Business Standard vs Business Premium
Same apps. Same email. The difference is security. Business Premium is Standard plus the protection, device management, and identity layer that most businesses handling real data need.
The real difference
Business Standard and Business Premium look almost identical on the apps side. Both give you the installed desktop Office apps, Teams, Exchange email, SharePoint, and OneDrive. If all you need is productivity, Standard covers it.
Premium adds the part that Standard leaves out: Defender for Business (threat protection for your devices), Intune (manage and secure laptops and phones), Entra ID P1 (conditional access, self-service password reset), and advanced protections like Safe Links and Safe Attachments. For any business that holds customer data or has to prove it takes security seriously, that layer is the reason to choose Premium.
Side by side
| Business Standard | Business Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Office apps + Teams | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars, Bookings, Clipchamp | Yes | Yes |
| Defender for Business (threat protection) | No | Yes |
| Intune device management | No | Yes |
| Entra ID P1 (conditional access, SSPR) | No | Yes |
| User cap | 300 users | 300 users |
| List price (per user / month) | About $12.50, rising to $14 on July 1, 2026 | About $22 |
List prices are estimates in USD on an annual commitment and change over time. Confirm current pricing with your Microsoft partner.
When to pick Business Standard
You are a small team that needs the apps, email, and Teams, with no special security or device-management needs, and you handle little sensitive data. Standard keeps costs down.
When to pick Business Premium
You hold customer data, you issue laptops or phones you need to manage, you have compliance pressure, or you simply want real security. Premium bundles Defender for Business, Intune, and Entra ID P1, which cost more to buy separately, so the jump from Standard is usually worth it.
Answer four questions and get your exact licenseFree. No sign-up. Real prices and when to upgrade.Common questions
Do both have the desktop apps?
Yes. Business Standard and Business Premium both include the installed Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and the rest. Business Basic is the plan that is web and mobile only.
Can I add security to Standard instead of moving to Premium?
You can add pieces like Defender for Business as separate add-ons, but once you want device management and identity protection too, Premium usually costs less than assembling them.
What comes after Business Premium?
Add the Defender and Purview Suites plus Agent 365 for more security and AI-agent governance, or move to Enterprise E3 or E5 once you cross 300 users.