Microsoft 365 · Guide
Microsoft 365 Business Basic vs Standard vs Premium
Most small businesses need one of three Microsoft 365 business plans. The right choice depends on whether people need the desktop apps and how much security and device management the business needs, and you can mix plans in one account.
Updated · Nexus Digital Ireland
The three business plans at a glance
Microsoft sells its business plans per person, per month, for organisations of up to 300 users. Each plan includes everything in the one before it.
- Business Basic
- Business email in Outlook with a 50 GB mailbox, Teams, 1 TB of OneDrive storage per person, SharePoint, and the web and mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Business Standard
- Everything in Basic, plus the desktop Office apps for Windows and Mac, installable on up to five PCs or Macs, five tablets and five phones per person, and extras such as Bookings and webinars.
- Business Premium
- Everything in Standard, plus Microsoft's business security tools: Intune device management, Entra ID P1 with Conditional Access, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, information protection and email archiving.
Plan names and contents change from time to time. This summary reflects Microsoft's published plans when the guide was updated; check Microsoft's current plan page or ask us before buying.
Who needs which plan
- Business Basic suits people who mainly use email, Teams and files, and are happy working in a browser or on a phone: site staff, drivers, part-time staff and shared roles.
- Business Standard suits office staff who live in Excel, Word and Outlook on a computer, especially anyone using large spreadsheets, macros or add-ins that only work in the desktop apps.
- Business Premium suits businesses holding customer or personal data, businesses where staff use laptops away from the office, and any business answering supplier security questionnaires, cyber insurance forms or ISO 27001 requirements.
If you are unsure between Standard and Premium, ask what would happen if a laptop were lost or a password stolen. Premium is the plan that lets you wipe a lost device, block sign-ins from unmanaged devices and catch more phishing.
You can mix plans in one account
Licences are assigned per person, so one business can give office staff Business Standard or Premium and give people who only need email Business Basic. Shared mailboxes such as info@ or accounts@ do not need a licence of their own up to 50 GB. Mixing plans is one of the easiest ways to cut the monthly bill without losing anything people use.
Other plans you may see
- Microsoft 365 Apps for business
- The desktop Office apps and OneDrive, but no business email or Teams. Useful only if email is handled elsewhere.
- Versions without Teams
- In the EU, Microsoft also sells versions of its plans without Teams, with Teams licensed separately. Check which version you are buying so you neither pay twice nor find Teams missing.
- Enterprise plans (E3, E5)
- For organisations over 300 users or with specific compliance needs. Most small businesses do not need them.
- Add-ons
- Copilot, extra storage, Teams Phone and archiving can be added to individual people as needed.
How to avoid paying too much
- List who uses whatFor each person, note whether they need desktop apps, a mailbox, or only access to shared files.
- Remove leavers' licencesConvert a leaver's mailbox to a shared mailbox if you need to keep it, then reclaim the licence.
- Choose the commitment carefullyA monthly commitment usually costs more than an annual one, but seat numbers on an annual commitment can generally only be reduced in a short window after purchase or at renewal.
- Check renewal datesPut each subscription's renewal date in your diary or a register, so the business decides before it renews.
- Review twice a yearLicence counts drift as people join, leave and change roles.
How Nexus helps with Microsoft 365
Nexus Digital sets up, moves and tidies Microsoft 365 for Irish businesses, and quotes current licence prices including VAT for only the licences each person needs.
- A plan-by-person recommendation, so nobody pays for apps they do not use.
- Set-up or migration with your own domain, with the account kept in your business's name.
- Track every licence, seat and renewal date in your Operations Register, built from the invoices you already receive.
Questions
What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Standard?
Business Standard adds the desktop Office apps for Windows and Mac. Business Basic has the web and mobile versions only, with the same email, Teams and 1 TB of OneDrive storage.
Is Microsoft 365 Business Premium worth it for a small business?
Often, yes, if you hold personal or customer data or staff use laptops outside the office. It adds device management, Conditional Access and stronger email and device protection that the cheaper plans do not include.
Can we have Business Basic and Business Standard in the same company?
Yes. Licences are assigned per person, so you can mix plans in one Microsoft 365 account.
How many users can a Microsoft 365 Business plan have?
Up to 300 users per business plan. Larger organisations use the enterprise plans.
How much does Microsoft 365 cost in Ireland?
Microsoft sets a monthly price per user that depends on the plan and on whether you commit monthly or annually, and it changes from time to time. Nexus quotes the current price including VAT.
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