Key takeaways
- 1Microsoft 365 for business comes in three main plans: Business Basic (web and mobile apps), Business Standard (adds desktop apps) and Business Premium (adds device management and advanced security).
- 2After Microsoft's 1 July 2026 price rise, list prices are widely reported as about US$7, US$14 and US$22 per user per month on an annual commitment.
- 3All three plans are capped at 300 users and include Exchange email, Teams and 1 TB of OneDrive storage per user.
- 4From 1 December 2026, Microsoft sells Copilot as its own subscription instead of an add-on; existing customers keep their current terms.
- 5Most small offices need Business Basic or Standard for most staff, and Business Premium only for people handling sensitive data or company laptops.
Microsoft 365 for businesses comes in three main plans: Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium. After Microsoft's 1 July 2026 price rise, their list prices are widely reported as about US$7, US$14 and US$22 per user per month on an annual commitment. For most small offices in Pakistan, the best value is Business Standard for staff who live in Word and Excel, Business Basic for everyone else, and Business Premium only for people who handle sensitive data or company laptops.
What each Microsoft 365 plan includes
All three business plans are for organisations of up to 300 users, and all include business email on Exchange, Microsoft Teams and 1 TB of OneDrive storage per person. The differences:
- Business Basic: web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, business email, Teams meetings and chat, SharePoint and OneDrive. Good for staff who mostly email, chat and share files.
- Business Standard: everything in Basic, plus the installable desktop apps for Windows and Mac. This is the plan most office staff need, because the desktop Excel and Word are what people actually work in all day.
- Business Premium: everything in Standard, plus Intune to manage company laptops and phones, Microsoft Defender for Business, and Entra ID P1 for sign-in and access policies. This is the security plan.
There is also Microsoft 365 Apps for business, which gives the desktop apps and OneDrive but no business email or Teams. It suits a team that already has email elsewhere.
Microsoft 365 prices in 2026
Microsoft raised its commercial Microsoft 365 prices on 1 July 2026 for new purchases and renewals. Most published breakdowns give these list prices per user per month on an annual commitment:
- Business Basic: about US$7 (up from US$6)
- Business Standard: about US$14 (up from US$12.50)
- Business Premium: about US$22 (unchanged)
Monthly billing without an annual commitment costs more. These are Microsoft's US list prices in dollars. What a business in Pakistan pays depends on the currency you are billed in, taxes, and whether you buy directly or through a partner, so check the price on your own invoice or quote before you budget.
The Copilot change on 1 December
Microsoft's own partner announcements say that from 1 December 2026, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Business are sold as standalone offers instead of add-ons that need a Microsoft 365 plan underneath, at the same price as before. Existing customers keep their current pricing, renewal terms and service. If you plan to add Copilot, it no longer has to wait for your Microsoft 365 renewal, but it is still a separate cost per user.
Which plan should you choose?
Licences are assigned per person, so most companies mix plans in one account:
- Front desk, sales and staff who mostly email and chat: Business Basic.
- Office, admin and accounts staff who work in Excel and Word all day: Business Standard.
- Managers, finance and anyone with a company laptop or customer data: Business Premium.
- Staff who only need the desktop apps and already have email elsewhere: Apps for business.
A common waste we see in Microsoft 365 tenants is paying Premium for everyone, or paying for licences of people who left months ago. A quick review of who uses what often lowers the bill without anyone losing a feature they use.
How to keep Microsoft 365 secure without paying for Premium everywhere
- Turn on multi-factor sign-in for every account. It is available on every plan.
- Close accounts on the day someone leaves, and move their mailbox and files to a manager.
- Use Premium only where it matters, for the laptops and people that carry sensitive data.
- Archive old email automatically so mailboxes do not fill up.
Our guide to AI agent security basics covers the same sign-in rules for AI tools connected to your accounts.
Getting Microsoft 365 set up in Pakistan
Setting up Microsoft 365 properly means choosing the right plan for each person, moving existing email, setting sign-in and sharing rules, and closing old accounts. Our Microsoft 365 management team does this for businesses in Lahore and across Pakistan, connects it to Microsoft Azure for sign-in and hosting where needed, and handles day-to-day IT support for devices and networks. Tell us how many people need accounts and we will suggest the right mix of plans.
Frequently asked questions
Microsoft prices its business plans per user per month. After the July 2026 rise, list prices are widely reported as about US$7 for Business Basic, US$14 for Business Standard and US$22 for Business Premium on an annual commitment. What you pay in Pakistan depends on the currency you are billed in, taxes and the partner you buy from.
Business Basic gives you web and mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, plus email, Teams and 1 TB of OneDrive storage. Business Standard adds the installable desktop apps, which most people who write documents or build spreadsheets all day prefer.
Only for staff whose devices or data need extra protection. Premium adds Intune device management, Microsoft Defender for Business and Entra ID P1 security policies, which matter for company laptops, remote staff and anyone handling financial or customer data.
The full Microsoft 365 Copilot is a separate paid subscription. From 1 December 2026, Microsoft sells it as a standalone offer instead of an add-on, at the same price, and existing Copilot customers keep their current pricing and renewal terms.
Yes. Licences are assigned per person, so you can give Business Basic to staff who mostly use email and Teams, Business Standard to office staff, and Business Premium to managers and finance, all in one Microsoft 365 account.
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