Microsoft 365 Business comparison between Business Standard and Apps for Business reveals significant differences in features, tools, and pricing. While both are popular plans, they cater to different business needs, depending on how much functionality and flexibility your business requires.
1. Microsoft 365 Business comparison: Core Features
The core features are where these plans differ the most:
- Business Standard: Includes access to full Office apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, both online and desktop versions. It also provides 1TB of OneDrive storage and collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams.
- Apps for Business: Offers only the Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for use on desktop and mobile devices. However, it doesn’t include email or collaboration tools like Teams.
2. Microsoft 365 Business comparison: Collaboration Tools
Collaboration tools are essential for team efficiency:
- Business Standard: Provides Microsoft Teams for chat, video conferencing, and document collaboration. It also includes Outlook for professional email management.
- Apps for Business: Does not include Microsoft Teams or business-class email (Outlook). Collaboration features are limited to basic file sharing via OneDrive.
3. Microsoft 365 Business comparison: Storage and File Management
File management and storage capacity differ across the plans:
- Business Standard: 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user, with full desktop Office apps that sync directly with OneDrive for seamless document access and management.
- Apps for Business: Includes 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user, but it only offers access to the web versions of Office apps, limiting offline document access and features.
4. Microsoft 365 Business comparison: Email and Security Features
Security and email capabilities are key considerations for businesses:
- Business Standard: Provides email hosting via Exchange and custom email domains. It also includes advanced security features such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and mobile device management (MDM).
- Apps for Business: Does not include email hosting or Exchange. It lacks the advanced security features found in Business Standard.
5. Microsoft 365 Business comparison: Pricing and Value
Pricing is a crucial factor when choosing the right plan:
- Business Standard: Priced at $12.50 per user per month, it offers a complete set of Office apps, email hosting, collaboration tools, and advanced security features.
- Apps for Business: Priced at $8.25 per user per month, this plan only includes Office apps (no email, no Teams, no advanced security), making it suitable for businesses that don’t need all the extras.
Conclusion
In this Microsoft 365 Business comparison, Business Standard offers more comprehensive features, including email, advanced security, and collaboration tools, making it ideal for businesses that need a complete productivity solution. Apps for Business is a better fit for small teams that only need Office apps and basic storage without the extra collaboration tools.
Need help choosing the right Microsoft 365 plan for your business?
Medha Cloud can guide you through the selection process and help you set up the perfect Microsoft 365 solution for your team.
