Office 365 License Comparison: Business Plans Vs. E5, E3, and E1

Microsoft is the largest IT company in the world. Almost every business is dependent on Microsoft products to increase their productivity. But we know that you are also confused about which plan you should buy and how it will meet your expectations. Microsoft offers Microsoft 365 enterprise plans as well as the Office 365 Enterprise Plan. There is a difference between both of these: the former is a subscription-based model that includes Office 365 as a whole, and the latter includes all E3, E5, and E1 plans, which include different sets of features to enhance productivity at the workplace.
In this article, we will discuss the various Office 365 plans and the differences between them.

About Microsoft 365 Business Plan
The Microsoft 365 Business Plan is a comprehensive plan that includes Office 365, Windows Intune, and Enterprise Mobility and Security. This plan was created to increase the productivity of the employees at the workplace. This plan is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. It is perfect for the organization, which includes 300 employees. And yes, for businesses that are looking to increase their efficiency and security, the Microsoft 365 business plan is a great choice. All the businesses that have experienced a breach are looking for a solution that can protect them in the future, and for this, it is suitable for them to choose a Microsoft authorized partner who could help them implement an affordable solution.

Microsoft 365 Business Plan includes:

• Comes with office:
With Office 365, all the software, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, stays updated.
• Email and calendaring:
Never lag in connecting with your clients, customers, and management authorities. Use Outlook and a calendar to make your day productive.
• File Storage:

Now, you can manage all your files from anywhere in the world with 1TB of storage.

• Data Protection Control:
All your data stays secure with Office 365, no matter whether it's on your personal or professional devices.
• Cyber Threat Protection:
Office 365 secures your system from unknown threats and makes you aware of the following risks, which could happen at any time of the day:
• Safest Windows ever:
If you have shifted your Windows from 7 to 10, your system remains more secure than before.

Subscription Plans of Microsoft 365
Microsoft offers different subscription plans for small, medium, and large businesses. Those plans are:
• Microsoft 365 Business Basic
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium
• Microsoft 365 apps for businesses

Businesses could find various features in all of these plans and decide accordingly which plan they should go for. If businesses want tight security, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the best option, and likewise, one can compare all the features available in the plan.
Office 365 Enterprise Plan
The Office 365 Enterprise Plan is different from the Microsoft 365 Business Plan, and one of the main differences is that Office 365 for Enterprise is itself a part of the Microsoft 365 Business Plan.
There are three Office 365 Enterprise plans:
• Office 365 E5
• Office 365 E3
• Office 365 E1
All these plans include different sets of features to increase one’s productivity and security. Let’s discuss all these plans in detail.

Office 365 E5
This enterprise-level version includes more additional features to protect one’s system from cyberthreats with its advanced capabilities in compliance and analytics.
Office 365 E5 Features:
1. Security features
Security is the topmost priority of every organization, and Microsoft 365 E5 has the capability to detect and prevent threats. Certain security features it includes include:
• Azure Active Directory
It is also known as Microsoft Entra ID. It is a combination of SaaS applications and cloud infrastructure. It helps increase productivity and reduce the burden on IT departments.
• Microsoft defender for Office 365
Microsoft Defender filters all emails to protect businesses against cyberthreats. It searches, warns, and eliminates threats quickly. In Microsoft Defender, information protection and governance services are also provided.

The Office 365 E5 plan includes more advanced security features, which help an organization keep their information fully secured. The other security features which are available in it are: Microsoft Information Protection, Microsoft Information Governance and more.
2. Advance threat analytics
In this, Office 365 makes use of machine learning to scan and respond to threats. This advanced threat analysis protects you against:
• Suspicious Attacks.
• Security issues and risks
• Abnormal Behaviour.
• Phases of cyberattacks.

3. Compliance and Analytics
Office 365 E5 includes BI capabilities, which help in analysing the data and providing insights for developing a new business. Power Business Intelligence allows users to connect and gain valuable insights from the data easily.

OFFICE 365 E3
Office 365 E5 includes BI capabilities, which help in analysing the data and providing insights for developing a new business. Power Business Intelligence allows users to connect and gain valuable insights from the data easily.
What you get in Office 365 E3?
• Send bulk of emails
Now, you send bulk emails, as in the E3 plan, you get 100GB of mailbox. Complete your tasks with full dedication by using Outlook.
• Unlimited chat and online meetings
Use Microsoft Teams to chat without interruption. Conduct an online meeting anywhere and at any time. Work seamlessly with Microsoft business essentials.
• Security
The E3 plan offers you comprehensive security by allowing you to enable multi-factor authentication and data loss prevention features.
• Store excess of files
In the E3 plan, you get one drive of storage from 1TB to 5TB, which allows you to store excess files and documents in one place.
This shows that the E3 plan is a well-developed platform for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides an office desktop suite, enhanced security, and increased mailbox storage, which helps employees increase their productivity regardless of their location.

Office 365 E1 plan
The Office 365 E1 plan is the basic version of all three enterprise plans. This is ideal for those businesses that want a basic email and file sharing feature. By purchasing the E1 license, you get all the office applications and collaboration tools like Teams and Outlook.
Features included in E1 plan
• Microsoft Teams
Chat, share, meet, and use all the business apps among all of your team members easily.

• Microsoft 365 for mobile and web
In the E1 plan, you can use Office and other applications on the mobile device as well as on the PC.
• Microsoft Planner
With Microsoft Planner, you get a chance to organize your day. Set up the timing for the meetings and to-do tasks.
• Microsoft forms
Create quizzes and forms easily and engage with your co-workers, clients, and customers on one platform. Microsoft Forms helps you collect the data easily.
No matter what, the E1 plan does not provide an advanced level of security. It provides a low level of security, and for this, one has to depend on another third party to secure their emails and files. Though E1 performs seamlessly, it hides in cases of security.

Security Exchange online protection, multi-factor authentication DLP PowerBI, Compliance and Analytics, Microsoft defender endpoint security, MIP, Governance, and much more.

Wrapping Up!
Now, through this article, you have understood that there is a difference between all the plans that are being offered by Microsoft. The Office Enterprise plan offers the best productivity suite to businesses. The E5 plan offers extra security features that help businesses always stay secure. So, it is better for large businesses to buy the E5 plan as it offers more security than any other enterprise plan.