Microsoft 365 Business Standard vs Premium: price comparison

What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium? In this comparison we break down features, pricing, and when the upgrade pays for itself.

Business Standard vs Premium: quick overview

What's included in both?

• Office apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Access
• Cloud services: Exchange Online, OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams
• Web and mobile versions: of all Office apps
• 1 TB OneDrive storage: per user
• Microsoft Loop, Clipchamp, Planner: and other productivity tools

What does Business Premium add?

Microsoft Defender for Business

Advanced protection against malware, ransomware and phishing with real-time endpoint detection & response (EDR). Includes automated threat investigation and safe links/attachments for email.

Intune device management

Manage and secure all devices (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) from a single dashboard. Push security policies, deploy apps, and remotely wipe data on lost or stolen devices. Essential for BYOD and hybrid work.

Azure Information Protection

Classify and protect sensitive documents and emails with sensitivity labels and encryption. Prevent accidental sharing of confidential files.

Conditional Access

Set conditions for access to company data based on location, device, risk score or user group. For example, block access from unknown countries or unmanaged devices.

When to choose which?

Choose Business Standard if: - Your organization primarily needs productivity tools - Security is handled by a separate solution (e.g., external MDM or antivirus) - Budget is the main deciding factor

Choose Business Premium if: - You want to protect business data against ransomware and phishing - You need to manage employee devices (especially with remote work/BYOD) - You face compliance requirements (GDPR, ISO 27001) - You want to avoid buying separate security tools: Premium replaces 3-4 standalone products on average

What about Microsoft 365 Business Basic?

Business Basic is the entry plan in the same family: professional email, cloud file storage and online meetings and chat, but without the desktop versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Those desktop apps are exactly what Business Standard adds; Business Premium then adds the security and device management from the table above. All three plans go up to 300 users.

Business Standard with Copilot vs Business Premium with Copilot

Microsoft 365 Copilot is not included in Business Standard or Business Premium. You add it as a separate license, Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, which requires Business Basic, Standard or Premium as its base license and goes up to 300 users. Microsoft also sells ready-made bundles: Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot and Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot, each with an EEA and a "no Teams" variant as well.

The Copilot part is identical in both bundles. The difference sits entirely in the underlying license, so in exactly the same four components as Standard versus Premium: Microsoft Defender for Business, Intune, Azure Information Protection and Conditional Access. If you need that security and device management, Business Premium with Copilot is the right bundle.

Unsure which of the two Copilot licenses you need? Read Copilot Business vs Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Price comparison

Prices per user per month, recommended retail CSP NCE (September 2026), in euro excluding VAT:

The Premium upgrade costs €6.93/user/month more than Standard on an annual term (€8.31 on a monthly term). For comparison: Microsoft Defender for Business costs €2.60/user/month standalone and Intune Plan 1 €6.90/user/month, €9.50 combined. Business Premium is more cost-effective than buying the components separately.

The Copilot bundles are only available on an annual term. The EEA and "no Teams" variants are cheaper: Business Standard with Copilot from €17.58 and Business Premium with Copilot from €24.94 per user per month.

Check our Microsoft 365 CSP pricelist for current pricing, or contact us for CSP partner discounts.