Office365 Base Plans- Whats the difference?

1. Exchange Online (Plan 1)

• Concept: Basic professional email.

• Mailbox: 50GB.

• Key Feature: Standard security (anti-spam/anti-malware).

• Best for: Staff who only need to send/receive emails and use a shared calendar.  

  
  

2. Exchange Online (Plan 2)

• Concept: Heavy-duty email for legal/compliance needs.

• Mailbox: 100GB (Double Plan 1).

• Key Feature: Litigation Hold (retains deleted emails for legal discovery) and Unlimited Archive (via Auto-Expanding Archive).

• Best for: Executives, legal professionals, or long-term employees who never delete anything.

  
  
  
  

3. Microsoft 365 Business Basic

• Concept: The cloud-only starter pack.  

• Apps: Web & Mobile versions only of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (no desktop install).  

• Storage: 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage.  

• Meetings: Microsoft Teams included (up to 300-person meetings).  

• Best for: Remote/Frontline workers who are happy working in a browser.  

4. Microsoft 365 Business Standard

• Concept: The "Gold Standard" for office work.

• Apps: Full Desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access/Publisher (PC only) installed on up to 5 devices.

• Storage: 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage.  

  
  

• Extras: Includes Microsoft Bookings (for scheduling) and Loop.  

  
  

• Best for: Most office-based staff who need the full power of Excel and offline work capabilities.