Short answer: Business Standard is an office suite with email. Business Premium is the same office suite plus the tools to protect sign-ins, laptops and phones. Microsoft's Business Premium FAQ puts it this way: Premium includes everything in Business Standard, plus Microsoft Defender for Business and Defender for Office 365 Plan 1.
Microsoft raised Business Standard from $12.50 to $14.00 per user per month on July 1, 2026 and left Business Premium at $22.00, according to its 2026 pricing update (US list prices, annual commitment). The gap is now $8 per user per month. For a 15-person company that is $120 a month, or $1,440 a year.
Side by Side
| What you get | Business Standard | Business Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams desktop apps | Yes | Yes |
| Business email, OneDrive, SharePoint | Yes | Yes |
| MFA through security defaults | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional Access (rules for who signs in from where) | No | Yes |
| Intune Plan 1 (manage and wipe laptops and phones) | No | Yes |
| Defender for Business (endpoint detection and response) | No | Yes |
| Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 (link and attachment checks) | No | Yes |
| Azure Information Protection (label and encrypt documents) | No | Yes |
| US list price, annual commitment | $14.00 /user/mo | $22.00 /user/mo |
The table draws on Microsoft's plan options, its device setup guide ("Business Premium includes Microsoft Intune Plan 1"), and its Conditional Access license notes, which say Business Premium customers can use Conditional Access.
What the Extra $8 Actually Does
Conditional Access: who can sign in, from where
MFA stops a stolen password. It does not stop a fake sign-in page that passes your password and code straight through to Microsoft and keeps the signed-in session. Conditional Access lets you add rules such as "only company-managed computers can open email", so a stolen session used from someone else's laptop gets refused.
Intune: control of laptops and phones
Intune lets you require a passcode and encryption on any phone that gets company email, push settings and updates to laptops, and remotely wipe company data from a lost device. With Standard, a lost phone with email on it is a phone call and a hope.
Defender for Business: protection that watches, not just scans
Microsoft describes Defender for Business as endpoint security built for businesses up to 300 users, with endpoint detection and response, automated investigation and ransomware protection. It looks for attacker behavior, not only known viruses.
Defender for Office 365 Plan 1: a second look at links and attachments
It checks links when they are clicked and opens attachments in a sandbox before they reach the inbox. Microsoft is adding time-of-click link protection to Business Standard as part of the 2026 update, which narrows this gap a little. The attachment sandbox still comes with Premium.
A Rule of Thumb for a 10 to 30 Person Company
Pick Business Premium for everyone if any one of these is true:
- You hold client financial, tax or health information. The FTC Safeguards Rule and HIPAA both expect MFA, encryption and device control. Our Safeguards Rule post covers what tax and accounting firms owe.
- Staff read company email on their own phones.
- Laptops leave the office.
- Anyone can approve a payment or change bank details by email.
- Your cyber insurance application asks about endpoint detection or managed devices.
- You do not already pay for a separate antivirus with detection and response, or a device management tool.
Business Standard is a reasonable choice when:
- Everyone works on office desktops that stay put, and nobody gets email on a personal phone.
- Your IT provider already runs endpoint detection and device management through other tools, and you have checked that they actually cover every machine.
- Security defaults are on, so every account has MFA.
Mixing is allowed. Microsoft's FAQ notes Premium's protection only covers users and devices with a Premium license, and recommends it for everyone. If budget forces a split, put Premium on the owner, the office manager, and anyone who touches money or client files first.
Before You Switch
- In the Microsoft 365 admin center, open Billing > Your products and note what each person has today.
- Check that security defaults or MFA are on for every account, including shared mailboxes people sign into.
- List the laptops and phones that get company email, and who owns each one.
- Ask your current antivirus or IT provider what endpoint protection you already pay for, so you don't pay twice.
- Plan the setup. Conditional Access rules set up wrong can lock people out, so test on one person first.
When to Call Someone
Changing the license is a few clicks. Getting what Premium includes working takes a plan, and it is the part most tenants skip. Get help if you are about to switch, or if you already have Premium and can't say which of the four tools above are turned on. Call (330) 305-2750, or read the Microsoft 365 security baseline first.
Common questions
How much more does Business Premium cost than Business Standard?
Microsoft's US list prices since July 1, 2026 are $14.00 per user per month for Business Standard and $22.00 for Business Premium, on an annual commitment. That is $8 more per user per month, or $120 a month for 15 people.
Can we buy Premium for only some people?
Yes. Microsoft does not require everyone to have the same plan. Its FAQ notes the security and management benefits only cover users and devices with a Premium license, and recommends Premium for everyone for consistent protection. A common middle ground is Premium for anyone who handles money or client data.
Does Business Standard have multi-factor authentication?
Yes. Every Microsoft 365 tenant can use Microsoft Entra security defaults, which require MFA for everyone at no extra cost. What Standard lacks is Conditional Access, the finer-grained rules such as only allowing sign-ins from company devices.
Is there a user limit on these plans?
Yes. Microsoft's Business plans are designed for up to 300 users across Business Basic, Standard and Premium combined. Above that, the Enterprise plans apply.
