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November 16, 2020
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Microsoft 365 Business vs Enterprise Plans

Are you trying to decide between the Microsoft 365 Business vs Enterprise plans for your organization? It can be tough to determine which plan is the right fit, especially with so many options to choose from. In this blog post, we'll compare the key features and capabilities of both plans to help you make an informed decision.

Introduction to Microsoft 365 Business vs Enterprise Licensing Options

Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based service that includes Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security. It is designed to empower users to be creative and work together, securely. Microsoft 365 is available in a variety of plans to meet the needs of different businesses and organizations.

Microsoft 365 Business

(Formerly called Office 365 Business) is a plan specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It includes access to the latest versions of Office applications, online storage with OneDrive, email with Exchange Online, and a range of security and compliance features.

Below are the new names of Microsoft Business Plans:

Microsoft 365 Enterprise

is a plan designed for large organizations. It includes all the features of Microsoft 365 Business, as well as additional security and compliance features, such as Advanced Threat Protection and Advanced Compliance. If you’re only interested in Microsoft Enterprise Plans you can instead read Office 365 vs Microsoft 365 Enterprise Plans.

High-Level Features Comparison of Microsoft Office 365 Business and Enterprise Features

Feature

Microsoft 365 Business

Microsoft 365 Enterprise

Office applications

Yes

Yes

Email with Exchange Online

Yes

Yes

Online storage with OneDrive

Yes

Yes

SharePoint Storage                                     

Yes

Yes

Windows 10   

Yes

Yes

Enterprise Mobility + Security

No

Yes

Advanced Threat Protection                        

No

Yes

Advanced Compliance                                  

No

Yes

Customer Lockbox                                      

No

Yes

Azure Active Directory Premium P1            

No

Yes

Azure Active Directory Premium P2             

No

Yes

Advanced eDiscovery                                    

No

Yes

Advanced Security Management                

No

Yes

Microsoft Teams                                

Yes (Phone System)              

Yes (Phone System)              

Microsoft Stream                                          

No                                               

Yes

Microsoft Power BI                                         

No                                               

Yes

Microsoft Forms                                            

No                                               

Yes

Microsoft Planner                                           

No                                               

Yes

Microsoft To Do                                         

No                                               

Yes

Mail Storage Limit for different Microsoft Office Online Plans

With regards to email storage, Microsoft Office 365 / Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans have much more to offer than Microsoft Business. The Microsoft 365 / Office 365 Enterprise give their clients access to a bigger Exchange Online post box size of 100 GB and boundless stockpiling as an archive mailbox, when contrasted with the Business which offers a capacity of 50 GB.

OneDrive Storage Limit

OneDrive storage limit is another difference that differentiates the two families of Microsoft Plans. The Enterprise family offers unlimited while the Microsoft Business Premium maxes out at 1TB of cloud storage.

On-Premises CAL Rights Equivalency to Office 365

Another significant contrast between the Microsoft Office 365 / Microsoft 365 business vs Enterprise is the on-premises CAL (Client Access License) rights. Microsoft Enterprise gives its clients the ECAL Suite which gives them the right to use On-Premises Exchange, SharePoint, Skype, Windows, and so on.

Cap on Number of Organization’s Users for Microsoft Business vs Enterprise 

The essential contrast between the Microsoft Office 365 / Microsoft 365 Enterprise and Microsoft Business is the number of users advertised. Microsoft Business can be utilized and imparted to up to three hundred users, though Microsoft Office 365 / Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans can be imparted to a boundless number of users.

Henceforth, the Business Subscription is an answer intended for little and developing businesses, though the Enterprise plan is fitting for bigger firms.

Microsoft 365 Business vs Enterprise Plans: Detailed Comparison

The following table presents a detailed comparison of Microsoft 365 business vs Enterprise. In addition, you can also find the comparison between individual Business and Enterprise plans to include:

  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic vs Business Standard
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic License vs Microsoft 365 premium
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium vs E3 (Microsoft 365 E3)
  • Microsoft Business Premium vs E5 (Microsoft 365 E5)



Microsoft 365 F3

Microsoft 365 E3

Microsoft 365 E5

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

Microsoft Business Premium

Price








Base price per user per month $USD (with annual commitment)

$8.00

$36.00

$57.00

$6.00

$12.50

$22.00

Features - M365 Business Premium vs Enterprise





Cell
Cell


Install Office on up to 5 PCs/Macs + 5 tablets + 5 smartphones per user


✓

✓

✓

✓

✓


Multilingual user interface for Office applications

✓

✓

✓



✓


Office Mobile Apps – Create/edit rights for commercial use of Office Mobile apps

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓


Office Online – Create/edit rights for online versions of core Office apps

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓


Office 365 for Mac


✓

✓


✓

✓


Office 365 Groups

✓

✓

✓



✓


Access to equivalent on-premise servers (Exchange, SharePoint etc.)


✓

✓





Legal compliance & archiving needs for email – archiving, eDiscovery, mailbox hold

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓


Shared computer activation


✓

✓



✓


✓

✓

✓



✓



✓




Microsoft 365 Apps








SPO K

Plan 2

Plan 2

Plan 1

Plan 1

Plan 1


EXO K (2 GB)

Plan 2 (100 GB)

Plan 2 (100 GB)

Plan 1 (50 GB)

Plan 1 (50 GB)

Plan 1 (50 GB)


✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓


2GB

Unlimited

Unlimited

1TB

1TB

1TB

Social Networking Apps - M365 Business Premium vs Enterprise









Yammer Enterprise

✓

✓

✓




Productivity Apps







✓

✓

✓




✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓


Microsoft Forms

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓


Microsoft Graph API

✓

✓

✓





Microsoft Planner

✓

✓

✓




Microsoft PowerApps

✓

✓

✓





✓

✓

✓





✓

✓

✓





✓

✓

✓





To-Do

✓

✓

✓





✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

Analytics




Cell
Cell




✓




Microsoft Threat Protection




Cell
Cell


Microsoft Defender for Office 365 formerly known as Office 365 ATP


Plan 2



Plan 1


Microsoft Defender for Endpoint formerly known as Windows Defender ATP



✓





Microsoft Defender for Identity formerly known as Azure ATP


✓




Microsoft Advance Threat Analytics (ATA)

✓

✓

✓





Office 365 Threat Intelligence


✓





Windows Defender Antivirus and its Configuration

✓

✓

✓


✓


Device Guard

✓

✓

✓




Security Management







Secure Score

✓

✓

✓




Device Management





Cell
Cell


✓

✓

✓



✓


Windows AutoPilot

✓

✓

✓




Information Protection - M365 Business Premium vs Enterprise








Office 365 Cloud App Security


✓





Plan 1

Plan 1

Plan 2



Plan 1


Windows Information Protection

✓

✓

✓





Data Loss Prevention


✓

✓



✓

BitLocker and BitLocker To Go

✓

✓

✓




Identity and Access Management








Windows Hello for Business

✓

✓

✓





Credential Guard

✓

✓

✓





Azure Active Directory Premium

Plan 1

Plan 1

Plan 2



Plan 1

Compliance










✓




Factors to Consider When Choosing Between Microsoft 365 Business vs Enterprise

When it comes to choosing between the Microsoft 365 business vs Enterprise, there are several factors to consider. Here are a few key things to keep in mind:

  1. Your business size and needs: The Microsoft Office Business plan is designed for small and medium-sized businesses, while the Enterprise plans are geared towards larger organizations. Consider the size of your business and the specific needs of your employees when determining which plan is the best fit.
  2. Your budget and available resources: The Microsoft Office 365 Business license plan is more affordable than the Enterprise plans. However, it's important to weigh the cost against the features and capabilities you need. If your business requires advanced security and compliance features, for example, it may be worth investing in an Enterprise plan.
  3. Your current and future technology needs: Think about the technology your business is currently using and the tools you'll need in the future. The Microsoft 365 Business plan includes the core Office applications, but the Enterprise plan offers additional features and capabilities that may be more suitable for your needs.
  4. Any specific industry or compliance requirements: If your business operates in a regulated industry or is required to meet specific compliance standards, you'll need to consider the features and capabilities of each plan to ensure you're meeting those requirements. The Enterprise plans offer advanced security and compliance features that may be necessary for your business.

It's important to carefully consider these factors when deciding between the Microsoft 365 business vs Enterprise plans. Seek guidance from a Microsoft Partner or licensing specialist to ensure you're making the best decision for your business.

Cost Comparison between Microsoft 365 Business vs Enterprise

A significant contrast that each business will consider before buying Microsoft is the expense of the two. While the fundamental highlights in both Microsoft 365 business vs Enterprise continue as before, the previous one comes at a lower cost.

The base cost for the Business Subscription ranges from $6 to $22, while Enterprise comes at a more significant expense, going from $8 to $57.

Along these lines, for any individual who wishes to utilize only the fundamental features of Microsoft, the Business plan would be the correct alternative.

Microsoft 365 Business

Office/Microsoft 365 Enterprise

Max Exchange Online Mailbox: 50 GB

Max Exchange Online Mailbox: 100 GB

On-Premises CAL Rights: None

On-Premises CAL Rights: Permitted

Business Intelligence and Analytics: None

Business Intelligence and Analytics: Permitted

Max Users Count: 300

Max Users Count: Unlimited

Security Level: Basic – Mediocre

Security Level: Basic – Premium

PSTN Calling: Only with Add on

PSTN Calling: Available

Cost Range: $6-$22

Cost Range: $8-$57

Plans: Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Plans: Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, F3, E3 and E5 & Office E1, E3 and E5

We’re here to help

If you're still unsure which plan is the best fit for your business, consider seeking guidance and advice from a Microsoft Partner or licensing specialist. Communication Square is a Microsoft Preferred Partner and Direct Cloud Solutions Provider and can help you navigate the different options and choose the right plan for your business. Click to schedule a FREE consultation.

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Last Updated 10 months ago

About the Author

Ateeb is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate. He aids clients in deployment, and management of Microsoft technologies - for both, on-premises and on the cloud environment.

With significant experience in deploying stand-alone and enterprise solutions, Ateeb enjoys helping organizations with their digital transformation journey.

Ateeb Fayyaz

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