Choosing a Microsoft 365 licence starts with understanding how people work. A browser-based role, a desktop-heavy role and a role handling sensitive information can have different requirements. This guide helps you build a shortlist before requesting a quote.
Basic, Standard and Premium: the main differences
Business Basic
Includes business email, cloud services and web and mobile productivity apps. It does not include the installed desktop Office apps. Consider it for users whose work can be completed through the browser and mobile apps.
Business Standard
Adds installed desktop productivity apps to the business email and collaboration foundation. Consider it when staff need desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook as part of their everyday workflow.
Business Premium
Combines productivity with additional identity, device management, endpoint and email protection capabilities. These include Entra ID Plan 1, Intune Plan 1, Defender for Business and Defender for Office 365 Plan 1. Configuration and ongoing administration are important parts of using these capabilities.
Build your shortlist around user roles
List the work each group performs before choosing licences. Ask whether they need installed apps, access from personal devices, protection for sensitive information or centrally managed company devices. Review the actual workflow with a small representative group rather than buying the same plan for everyone by default.
Mixed plans can be appropriate, but licences must cover the users who benefit from licensed services. A company-wide policy should not be assumed to give every user entitlements from a licence assigned to only one person.
Check the exact Teams variant
Subscriptions with and without Teams are available. Confirm whether your proposed subscription includes Teams or whether a separate licence is required. Use the Teams selector in our comparison tool when reviewing features.
Review existing subscriptions before renewal
Prepare your current plan names, assigned and unused licences, renewal dates, purchase channel and expected headcount changes. Identify any desktop-app or security gaps before requesting a renewal proposal. The options for changing a subscription depend on its current terms.
When should you compare Enterprise plans?
If Business plans do not meet your scale, security or compliance requirements, compare Enterprise options. Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites are not interchangeable: check the actual Windows, identity, device management and compliance inclusions rather than relying on an E3 or E5 label.
Turn the shortlist into a licensing discussion
Share your user groups, existing subscriptions, Teams requirements and any migration or support needs with Anjana Cloud9. We can discuss the proposed plans and confirm quantities, subscription variant, commitment, billing and current pricing in your quote.
Already a customer? Explore renewal support. Moving from another platform? Explore migration support.