Microsoft 365
Microsoft’s productivity suite of Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive and SharePoint; Business Basic rose to $7 and Standard to $14 per user from 1 July 2026.
- Free trial
- Per user, seat or unit
- Cloud
- AI features
- Independent sources
- Verified 13 Nov 2026Sources are dated on this profile
- 2 sourcesLinked, typed and dated
- Independent third-party sourcesHow this profile was compiled
- Not an endorsementStack18 has not tested this product
What is Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 is Microsoft’s subscription productivity and collaboration suite that bundles Exchange email and Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, SharePoint and security tools, sold to businesses in Business Basic, Standard and Premium plans (up to 300 users) and Enterprise E3 and E5 plans.
- Best forOrganisations standardised on Office documents
- Team size fitSolo and freelancers, Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- PricingBusiness Basic $7 per user a month (from 1 July 2026).
- Main limitationBasic and Standard prices rose up to 16% in July 2026.
- AlternativesGoogle Workspace, Zoho Workplace, Microsoft Teams, Slack · compare all
Microsoft 365 overview: who it is for and what it does.
Microsoft 365 is the default office suite for most large organisations and many small ones. Business plans cover up to 300 users; Enterprise plans add advanced compliance and security at higher prices.
From 1 July 2026, according to Office Watch, Business Basic rose from $6 to $7 and Business Standard from $12.50 to $14 per user a month, while Business Premium stayed at $22. Basic and Standard gained 50 GB of extra mailbox storage and Safe Links, and all affected plans received Copilot Chat enhancements.
Business Basic includes web and mobile Office apps, Teams, Exchange and 1 TB of OneDrive. Standard adds desktop Office apps; Premium adds Intune, Entra ID P1 and Defender for Business. Microsoft 365 Copilot is a separate add-on licence.
Main problem it solves
Gives organisations email, documents, meetings, chat, file storage and security from one vendor.
Typical customer segment
Businesses of every size, from small offices on Business plans to enterprises on E3 and E5.
Target users
- Knowledge workers using Office apps and Outlook
- Teams collaborating in Teams and SharePoint
- IT admins managing devices and identity
Primary use cases
- Business email and calendars
- Document creation and co-authoring
- Meetings and chat in Teams
- File storage and sharing
- Device and identity security (Premium)
What makes it distinct
- Desktop Office apps that remain the standard for documents and spreadsheets.
- Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive in one licence.
- Premium bundles Intune, Entra ID and Defender.
Microsoft 365 features explained.
Productivity
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Web and mobile on Basic; desktop on Standard and Premium.
- Outlook and Exchange
- Business email with larger mailboxes from July 2026.
- Loop and Planner
- Collaboration apps included.
Collaboration
- Teams
- Chat, meetings and calling add-ons.
- OneDrive
- 1 TB per user.
- SharePoint
- Intranet and document management.
Security and AI
- Safe Links
- Added to Basic and Standard in 2026.
- Intune, Entra ID P1, Defender for Business
- Business Premium.
- Copilot
- Copilot Chat included; Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on.
Microsoft 365 pricing and plans.
Figures reported by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 13 Nov 2026 against Office Watch · TechInformed.
Pricing model
Per user per month with annual commitment; monthly billing costs more.
Free plan
No
Free trial
Yes (1 month, vendor)
Microsoft 365 plans and prices (USD)
Business Basic
$7 per user a month (from 1 Jul 2026; was $6)
Annual commitment
Web and mobile apps, Teams, Exchange, 1 TB OneDrive.
Business Standard
$14 (from 1 Jul 2026; was $12.50)
Annual commitment
Adds desktop Office apps.
Business Premium
$22 (unchanged)
Annual commitment
Adds Intune, Entra ID P1, Defender.
Enterprise E3 / E5
Higher; quoted by plan
Annual
Advanced compliance and security.
Prices from Office Watch’s report on the July 2026 increase. Business plans are capped at 300 users. Microsoft 365 Copilot is a separate per-user add-on.
Prices change. Confirm current plans and terms on the vendor's site before you decide.
Visit official website (external) ↗See alternativesMicrosoft 365 integrations, API and platforms.
Important integrations
- Thousands of Teams and Office add-ins
- Power Automate and Power Apps
- Dynamics 365
Supported platforms
- Windows
- macOS
- Web
- iOS
- Android
API
Microsoft Graph API.
Data import and export
Migration tools for Google Workspace and other mail systems.
Microsoft Graph connects most Microsoft 365 data to other systems.
Microsoft 365 pros and cons.
Strengths, limitations and best fit. Each point cites a source; editorial summaries are not customer reviews.
Strengths
Limitations
Best for
- Organisations standardised on Office documents
- Businesses needing device and identity security
- Teams already using Windows
May be less suited to
- Browser-first teams that prefer Google Docs
- Very small teams wanting the lowest price per user
Top Microsoft 365 alternatives and competitors.
Google Workspace
Google's cloud productivity suite with business Gmail, Docs, Meet and Drive storage, with the Gemini AI…
Explore →Related productZoho Workplace
Zoho’s low-cost office suite of Mail, WorkDrive, Cliq, Meeting and office apps, from $1 per user a month for…
Explore →Related productMicrosoft Teams
Microsoft's chat, meetings and collaboration app, available free, as a $4 standalone plan or bundled in…
Explore →Related productSlack
A channel-based team messaging platform with a free plan, per-user paid plans, and AI features that scale…
Explore →Microsoft 365 compared with similar collaboration software.
Summaries come from each profile. This is a side-by-side aid, not a ranking.
| Product | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | Per user, seat or unit | No | Business Basic $7 per user a month (from 1 July 2026). | Organisations standardised on Office documents |
| Google Workspace | Per user, seat or unit | No | No free business plan. One-year commitment per user per month: Starter $7, Standard $14… | Small and mid-size businesses that want cloud-first email and collaboration |
| Zoho Workplace | Per user, seat or unit | Yes | Mail Lite $1 per user a month; Standard $4. | Cost-conscious small businesses |
| Microsoft Teams | Per user, seat or unit | Yes | Free version; standalone Essentials at $4 and Microsoft 365 Business Basic at $7 per user… | Organisations already using Microsoft 365 |
| Slack | Per user, seat or unit | Yes | Free plan; Pro reported at $7.25 per user per month billed annually. | Teams that want real-time channel-based communication |
| Coda (Superhuman Docs) | Per user, seat or unit | Yes | Free plan available; Pro reported at $12 and Business at $33 per Doc Maker per month… | Teams that want docs, wikis and trackers in one workspace |
Microsoft 365 vs competitors: head-to-head comparisons.
Microsoft 365 questions and answers
What is Microsoft 365 used for?
Microsoft 365 is used for business email and calendars, document creation and co-authoring, meetings and chat in Teams and file storage and sharing.
Does Microsoft 365 have a free plan?
No. Microsoft 365 does not offer a permanent free plan in the sources reviewed. Free trial: Yes (1 month, vendor).
How much does Microsoft 365 cost?
Business Basic $7 per user a month (from 1 July 2026). Prices from Office Watch’s report on the July 2026 increase.
What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Business Standard?
Business Basic is listed at $7 per user a month (from 1 Jul 2026; was $6) (Web and mobile apps, Teams, Exchange, 1 TB OneDrive). Business Standard is listed at $14 (from 1 Jul 2026; was $12.50) (Adds desktop Office apps). Confirm current plan contents with the vendor.
What are the main alternatives to Microsoft 365?
The main alternatives to Microsoft 365 covered on Stack18 are Google Workspace, Zoho Workplace, Microsoft Teams and Slack. Google Workspace may suit small and mid-size businesses that want cloud-first email and collaboration. Zoho Workplace may suit cost-conscious small businesses. Microsoft Teams may suit organisations already using Microsoft 365. See the Microsoft 365 alternatives guide for a side-by-side table.
What integrations does Microsoft 365 support?
Documented integrations include Thousands of Teams and Office add-ins, Power Automate and Power Apps and Dynamics 365. API: Microsoft Graph API.
What are the limitations of Microsoft 365?
Basic and Standard prices rose up to 16% in July 2026. Business plans cap at 300 users. Microsoft 365 Copilot is a costly add-on.
Which platforms does Microsoft 365 run on?
Microsoft 365 is documented as available on: Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.
When was the Microsoft 365 profile last verified?
Sources for this profile were last reviewed on 13 Nov 2026. 2 sources are listed under Sources, and prices and plans can change, so confirm with the vendor.
Where this information comes from.
- Microsoft 365 Business Price Increase: Who Pays More in 2026 Office Watch Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Microsoft to raise Microsoft 365 business prices by up to 33% from July 2026 TechInformed Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
Secondary-source profile. Vendor pages were not reviewed directly for this profile. Facts and prices are corroborated across independent third-party sources and may differ from the vendor's current pages. Confirm with the vendor before buying.
Plan names, prices and features were checked against the sources listed on 13 Nov 2026. Capabilities were not tested.
Stack18 has not tested this product or received anything from the vendor for this profile. Editorial summaries of vendor information are not endorsements. Confirm details with the vendor before buying.
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