Microsoft 365 Business Premium vs E3
Microsoft 365 Business Premium costs USD 22,00 and Microsoft 365 E3 USD 39,00 per user and month (Microsoft list price for South Africa in US dollars, annual commitment, excl. VAT, as of 15 October 2026). Microsoft 365 E3 adds 1 capability and drops 3 in Microsoft’s plan comparisons.
In short: Per tenant. The 300-seat cap counts every Business plan in the tenant together. Business Premium is the security suite for smaller companies; E3 has no seat cap and adds Windows Enterprise, Exchange Online Plan 2 and more Microsoft Intune. You can mix the two, so user 301 can just get E3.
From the Licensing FAQ, checked against its sources on 25 September 2026: Microsoft 365 Business Premium FAQ · Business Premium or Microsoft 365 E3: how does the 300-seat cap work?
Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium stop at 300 users. Office 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E3 have no limit. Microsoft’s list prices and the differences Microsoft publishes.
Microsoft’s list price per user and month
- Business Standard USD 14,00
- Business Premium USD 22,00
- Office 365 E3 USD 26,00
- Microsoft 365 E3 USD 39,00
From Business Premium to Microsoft 365 E3: Adds 1 capability, loses 3 capabilities · +USD 17,00 per user and month
Counts rows in Microsoft’s plan comparison; one row can hold several features.
Annual commitment, excl. VAT, Microsoft’s list price for South Africa (in US dollars) as of 15 October 2026. Add or remove plans in the table below. All plans side by side
73 capabilities differ of 204 · · drag a plan to move it, or an add-on onto a plan to merge them
ClearSource restates Microsoft’s published facts in its own layout; for the full details open Microsoft’s documents. Prices are Microsoft’s South African list prices in US dollars. Microsoft 365 User Subscription Suites for Small and Medium-sized Businesses · Microsoft 365, Office 365, Enterprise Mobility + Security, and Windows 11 Subscriptions