WhichM365Independent Microsoft 365 decision guide

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

The entry plan for small business. Business email, Teams, and the online Office apps, without the installed desktop versions. The lowest-cost way onto Microsoft 365.

Short answer: Business Basic gives every user email on your domain, a 50 GB mailbox, 1 TB of OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint, and the web and mobile Office apps, at about $6 per user per month. It does not include the installed desktop apps or the advanced security layer. Great for browser-based teams; step up to Standard for desktop Office.

What's included

What it does not include: the installed desktop Office apps, and the advanced security suite (Defender for Business, Intune, Entra ID P1). Those start at Standard and Premium.

Price

Business Basic lists at about $6 per user per month on an annual commitment. Like all Microsoft 365 Business plans, it is capped at 300 users.

List prices are estimates in USD on an annual commitment and change over time. Confirm current pricing with your Microsoft partner.

Who it's for

Teams that live in the browser: frontline and floor staff, seasonal or part-time workers, and anyone who mostly needs email, Teams, and file sharing. If a computer already has a separately owned copy of Office, Basic can cover the online services around it.

When to move up

Move to Business Standard when people need the installed desktop apps for heavy Excel, large decks, or offline editing. Move to Business Premium when you need real device and data security. Cross 300 users and you move to the Enterprise plans (E3 or E5).

Get a recommendation for your situationAnswer four questions. Real prices and when to move up.

Common questions

Does Business Basic include the desktop Office apps?

No. Business Basic includes only the web and mobile versions of the Office apps. For installed desktop Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, you need Business Standard or higher.

How much is Microsoft 365 Business Basic?

About $6 per user per month on an annual commitment. Confirm current pricing with your Microsoft partner.

Does Business Basic include security like Defender or Intune?

No. Defender for Business, Intune, and Entra ID P1 come with Business Premium, not Basic.

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