Microsoft 365 Business Premium vs E3
64 of 179 features differ. Differences are shown first, grouped by product area.
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Microsoft 365 E3
Prices are US list prices per user/month with an annual commitment, verified November 1, 2026. Sources: Microsoft 365 Business Premium (opens in a new tab), Microsoft 365 E3 (opens in a new tab).
Key differences
- 64 of 179 features differ, most in Threat protection (20), Windows & Cloud PC (19) and Device management (7).
- Microsoft 365 E3 costs $17.00 more per user/month than Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $39.00 per user/month against $22.00 per user/month.
- Microsoft 365 E3 includes 36 features Microsoft 365 Business Premium does not, such as Intune Plan 2 capabilities, Intune Remote Help and Power Automate attended desktop flows.
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes 16 features Microsoft 365 E3 does not, such as Automated investigations and Anti-phishing protection.
- 11 features are in both at a different level, such as Exchange Online: Plan 1 (100 GB) in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Plan 2 (100 GB) in Microsoft 365 E3.
- 1 more feature differs only in how it is listed: partial, announced, an add-on or to verify.
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium is sold for up to 300 users.
- 16 included only in Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- 36 included only in Microsoft 365 E3
- Included
- Included at that level
- Add-on
- Partial or announced
- Unclear in the sources; verify before buying
- Not included
| Feature | Microsoft 365 Business Premium, $22.00 per user/month | Microsoft 365 E3, $39.00 per user/month |
|---|---|---|
| Suite editions, 3 differences | ||
| Office apps and services edition | Business Standard | E3 |
| Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) edition | Not included | E3 |
| Windows edition | Business | E3 |
| Apps & productivity, 3 differences | ||
| Microsoft 365 Apps | Business, with shared computer activation | Enterprise |
| Power Automate attended desktop flows | Not included | Included |
| Office Professional Plus | Not included | Included |
| Email & calendar, 1 difference | ||
| Exchange Online | Plan 1 (100 GB) | Plan 2 (100 GB) |
| Files & intranet, 2 differences | ||
| OneDrive for Business | Plan 1 (1 TB) | Plan 2 (1 TB+) |
| SharePoint Online | Plan 1 | Plan 2 |
| Teams, meetings & calling, 4 differences | ||
| Teams live events | Not included | ~ No new events; scheduled ones run until Feb 28, 2027 |
| Teams town halls | Foundational events | Included |
| Teams webinars | Foundational events | Included |
| Advanced webinars and town halls | Not included | Included |
| Threat protection, 20 differences | ||
| Advanced Threat Analytics (support ended) | Not included | Included |
| Configuration Manager Endpoint Protection | Not included | Included |
| Attack surface reduction (ASR) rules | Not included | Included |
| Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 | Business | Not included |
| Automated investigations | Included | Not included |
| Endpoint detection and response (EDR) | Included | Not included |
| Threat analytics | Included | Not included |
| Defender Vulnerability Management (core) | Included | Not included |
| Configuration assessment | Included | Not included |
| Continuous monitoring | Included | Not included |
| Device discovery | Included | Not included |
| Device inventory | Included | Not included |
| Remediation tracking | Included | Not included |
| Risk-based prioritization | Included | Not included |
| Software inventory | Included | Not included |
| Software usage insights | Included | Not included |
| Vulnerability assessment | Included | Not included |
| Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 | Business | Included |
| Anti-phishing protection | Included | Not included |
| Real-time detections | Included | Not included |
| Data protection & compliance, 2 differences | ||
| Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) | Not included | Included |
| Azure Rights Management (Azure RMS) | Not included | Included |
| Device management, 7 differences | ||
| Intune Plan 1 | Business | Included |
| Configuration Manager | Not included | Included |
| Intune Plan 2 capabilities | Not included | Included |
| Intune Remote Help | Not included | Included |
| Microsoft Tunnel for mobile application management | Not included | Included |
| Firmware updates for specialty devices | Not included | Included |
| Intune Advanced Analytics | Not included | Included |
| Windows & Cloud PC, 19 differences | ||
| Always On VPN | Not included | Included |
| App Assure | Not included | Included |
| BranchCache | Not included | Included |
| Custom logon | Not included | Included |
| Custom shell | Not included | Included |
| Credential Guard | Not included | Included |
| Device Guard | Not included | Included |
| DirectAccess (deprecated) | Not included | Included |
| Keyboard Filter | Not included | Included |
| Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) | Not included | Included |
| Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP, retiring) | Not included | Included |
| Persistent memory | Not included | Included |
| Resilient File System (ReFS) | Not included | Included |
| SMB Direct | Not included | Included |
| Unified Write Filter | Not included | Included |
| Windows virtualization rights | Not included | Included |
| Windows 11 support period | 24 months | 36 months |
| Windows Quick Machine Recovery | Not included | Included |
| Windows post-quantum security APIs | Not included | Included |
| Licensing rights & services, 3 differences | ||
| Productivity Server client access license (CAL) | Not included | Included |
| Windows Server client access license (CAL) rights | Not included | Included |
| Office server rights | Not included | Included |