Microsoft 365 Business Standard

Microsoft 365 Business Standard is the former Office 365 subscription designed for small and medium-sized businesses that want their teams to collaborate best, stay connected and secure, regardless of where people work.

This all-in-one subscription includes the full versions of the most reliable Office apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, along with powerful cloud tools such as SharePoint and OneDrive for Business. Whether your team works from home, in the office or in hybrid mode, Business Standard offers everything you need in one package. Extended compatibility includes Windows 10 and 11 operating systems, macOS, iOS, Android and web browsers (enterprise-level compatibility)

IMPORTANT: This subscription is intended for business use. If you are looking for Microsoft 365 for personal use, discover Microsoft 365 Personal for 1 user and Microsoft 365 Family for up to 6 users. If you prefer Office with a perpetual licence, you can choose from several products designed for Windows or macOS available in our catalogue.

What is included in Microsoft 365 Business?

Microsoft 365 Business Standard offers complete business productivity, with all classic Office applications and advanced collaboration tools:

• Word - Creation of professional documents with real-time co-authoring and business templates
• Excel - Advanced data analysis, business intelligence and financial modelling capabilities
• PowerPoint - Professional presentations with business branding and collaboration features
• Outlook - Business email hosting with 50GB mailboxes and advanced planning
• Teams Business - Video conferencing, chat, file sharing and collaboration platform
• SharePoint - Document management, intranet sites and workflow automation
• OneDrive for Business - 1TB of business cloud storage with enterprise security and compliance
• Exchange Online - Professional email hosting with custom domain support

All applications include enterprise-level security, compliance features and administrative controls. Business Standard subscription also includes a custom email domain (e.g. you@yourcompany.com).

Microsoft 365 Business Standard vs Microsoft 365 Personal: which one to choose?

The two types of subscriptions for the Microsoft 365 service differ not only in price but also in their intended use. The table below illustrates the features of the two plans to help you decide which one to choose for your needs.

In summary, Microsoft 365 Business Standard is designed for organisations that need professional email hosting, team collaboration and advanced business features. Microsoft 365 Personal is designed for individual users who need Office apps without business collaboration or administrative requirements.

Microsoft 365 Business Standard vs Office 2024: subscription or perpetual licence?

The choice comes down to two different approaches to software ownership: Office 2024, in its Professional Plus or Home & Business variants, is a perpetual licence: you buy it once and own it forever but you are limited to that specific version with only security updates. Microsoft 365, on the other hand, is a subscription service in which you pay monthly or annually and always have access to the latest features and tools as long as you maintain your subscription. Specifically, Microsoft 365 Business Standard is designed for businesses:

• Complete business platform, including email hosting, Teams and SharePoint
• Continuous updates with the latest features and security patches
• Scalable licences - easily add or remove users as your business grows
• Enterprise collaboration tools for remote and hybrid work
• Integrated security and compliance for protection of business data
• Professional email hosting with custom domain

Choose Microsoft 365 Business Standard if your team needs to collaborate, communicate regularly and access files from anywhere. The subscription also guarantees you updates and new features as soon as they are released. Choose an Office 2024 version if you do not need cloud storage or the latest features.