You want to purchase Microsoft 365 and you see a row of packages with a row of prices. On Microsoft’s comparison page, there are mainly checkmarks next to things you don’t know if you need.
Since July 1, 2026, things have not become clearer. Microsoft has changed the layout: Business Standard and Business Premium are now standard with Copilot in the price list. The difference between the cheapest and the most expensive package is therefore no longer twice, but more than four times.
The question that entrepreneurs ask remains the same, and it is justified: why should I pay that? The answer is shorter than you think. You don’t pay for more Office. You pay for security and management.
What do the packages cost?
Microsoft’s suggested retail prices for the Netherlands, per user per month with an annual subscription and excluding VAT:
Package Price
Microsoft 365 Business Basic€6.07
Microsoft 365 Apps for business€11.00
Business Standard + Copilot Companies€20.36
Business Premium + Copilot Companies€27.73
Copilot Businesses separately€18.20
Two things to know. Microsoft currently only shows Standard and Premium in combination with Copilot; The bare variants are still there, but are no longer listed as a separate card on the price page. And in the EU there are also versions without Teams, which are a few euros cheaper.
Prices checked on September 3, 2026. Microsoft regularly adjusts this, so feel free to ask us for the current status.
What really differs
BasicStandardPremium
Office in the browser and on mobilejajaja
Office on your computernoyesyes
Business email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrivejajaja
Multifactor authenticationyesyes
Device management with Intuneneeneeyes
Defender for Businessneeneeyes
Comprehensive email protection (Defender for Office 365)limitedyes
Conditional Access (Entra ID)noneeyes
Data protection with Purviewneeneeyes
Windows 11 Pro upgradeneeyes
Maximum number of users300300300
The real difference is not in Office
The distinction between Basic and Standard is simple: with Standard you get Word, Excel and Outlook as programs on your computer instead of just in the browser. For most office workers, this is the difference between pleasant work and making do.
It is different between Standard and Premium. You don’t get any additional Office app. What you do get:
- Device management. Centrally set up, secure and remotely wipe laptops and phones if someone loses one.
- Protection on the device itself against ransomware and malware, not just a spam filter for your mail.
- Conditional Access. Determine who can log in from where and under what conditions.
- Protect company data on devices you didn’t publish.
- Windows 11 Pro for the computers that are not yet on it.
One misconception we often hear: multifactor authentication is said to be a Premium feature. That is not the case. MFA is included in all Business packages, including Basic. So just turn it on, no matter what package you have. The difference is in what you can put around it afterwards.
In short: Standard is an office package. Premium is an office suite with security and management around it.
When Basic is enough
Basic suits a small company where everyone works in the browser and no sensitive data is circulating. Think of a few people, few documents, no meaningful customer data.
In practice, we don’t come across it much as soon as a company has more than a handful of employees. Things go wrong when someone needs to edit a large Excel file or wants to work offline.
When Standard is the right choice
Standard makes sense if your employees have to work fully with Office, but you have arranged the security elsewhere. For example, because you already have a separate solution for device management and virus protection running.
Please note: then you pay for that security twice, because it is already included in Premium. Do the math before you choose.
Why Most Small and Midsize Businesses Choose Premium
Three reasons that we see most often in practice.
You need it anyway. Defender for Business costs € 2.60 per user per month. Add to that a separate device management solution, and you’ll quickly exceed the price difference with Premium, while having two vendors and two management consoles.
Your customers will ask for it. Since the Cybersecurity Act came into effect in August 2026, larger organizations have been required to vet their suppliers. Access control, device security, and data protection are on virtually every questionnaire. With Premium, you have answers to that. You can read more about this on our page about NIS2 and the Cybersecurity Act.
One supplier, one account. Fewer separate subscriptions and fewer parties pointing at each other when something doesn’t work.
And Copilot?
Since this summer, Copilot has been ingrained in the way Microsoft offers Standard and Premium. You can also add it separately to an existing subscription, for € 18.20 per user per month.
But don’t buy it first. Copilot searches everything an employee is allowed to access, including that folder that was once “just” opened. So make sure your rights are correct before you turn it on. You can read how to do that on our page about Microsoft Copilot.
The mistake we see most often
Companies buy Premium and then turn nothing on it.
Device management, Conditional Access, and advanced protection don’t work on their own. They need to be furnished. We regularly come across companies that have been paying for Premium for two years while the security is actually at the level of Standard.
That’s a shame, and it’s exactly where the difference is between buying a license and using a license.
Can you supply the licenses?
Yes. We are a Microsoft partner and provide the licenses at Microsoft’s suggested retail price. Setting up is a separate process: setting up permissions, turning on device management, setting policies and taking your people with you.
That separation is deliberate. You don’t pay more for a license with us than elsewhere, and you see exactly what the work costs that ensures that you actually use that license. You can find out what we’ll take care of for you on our Microsoft 365 page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between Microsoft 365 Personal and Business?
Personal is for home use and linked to one person. Business works with company accounts, your own domain name for your e-mail and central management. If you work with several people, you need Business.
Why is Microsoft 365 so expensive?
In addition to Office, you pay for email, storage, collaboration, and with Premium, security and device management. Calculate what those parts would cost separately, then the comparison is usually different.
Can I switch to another package later?
Yes. Upgrading can usually be done immediately. When downgrading, your contract form plays a role: with an annual subscription, this is usually only possible on the renewal date.
What’s the difference between Business Premium and E3?
Business Premium is intended for organizations with up to 300 users. E3 is aimed at larger organizations and does not have that limit, but does not contain all the security components that come standard in Premium. For SMEs, Premium is almost always the more suitable package.
Is Copilot mandatory with Standard and Premium?
Microsoft has been showing those packages in combination with Copilot since July 1, 2026. The variants without Copilot still exist, but have become less visible. If you want to start without, you can; Ask us about the current possibilities.
Not sure which package fits?
We look at how many people work there, what kind of data is circulating and what your customers ask of you. This usually results in a clear answer within a conversation, and sometimes it is a cheaper package than you thought.
