Microsoft 365Business PremiumStandard +12% · Premium unchanged
The upgrade most small businesses actually need.
Business Standard is fine for the basics. Business Premium adds the security and device-management features you actually need to be Cyber Essentials-ready and to actually defend against modern threats.
We'll tell you honestly whether the upgrade is worth it for your business, and if it's not, we'll say so.
Business Premium
£18.10
per user / month · price unchanged
Standard is going up 12%, Premium isn't. The upgrade gap is now just £6.56/user/month instead of £7.80. Best time to upgrade is right now.
What you get
Six big upgrades over Standard
Each one would cost more as a separate add-on. Bundled together they're cheaper and they actually integrate properly.
🛡️
Microsoft Defender for Business
Next-gen endpoint protection across PC, Mac and mobile. Real ransomware defence, not just AV.
📱
Microsoft Intune
Manage every device from one console. Zero-touch deploy, remote wipe, policy enforcement.
🔐
Azure AD Premium P1
Conditional Access, MFA enforced everywhere, self-service password reset.
📧
Proper anti-phishing layer
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (Plan 1): safe links, safe attachments, real-time scanning of inbound mail. Much better than the Business Standard baseline.
🔒
Information Protection
Label sensitive documents, encrypt automatically, prevent forwarding outside your org.
💾
Data Loss Prevention
Stop sensitive data leaving by accident. Block uploads of card numbers, NI numbers, client lists.
Standard vs Premium
The line-by-line comparison
Reality check: With Standard going up 12% and Premium holding firm, the upgrade gap is shrinking to ~£6.56/user/month. And if you're buying Business Standard plus AV plus a separate MDM tool, you're already paying more than Premium would cost, for worse integration.
Honest take
When it's worth it, and when it isn't
Upgrade if
- You handle sensitive client data (legal, healthcare, finance)
- You need Cyber Essentials certification
- Staff use personal devices for work email
- You'd struggle if a stolen laptop wasn't wiped within the hour
- You currently pay for a separate AV / MDM / DLP tool
Maybe skip if
- Under 3 staff and all work-issued devices
- You have no client data and no compliance obligations
- You already have full-stack security elsewhere
- Cost is genuinely the blocker: Standard + good practice is OK
Need a licence audit?
We'll show you what you actually need
20 minutes. We'll review your current setup, tell you whether Premium is worth the upgrade, and how to roll it out cleanly.
Book a licence audit →Last reviewed May 2026 · Sam James