Update (April 2026): This article reflects Microsoft’s UK business pricing and feature positioning as of 10th April 2026. Microsoft currently lists Microsoft 365 Business Premium at £16.90 per user/month on annual commitment, excluding VAT, compared with £9.60 for Business Standard and £4.60 for Business Basic. Microsoft’s business plans are designed for organisations with up to 300 users.
Executive Summary
- For many UK SMEs, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the point where Microsoft 365 becomes a proper productivity and security platform, not just email and Office apps.
- It includes the collaboration and productivity tools in Business Standard, then adds advanced identity controls, device management, endpoint security, email threat protection, and data protection features.
- In practical terms, it helps reduce the risk of phishing, compromised accounts, unmanaged devices, and accidental data loss.
- In many SME environments, it can also reduce the need for separate entry-level tools for antivirus, mobile device management, and basic email security.
- For most growing businesses, it is the most sensible default Microsoft 365 licence, provided it is set up and managed properly.
Introduction
For many UK SMEs, Microsoft 365 now sits at the centre of day-to-day operations. Email, documents, Teams, file sharing, remote access, and increasingly security controls all run through the same platform.
That is exactly why licence choice matters.
Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Business Standard are both strong productivity licences. They give businesses the tools to communicate, collaborate, and work from anywhere. But when it comes to stronger identity protection, device control, and layered security, they leave important gaps.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium fills those gaps. It combines the desktop apps and cloud services many businesses already rely on with advanced security and device management features that used to feel out of reach for smaller organisations. Microsoft’s own positioning is clear: Business Premium includes the same core apps and services as the lower plans, plus advanced cyberthreat protection and device management capabilities.
This is why we recommend it so often. For most SMEs, it strikes the right balance between usability, protection, and value.
Business Basic vs Business Standard vs Business Premium
Below is the practical version of the comparison most SMEs actually need.
| Feature | Business Basic | Business Standard | Business Premium |
| Web and mobile Office apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Office apps | No | Yes | Yes |
| Business email with Exchange | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced identity controls, including Conditional Access via Entra ID P1 | No | No | Yes |
| Device management with Intune Plan 1 | No | No | Yes |
| Endpoint protection with Defender for Business | No | No | Yes |
| Email threat protection with Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 | No | No | Yes |
| Data Loss Prevention for emails and files | No | No | Yes |
| Information Protection and sensitivity labelling | No | No | Yes |
| Windows 11 Pro upgrade rights for eligible devices | No | No | Yes |
This summary is based on Microsoft’s current UK comparison of Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium.
What each plan is really for
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Business Basic is best for very small teams that mainly need business email, Teams, cloud storage, and web-based Office apps. It can work well for occasional users, frontline workers, or organisations with very simple requirements.
For businesses that rely heavily on desktop apps, managed laptops, and stronger security controls, it is usually too limited.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Business Standard is the productivity licence many SMEs have used for years. It adds the desktop versions of Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, which makes it a good fit for businesses that need the full Office experience.
But Business Standard is still mainly a productivity plan. It does not include Intune, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, or Entra ID P1. In other words, it helps people work, but it does not give you the same level of central control and protection as Premium.
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Business Premium is where Microsoft 365 starts to feel like a joined-up business platform. You still get the familiar Office apps and collaboration tools, but you also get the security and management features that help an SME operate more safely and consistently.
For most growing businesses with hybrid working, laptops out in the field, and a real concern about phishing or data loss, this is the plan that makes the most sense.
Why Microsoft 365 Business Premium is different
1. Stronger sign-in protection
Most cyber incidents do not begin with a dramatic hack. They begin with a weak password, a reused password, or a successful phishing email.
Business Premium includes Microsoft Entra ID P1, which means you can use Conditional Access. That allows you to apply rules around sign-in, such as requiring multifactor authentication, restricting access by location, or allowing access only from compliant devices. It does not eliminate risk on its own, but it can significantly reduce the chances of a stolen password leading directly to a successful compromise.
2. Proper device management for laptops, mobiles, and tablets
With Business Premium, Intune Plan 1 is included. That means devices can be enrolled, configured, secured, and monitored more consistently. New starters can receive a more standardised setup. Leavers can have business access removed quickly. Lost or stolen devices can be managed remotely.
For SMEs, this matters because it reduces the number of security decisions being left to end users and cuts down on manual admin for the internal team or outsourced IT provider.
3. Better protection against phishing and endpoint threats
Business Premium includes Microsoft Defender for Business and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1. That gives SMEs stronger protection across both devices and Microsoft 365 services, rather than relying only on baseline spam filtering or a standalone antivirus product.
4. More control over sensitive data
Business Premium includes Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention for emails and files, along with Microsoft Purview Information Protection. In plain English, that means you can do more to identify sensitive information, label it appropriately, and reduce the chances of it being shared in the wrong place.
That is particularly useful for businesses handling financial data, HR information, commercial contracts, customer records, or other material that should not be freely forwarded around the organisation.
5. Better visibility into cloud app usage
Business Premium also gives you access to cloud app discovery capability through Entra ID P1. This can help surface Shadow IT and show which cloud services people are using across the business.
It is worth being precise here: this is useful visibility, but it is not the full Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps product.
What Business Premium includes, in plain English
Here is what the most important included components mean in real business terms.
Microsoft Entra ID P1
Gives you stronger control over sign-in and access, including Conditional Access.
Microsoft Intune Plan 1
Lets you manage laptops, mobiles, and tablets more consistently from a central platform.
Microsoft Defender for Business
Adds business-grade endpoint protection across supported devices.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1
Adds stronger protection for email, links, and attachments in Microsoft 365.
Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention
Helps reduce the risk of sensitive information being shared where it should not be.
Microsoft Purview Information Protection
Supports sensitivity labels and information classification to help protect important content.
When Business Premium may be more than you need
Not every business needs to move straight to Premium.
Business Basic can still be perfectly fine for very small teams with simple needs, especially where staff only use web apps and there is little requirement for central device management.
Business Standard can still suit organisations that mainly need the desktop apps and already have separate security tooling in place.
But for many SMEs, those scenarios are becoming less common. Once you factor in hybrid working, laptops outside the office, phishing risk, new starter and leaver processes, and pressure to protect sensitive data properly, Business Premium usually becomes the better long-term choice.
Is Business Premium worth the extra cost?
In the UK, Microsoft currently lists annual commitment pricing at £4.60 for Business Basic, £9.60 for Business Standard, and £16.90 for Business Premium, excluding VAT.
That means the jump from Standard to Premium is not trivial, but it is often easier to justify than it first appears.
For many SMEs, Business Premium can reduce the need for separate entry-level tools in areas such as endpoint security, device management, and additional email protection. It can also help reduce admin time, improve consistency, and lower the risk of costly mistakes or security incidents.
The exact return on investment depends on the business, but the broader point is simple: the cheapest licence is not always the lowest-cost option overall.
A stronger foundation for modern work
Business Premium is not just about security. It also helps create a more controlled environment for modern ways of working.
When devices are managed more consistently, sign-in rules are better enforced, and sensitive data is handled more deliberately, businesses are in a much better position to support remote work, bring new starters on quickly, and make sensible use of AI tools in future.
That is one of the reasons we see Business Premium as a sensible default for ambitious SMEs, not just a security upgrade for larger organisations.
What partnering with Get Support looks like
Choosing the right licence is only part of the picture. The bigger value comes from using it properly.
With Get Support, that typically means:
Licensing review
We assess what you already have, what you actually need, and whether there are opportunities to simplify or save money.
Rollout planning
We build a practical rollout plan that minimises disruption and avoids security being bolted on afterwards.
Security baseline setup
We implement the fundamentals properly, including identity controls, device policies, endpoint protection, and sensible access rules.
Ongoing management
We continue to monitor, review, and maintain the environment so the features you are paying for are actually doing their job.
For many SMEs, that combination matters just as much as the licence itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
For many SMEs, yes. Once you need stronger sign-in controls, device management, and better protection against phishing and device-based threats, Premium usually becomes the more appropriate licence.
Business Premium includes advanced identity controls, Intune device management, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, and data protection features that are not included in Business Standard.
No. Microsoft positions Business Premium for small to medium-sized businesses, with business plans designed for organisations of up to 300 users.
Yes. Business Premium includes Microsoft Entra ID P1, and Conditional Access is part of that licensing tier.
No. It includes cloud app discovery capability through Entra ID P1, which is useful for visibility into cloud app usage, but it is not the full Defender for Cloud Apps product.
Conclusion
Microsoft 365 Business Premium gives UK SMEs a much stronger balance of productivity, security, and control than Business Basic or Business Standard alone.
For businesses that want their people to work flexibly without leaving security to chance, it is often the most sensible Microsoft 365 licence to standardise on.
And when it is deployed and managed properly, it can do much more than improve security. It can simplify onboarding, reduce operational friction, and give your business a stronger platform for growth.
Not sure whether Business Premium is right for your organisation? Get Support can review your current licensing, identify gaps, and help you build a practical rollout plan.