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Compare Microsoft 365 licensing

Microsoft 365 Licensing
Compared for UK Business

Business Basic, Standard, Premium and Apps — understand what each plan includes, which one fits your business, and what affects the price. Then get competitive quotes on your Microsoft licensing.

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The basics

What is Microsoft 365 and how is it licensed?

Microsoft 365 is a subscription that bundles the Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), cloud services (Exchange email, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams), and — on the higher tiers — security and device management. It is licensed per user per month, so each person in your business has their own licence. The right plan depends on whether you need the desktop apps installed, how much security and management you require, and whether you need Windows and device management included.

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You can mix plans across your team

Not everyone needs the same licence. A frontline worker who only needs email and web apps can be on a lighter plan, while staff who need the full desktop apps and security sit on a higher tier. Mixing plans correctly is one of the easiest ways to control Microsoft licensing cost — and something worth comparing carefully.

The plans

Compare Microsoft 365 business plans

The main business plans differ in whether the desktop apps are included, how much cloud storage you get, and what security and device management is built in. Here is how they compare. All pricing is indicative per user per month and shown for comparison — your actual quote depends on volume and term.

Business Basic

Web and mobile versions of the Office apps, plus business email (Exchange), OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. No desktop apps installed. Best for users who work mainly in a browser. Indicative from around £5 per user per month.

Business Standard

Everything in Basic, plus the full desktop Office apps installed on PC and Mac, and webinar and bookings tools. The most common choice for office-based teams. Indicative from around £10.50 per user per month.

Business Premium

Everything in Standard, plus advanced security, device management (Intune), and threat protection. Best where data security and managed devices matter. Indicative from around £18 per user per month.

Apps for Business

The desktop Office apps and OneDrive, without the email and Teams services. For businesses that need the apps but handle email elsewhere. Indicative from around £8 per user per month.

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Business Premium is more than just Office

Premium adds the security and device management most growing businesses end up needing — conditional access, threat protection, the ability to enforce policies and remotely wipe lost devices through Intune. If you are weighing up Premium against buying these separately, it is usually cheaper bundled. Worth comparing the total cost rather than the headline licence price.

Choosing

Which Microsoft 365 plan does your business need?

Rather than defaulting everyone to the same licence, match the plan to how each person works. As a comparison guide:

Mostly browser-based

Staff who live in webmail and web apps can sit on Business Basic and use the online versions — the cheapest route.

Office-based teams

Anyone who needs Word, Excel and Outlook installed on their machine needs Business Standard or Premium.

Security & managed devices

If you handle sensitive data, manage company devices, or need to enforce security policy, Business Premium is the fit.

Apps without email

If your email is hosted elsewhere but you still need the desktop apps, Apps for Business covers it.

FAQ

Microsoft 365 licensing — common questions

Both include the full desktop Office apps and email. Premium adds advanced security, threat protection, and device management through Intune — the ability to enforce security policies and remotely manage or wipe devices. If you need those, Premium is usually cheaper than buying them separately.
Yes, and it is often the smartest way to control cost. Users who only need web and email can sit on Business Basic while others have Standard or Premium. We can help you work out the right mix.
Business plans are licensed per user per month. Each user can typically install the apps on multiple devices. The number of users you need is the main driver of cost.
Yes. We supply Microsoft 365 licensing and can bundle it with IT support and device management. Pricing on this site is indicative for comparison — we provide competitive quotes based on your user count and term.

Get competitive Microsoft 365 quotes

Tell us how many users you have and how they work. We will recommend the right plan mix and provide competitive quotes on your licensing.

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Business Basic · Standard · Premium · Apps for Business · licensing with IT support and device management

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