Microsoft Business Standard vs Business Premium: Which Is Better for Your Business?

Microsoft has provided its users with several plans to boost their business performance for small to medium-sized businesses. However, customers often feel confused when it’s time for them to decide which plan they should buy. Before discussing more about which plan is the best, here is an overview of all the Microsoft 365 plans for business:

• Apps for Business
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium

The Business Standard plan is the most common and preferred choice, and it is known to serve businesses of all sizes with its productivity and collaborative apps such as Email, Teams, SharePoint, Office, etc. However, some are tempted to buy other packages, such as Business Premium, that don’t just help you improve your productivity but also come with additional security features to protect your business’s sensitive and valuable information while preventing potential data loss risks. In this article, you will find an in-depth comparison between the two most popular Microsoft 365 business plans, Business Standard and Business Premium, to help you make a fully informed decision:

Microsoft 365 Business Standard: This plan contains Office apps that can be accessed across multiple devices with added benefits, such as business email, cloud file storage, chat, and online meetings.

• It offers desktop versions of Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Allows customers to host webinars with reporting tools and attendee registration.
• 1 TB cloud storage for each user.
• Standard and robust security.     

Microsoft 365 Business Premium: It offers everything the Business Standard plan has in store with advanced features, mainly robust and all-around security.  These additional features include cyber threat protection and device management. Business Premium offers:

• Enhanced security with access control and data control.
• Robust cyber threat protection with advanced security features such as Intune and Azure Information Protection.
• And all the other features that the Basic and Standard plans provide. 

What makes Business Standard an attractive choice?

It’s a popular and go-to plan for most businesses offering these advantages:

• Communication and collaboration: Business Standard incorporates Microsoft Teams that help you maintain easy and seamless communication with teams via chat, video calls, and meetings. Moreover, tools like SharePoint and OneDrive enhance collaboration where employees can work together on documents and share innovative ideas in real-time.
• Productivity: This plan provides full access to all Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) both online and offline, enabling workers to stay productive irrespective of their location.
• Business Email: Business Standard allows your team to communicate effectively while maintaining professionalism with custom email domain addresses. It also offers 50 GB mailboxes. 
• Flexibility: Business Standard promises immense flexibility, allowing you to remove or add users depending on your requirement. It can scale up or down with your business to match its current and unique requirements.
• Cost-effective: It’s a cost-effective solution for businesses who only require core productivity and collaboration tools for seamless business operations and do not need too sophisticated security features.

Why is Business Premium considered an all-encompassing business solution?

Business Premium is a powerhouse with additional features such as:

• Advanced security: It provides sophisticated protection against advanced cyber threats with the help of Azure Information Protection, Intune app protection, and Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection. Business Premium ensures your organization’s invaluable data is safe from external and internal threats.
• Device management: Premium users gain access to Microsoft Intune and Autopilot from the Windows 10 Pro license included in this plan. These features allow a suitable environment for a remote and hybrid workforce, enabling all devices to remain updated and secured, irrespective of location.
• Allows compliance: Business  Premium offers tools such as Data Loss Prevention and Exchange Online Archiving, which help your organization maintain data integrity and comply with regulatory requirements. 
• Support for remote work: Premium offers tools such as Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, etc., that enable employees to work from remote locations efficiently while maintaining maximum productivity. 

                                Business Standard vs Business Premium

 Conclusion: Which is the right option for your business?

Deciding which plan is the best depends entirely on your business’s unique needs and requirements. For example, if you prioritize advanced security and require comprehensive device management features, then Business Premium is definitely the better choice. Business Standard suits businesses looking for a solution that enhances productivity and collaboration and is also affordable.