Microsoft 365, explained

The right tools.
For the way you work.

Start with what your people need to do. Then choose the email, apps and protection that support them. We help you make sense of the licences behind your workplace.

Compare your options

Four common starting points

What problem do you need to solve?

Email alone, work in a browser, full desktop apps or a more controlled environment. These are different requirements, with different licensing choices.

Cloud productivity

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Give your team business email and shared files without relying on personal inboxes or scattered attachments.

A good fit for People who mainly work in a browser or on mobile devices.

Office apps
Web and mobile
Primary mailbox
Up to 100 GB*
Files
1 TB OneDrive per user + SharePoint
Teams
Choose with Teams or no Teams
Protection
Email filtering + link checks
Included features and what to consider
  • Business email on your domain, with shared calendars.
  • Word, Excel and PowerPoint for web and mobile.
  • OneDrive for individual work files and SharePoint for team content.
  • Email filtering, with URL checking when a link is opened added in the 2026 packaging update.

The installed desktop Office apps are not included. Business Premium adds broader identity, device and threat protection; those capabilities are not part of Basic.

Microsoft plan details

Desktop productivity

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

Bring familiar desktop tools, business email and collaboration together for people who create documents every day.

A good fit for Teams that need installed Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook alongside cloud services.

Office apps
Desktop, web and mobile
Primary mailbox
Up to 100 GB*
Files
1 TB OneDrive per user + SharePoint
Teams
Choose with Teams or no Teams
Protection
Email filtering + link checks
Included features and what to consider
  • The email and file collaboration foundation in Business Basic.
  • Installed desktop apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
  • Each licensed user can install apps on up to five PCs or Macs, five tablets and five phones, subject to supported platforms.
  • Tools such as Forms, Planner and Bookings for everyday work.

Standard focuses on productivity. It does not include the Entra ID P1, Intune Plan 1 and Defender security combination included in Premium.

Microsoft plan details

Productivity + protection

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Support flexible working while putting stronger controls around sign-ins, business devices and sensitive information.

A good fit for Businesses that need desktop productivity together with managed access, devices and security policies.

Office apps
Desktop, web and mobile
Primary mailbox
Up to 100 GB*
Files
1 TB OneDrive per user + SharePoint
Teams
Choose with Teams or no Teams
Protection
Managed devices + enhanced security
Included features and what to consider
  • The core productivity services in Business Standard.
  • Microsoft Entra ID P1 and Microsoft Intune Plan 1.
  • Microsoft Defender for Business and Defender for Office 365 Plan 1.
  • Information protection and data loss prevention capabilities for business data.

Security tools need configuration, onboarding and ongoing review. Premium is not an automatic security guarantee or an all-inclusive managed service. Server protection, advanced add-ons and recovery requirements need separate assessment.

Microsoft plan details

Business email

Exchange Online Plan 1

Provide professional email and calendars when a person does not need a full Microsoft 365 productivity suite.

A good fit for Email-focused roles or businesses with an existing, separately licensed productivity setup.

Email access
Outlook on the web
Primary mailbox
50 GB per user
Files
OneDrive and SharePoint not included
Teams
Not included
Protection
Spam and malware filtering
Included features and what to consider
  • Hosted email using your business domain.
  • Calendar and contacts, with Outlook on the web.
  • Spam and malware filtering for email.
  • A standalone email subscription, assigned per user.

The desktop Office suite is not included. Desktop email access needs a compatible, appropriately licensed client. The 2026 Business suite mailbox increase does not apply to standalone Exchange Online Plan 1.

Microsoft plan details

*A 2026 mailbox change worth knowing about. Eligible Business Basic, Standard and Premium users can now have a 100 GB primary mailbox after the additional storage service is provisioned and enabled. Custom mailbox limits may still apply. Standalone Exchange Online Plan 1 remains 50 GB.

Read Microsoft’s mailbox update ↗

Reviewed 10 October 2026. Commercial base plans shown; product variants, available features and terms are confirmed in your quote.

Beyond the desktop apps

What does Premium add?

Business Premium adds these four important security and management products to its productivity foundation. COMPUREP can help turn those tools into policies that suit your business.

Control access

Microsoft Entra ID P1

Apply Conditional Access policies to decide how people can sign in to business resources.

Manage devices

Microsoft Intune Plan 1

Set device and app policies, deploy business apps and assess device compliance.

Protect endpoints

Microsoft Defender for Business

Help prevent, detect and respond to threats on supported business devices.

Protect email

Defender for Office 365 Plan 1

Add protection against malicious links, attachments and phishing across supported Microsoft 365 services.

The licence makes capabilities available. Effective protection also depends on setup, compatible devices, appropriate user coverage and ongoing attention. See Microsoft’s suite inclusions.

Looking for Microsoft 365 together with ongoing support and backup?

Explore our Secure Workplace bundles

A little clarity before you commit

What the licensing terms mean.

A product name is only part of the decision. Your quote should make the people covered, exact variant and subscription arrangement clear.

Per-user licence
A licence is assigned to a named person. Installing apps on several permitted devices does not turn one licence into a licence for several employees.
Suite or standalone
A suite combines services, such as email, files and apps. A standalone product covers a narrower requirement, such as Exchange Online for email.
Exact product / SKU
The exact product variant determines the entitlement. Check for with Teams, no Teams and with Copilot wording instead of assuming every version is identical.
Commitment and billing
The subscription term is how long you commit; billing frequency is when you pay. Monthly billing can still sit within an annual commitment. Your quote must confirm renewal, cancellation and seat-change terms.

Common questions

Before you choose.

Can different people have different plans?

Yes. Match licences to each role, then check that every person using a licensed capability is covered. One Premium licence does not cover the whole business. Microsoft’s Business family is designed for up to 300 users, with a 300 provisioned-licence limit across those Business plans in a tenant. Larger requirements need an enterprise licensing discussion.

Does Microsoft 365 include COMPUREP support and backup?

The Microsoft product licence and COMPUREP’s service are distinct. We agree implementation, migration, administration, support and backup in your proposal. Our Secure Workplace bundles can combine these services; the Microsoft licence alone does not confirm that service scope.

Are Copilot and business telephone calls included?

Eligible plans include Copilot Chat, but a paid Microsoft 365 Copilot entitlement needs an appropriate add-on or explicitly named bundle. Teams meetings do not by themselves provide a business telephone system or calling plan. We confirm Teams Phone, calling connectivity or COMPUREP Hosted VoIP separately.

What if we already have licences?

Start with a review of your current products, user roles and renewal dates. We can identify overlaps and gaps, then propose a plan for your environment. Changing provider or moving to a different product does not automatically cancel an existing commitment.

Plan details and sources

This guide summarises Microsoft’s published commercial plan information, checked on 10 October 2026. The links below are Microsoft’s own product and licensing references.

Build around your people

Let’s find the right fit.

Tell us about your team, current licences and priorities. We’ll help you connect the product choice to a practical service plan.

Prepare your Microsoft 365 brief Or email our team

Save a brief for your conversation. No online submission.