Do You Really Need Microsoft 365 Business Premium?
If you’ve been shopping for Microsoft 365 plans, you’ve probably seen Business Premium marketed as the “must-have” option for every business. You may have even been recommended it by your IT company, But do you really need it? For most small businesses, the answer might surprise you.
What Microsoft 365 Business Premium Includes
Business Premium offers:
- Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams)
- Email hosting with Exchange
- Advanced security features like Intune and Azure AD Premium
- Device management and conditional access
- Defender for Office 365
Sounds great, right? But…..
Where Business Premium Is Overkill
If you’re a small business with 1–25 users, do you really need advanced device management or conditional access policies? Probably not. Most small businesses:
- Don’t have complex compliance requirements
- Don’t need enterprise-level identity management
- Only need the security features included in Business Standard
So why pay extra for features you’ll never use?
What Most Small Businesses Actually Need
For most SMBs, Microsoft 365 Business Standard is more than enough:
- Full Office suite
- Professional email
- Teams for collaboration
- 1TB OneDrive storage per user
- All the usual security measures like 2FA and other must haves.
It covers everything you need for productivity without paying for enterprise-level security tools you won’t use.
When Business Premium Makes Sense
- You have strict compliance requirements (finance, healthcare)
- You need advanced device management for remote teams
- You want Microsoft Defender for Office 365 for extra phishing protection
If that’s not you, Business Standard will do the job—and save you money.
Plus the phishing protection may be handled in your antivirus or EDR solution anyway/
Bottom Line
Don’t get sold on features you don’t need. The right Microsoft 365 plan depends on your business size and security requirements—not on marketing hype.
✅ Want help choosing the right Microsoft 365 plan for your business? Talk to Cranfield IT Solutions today.
📞 Call us on 01435 897 155 or email Matt@cranfielditsolutions.co.uk