Which Microsoft 365 Business Plan Does Your Office Need?

Microsoft sells several Microsoft 365 plans for businesses, and the names do not make the differences clear. Many small offices end up paying for desktop apps that nobody installs, or buying the cheapest plan and finding that Excel will not open large files. Some are still running home licences that are not meant for business use. This guide explains what each Business plan includes and how to choose the right one for each person in your office.

Short answer: choose Business Basic for staff who only need email, Teams and web Office. Choose Business Standard for staff who work in desktop Excel, Word or Outlook every day. Choose Business Premium for laptops that leave the office or hold sensitive data. Choose Apps for business when you only need the desktop apps and already have business email elsewhere. You can mix plans in one company account. CNC supplies Microsoft 365 licences on a GST invoice and sets them up.

First: a home licence is not for your office

Microsoft 365 Personal and Family are home licences. They are not licensed for commercial use, they have no business email on your own domain, and the company has no control over the account when a staff member leaves. Businesses need a Microsoft 365 Business plan (or an Enterprise plan for larger organisations). For the wider risks of unlicensed software, see Licensed vs pirated software.

The four Business plans compared

	Business Basic	Business Standard	Business Premium	Apps for business
Business email on your domain (Exchange, 50 GB mailbox)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Teams, SharePoint	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
OneDrive storage per user	1 TB	1 TB	1 TB	1 TB
Word, Excel, PowerPoint	Web and mobile only	Desktop apps	Desktop apps	Desktop apps
Desktop Outlook	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Installs per user	—	5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets, 5 phones	5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets, 5 phones	5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets, 5 phones
Device management (Intune) and advanced threat protection (Defender for Business)	No	No	Yes	No
Conditional access (for example, block sign-in from unknown devices)	No	No	Yes	No
Maximum users per plan	300	300	300	300

All Business plans include basic security such as multi-factor sign-in. Above 300 users of a plan, Microsoft’s Enterprise plans apply.

How to choose — person by person

You do not have to buy the same plan for everyone. One company account can hold a mix of plans, and you can move a user up or down at renewal. Ask three questions for each role:

1. Does this person need desktop Excel or Outlook?

Accounts staff who export from Tally, work with large sheets, use macros or pivot tables, or keep years of mail in Outlook need the desktop apps — Business Standard. Staff who mainly read mail, join Teams calls and edit simple documents manage well with Business Basic.

2. Does the laptop leave the office or hold sensitive data?

For the owner, finance, HR and anyone carrying client or patient data on a laptop, Business Premium adds device management and stronger protection. A lost laptop can be locked or wiped remotely, and sign-in can be blocked from devices the company does not manage. This also helps with the security duties of the DPDP Act — see DPDP compliance.

3. Is business email already handled elsewhere?

If your email stays with another provider and you only need licensed desktop Office, Apps for business is the plan. Most offices, though, are better off moving email into Microsoft 365, so mail, files and Teams are managed in one place.

A typical 20-person office

• Accounts and admin (6 people): Business Standard
• Sales and field staff (11 people): Business Basic
• Owner, finance head and HR (3 people): Business Premium

This mix usually costs less than putting everyone on Business Standard, and gives stronger protection where it matters most.

What it costs

Microsoft 365 Business plans from CNC start from ₹3,200 per user per year + GST, on a 12-month commitment. The price depends on the plan, so CNC confirms the rate for each plan in a written quote. For the other software CNC supplies, see the licensed software page. For a comparison with Google Workspace, see Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Keys from online marketplaces. Cheap “lifetime” Microsoft 365 keys are often resold or shared accounts that stop working. Buy through an authorised channel with a GST invoice in your company’s name.
• Shared logins. One mailbox used by three people breaks the licence terms and leaves no record of who did what. Use shared mailboxes, which need no extra licence.
• Multi-factor sign-in left off. Most account break-ins start with a stolen password. Turn on multi-factor sign-in for every user.
• Email going to spam. After moving to Microsoft 365, the domain’s SPF, DKIM and DMARC records must be set — see Business email going to spam?
• No backup. Microsoft keeps the service running, but deleted mail and files are kept only for a limited time. A separate backup protects against mistakes and ransomware.

How CNC helps

• Licences supplied through authorised distribution, registered in your company’s name, with a GST invoice
• Plan advice per user, so you do not pay for what staff will not use
• Setup: domain, mailboxes, Teams, OneDrive, shared mailboxes, multi-factor sign-in
• Migration from Gmail, Google Workspace, old hosting email or an on-premise server — see cloud and Microsoft 365 services
• On-site setup across Delhi NCR; remote setup anywhere in India

Call +91-9810130131 or WhatsApp the number of users you need.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Business Standard?

Business Basic gives business email, Teams, 1 TB OneDrive and the web and mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Business Standard adds the full desktop apps, including desktop Outlook, installable on up to 5 PCs or Macs per user.

Can a business use Microsoft 365 Family or Personal?

No. Microsoft 365 Personal and Family are home licences and are not meant for commercial use. A business needs a Microsoft 365 Business plan, which also gives email on your own domain and company control over each account.

When is Microsoft 365 Business Premium worth it?

For users whose laptops leave the office or hold sensitive data — usually owners, finance and HR. Business Premium adds device management, advanced threat protection and rules that block sign-in from unmanaged devices.

Can we mix different Microsoft 365 plans in one company?

Yes. One company account can hold Business Basic, Standard and Premium users together, up to 300 users per plan, and a user can be moved to another plan at renewal.

Does CNC provide Microsoft 365 with a GST invoice in Delhi?

Yes. CNC supplies Microsoft 365 Business licences through authorised distribution with a GST invoice, starting from ₹3,200 per user per year + GST, and handles setup and email migration on-site in Delhi NCR or remotely anywhere in India.

Prices and rates mentioned in this article are indicative estimates as of November 2026, exclusive of GST unless stated, and may change without notice due to exchange-rate movements, supply constraints and market demand. Please confirm current pricing and availability with CNC before making any decision.