Free tool · by AlphaIT
Microsoft 365 Plan Picker: Basic, Standard or Premium?
Answer five quick questions and see which Microsoft 365 business plan fits your team, why, and roughly what it costs per year in Canadian dollars.
The short version
What Actually Separates the Three Plans
All three include business email, Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint, for up to 300 users. The differences come down to two questions.
Do you need the desktop apps?
Business Basic has Word, Excel and PowerPoint in the browser and on phones only. Standard and Premium add the full desktop apps on each person’s computers.
Do you need to secure devices and sign-ins?
Only Business Premium adds Intune device management, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Conditional Access. For most offices with laptops and sensitive data, that’s the deciding factor.
Mix and match
You don’t need the same plan for everyone. Premium for office staff and Basic for people who only need email on a phone is common.
2026 price changes
Microsoft raised Business Basic and Standard list prices from July 1, 2026, while Premium’s US price didn’t change. Existing customers keep their price until renewal.
Our view
For Most Offices, Premium Pays for Itself
The extra cost of Business Premium over Standard buys device management, endpoint protection and safer sign-ins, which would cost more as separate products. If your team uses laptops and handles anything sensitive, it’s usually the right call.
Basic is a good fit for frontline and part-time staff who only need email, Teams and files on a phone or a shared PC.
Frequently asked questions
Microsoft 365 Plan FAQs
Licensing questions we hear every week.
What’s the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard and Premium?
Basic has email, Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint with the web and mobile apps. Standard adds the desktop apps such as Word, Excel and Outlook. Premium adds security: Intune device management, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Conditional Access.
How much does Microsoft 365 cost in Canada?
Microsoft Canada lists Business Basic at CAD $9.50, Standard at CAD $19.00 and Premium at CAD $29.80 per user per month on an annual commitment, before tax, as of late 2026. Monthly billing costs more, and prices change, so check before buying.
Can we mix Microsoft 365 plans?
Yes. You can give different people different Business plans, as long as the total across the Business plans stays within 300 users.
Is Business Premium worth it for a small office?
Usually, if staff use laptops and you handle client or financial information. Premium includes device management and endpoint protection that would otherwise be separate products.
Does Microsoft 365 include Copilot?
Copilot Chat is available to business users with a work account. The full Microsoft 365 Copilot, which works inside your emails and files, is a paid add-on. See whether Copilot is worth it.
Do these prices include setup?
No. These are Microsoft’s licence prices. Setup, migration and ongoing management are separate; see our Microsoft 365 service.
Microsoft 365 setup and migration
Picked a Plan? Let’s Set It Up So It’s Actually Secure
We license, migrate and configure Microsoft 365 for Edmonton businesses: MFA, device management, backups and email security, done right the first time.
780-318-0149
Edmonton, AB · serving the Edmonton region