if it’s the right fit for your organization, take advantage of ProServeIT's Microsoft 365 free trial! This offer allows you to try out up to 25 Enterprise E5 user licenses for free for 30 days. No credit card is required, and no obligation after the trial ends, so you can’t lose!
Want to see how other companies took advantage of Microsoft 365? Watch this video case study of one of our customers! To see more of our case studies, click here.
