Getting the right Microsoft 365 subscription can be a bit of a puzzle. I find myself fielding this question regularly, both from curious individuals and when setting up systems for friends and customers. Microsoft caters to personal and professional needs with a range of subscriptions, making the choice depend on your unique requirements. For those exploring personal subscriptions, questions like needing only Office, opting for desktop or online versions, or requiring file storage come into play. On the business front, considerations include intranet needs, Microsoft Teams for meetings, and the importance of security and device management.
Let’s explore both personal and professional subscriptions, acknowledging that not every detail will be relevant to everyone.
For a detailed comparison, I recommend checking Microsoft’s official website: Microsoft 365 Subscriptions
Navigate to the Specific Sections:
Personal Subscriptions for Your Home
Note: Prefer skipping the details? Head straight to the Decision Tree for a hands-on experience.
On the personal side, Microsoft offers two M365 subscriptions: the personal option for €69.00 per year and the family subscription at €99.00 annually. Both provide the same functionalities. If you need it for at least two persons or even just for yourself but with more storage, the family subscription is a no-brainer. For approximately €30 more, you get the right to add six accounts, each with 1TB of storage. If you’re sure only you will use it and do not need more than 1TB of data, the personal option might suffice.
Microsoft 365 for Home
Decision Tree:
- Do you need more than 1 subscription or more than 1 TB storage?
- No -> Buy M365 Personal for €69.00 per user.
- Yes -> Buy M365 Family for €99.00 per user.
Professional Subscriptions for Your Business
Note: Note: Prefer skipping the details? Head straight to the Decision Tree for a hands-on experience.
Here’s where things get a bit intricate. To decide, you must figure out which apps and features your business requires. Microsoft offers multiple business subscriptions, excluding enterprise subscriptions in this section. For businesses with over 300 users or those needing additional features from enterprise subscriptions, please contact us for detailed information.
- M365 Business Basic
- M365 Business Standard
- M365 Business Premium
- M365 Apps for Business
Microsoft 365 Apps for Business:
- Share and collaborate on files
- Standard Security and Compliance: spam prevention, MFA, Security Groups, and more
- Support
- Online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote
- Desktop version of M365 apps + access and publisher
- Recommended for businesses needing office desktop apps but not the extra features.
Microsoft 365 Apps for Business
Microsoft 365 Business Basic:
- Everything except Desktop version of M365 apps + access and publisher of Apps for Business
- Company mail usage like muhammed.cinar@return.be
- 50GB mailbox
- 1TB OneDrive for storing files
- Microsoft Teams for chatting, team spaces, calls, and meetings
- Shared calendar
- Recommended for small businesses not needing desktop versions of Office apps, suitable for freelancers.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic Apps
Microsoft 365 Business Standard:
- Everything in Business Basic
- Installable desktop apps
- Webinars and live events
Microsoft 365 Business Standard Apps
Microsoft 365 Business Premium:
- Everything in Business Standard
- Device Management with Intune
- Advanced Cyberattack Protection
Microsoft 365 Business Premium Apps
Decision Tree:
- Do you need the desktop version of Office apps?
- No -> Buy M365 Business Basic for €5.60 per user.
- Yes -> Do you only need those apps?
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- Yes -> M365 Apps for Business for €9.80 per user.
- No -> Do you need device management or advanced cyberattack protection?
- No -> Buy M365 Business Standard.
- Yes -> Buy M365 Business Premium.
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Note:
- Device Management: Microsoft Intune applies security policies, protects work data on devices, keeps company data within approved apps, and remotely removes business data from lost or stolen devices.
- Advanced Cyberattack Protection: Enables enterprise-grade endpoint security, protects against ransomware and other cyber threats, defends against email threats like phishing, restricts access to sensitive business information with Information Rights Management, and helps employees securely access business apps with conditional access.
This information is current as of 2024. Always be mindful of the date for the latest offerings from Microsoft.
