Choosing the right Microsoft 365 plan for your business can be daunting due to each subscription’s various benefits and limitations. In this article, we’ll help you compare the prices and features of these plans to help you decide which one works best for you.
Microsoft 365 plans for businesses
Microsoft 365 for businesses comes in four different plans: Business Basic, Apps for Business, Business Standard, and Business Premium. These plans are for small to medium businesses with under 300 employees. If you have over 300+ employees, consider the Microsoft Enteprise E3/E5 plan.
| Plan | Microsoft 365 Business Basic | Microsoft 365 Apps for business | Microsoft 365 Business Standard | Microsoft 365 Business Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (Annual Term) | $6.00 user/month | $8.25 user/month | $12.50 user/month | $22.00 user/month |
| Web-based and mobile versions of Microsoft apps | Yes | Yes, excluding Outlook | Yes | Yes |
| 50GB email storage | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Teams | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| 1TB cloud storage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Standard online security | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Email & Calendar | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Bookings | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Email Encryption | No | No | No | Yes |
| Microsoft Defender for Office 365 | No | No | No | Yes |
| Information Rights Management | No | No | No | Yes |
| Manage and wipe company devices remotely with Intune | No | No | No | Yes |
How to choose the right Microsoft 365 plan for your business
Now that you know how much each Microsoft 365 plan costs and what features are included with each plan, it’s time to determine which one is right for your business. Here’s what you should do:
Assess your current hardware and software
It’s important to ensure that your employees’ computers can run Microsoft 365 applications before subscribing to a plan. If their hardware does not meet specific system requirements, some features might not work as expected or have limited functionality.
Likewise, assessing your current software and apps is crucial to determining whether they will work effectively with Microsoft 365. Some third-party apps may not be compatible, limiting the usefulness of your subscription.
Consider your needs
When choosing a Microsoft 365 plan, consider your company’s needs and determine which features offer you the most value. Try answering these questions to get an idea of your requirements:
- Are you looking for ways to improve collaboration and communication?
- Will your business benefit by shifting to the cloud?
- Are you looking for advanced protection from various threats?
Asking questions like these can help you narrow down your options and find a plan tailored to your business.
Plan your budget
When planning a budget for the Microsoft 365 plan of your choice, there are two things to consider: the number of users and the migration cost. For the number of users, try to overshoot your budget to account for new employees slightly. If you have in-house IT staff, you can let them handle the migration process to avoid additional expenses. Considering these factors, you can choose a subscription plan that fits well within your budget.
If you’re still unsure about what Microsoft 365 plan you need, call our experts for advice or get started today.
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