E3 with add-ons vs E5
Microsoft 365 E3 costs USD 39,00 and Microsoft 365 E5 USD 60,00 per user and month (Microsoft list price for South Africa in US dollars, annual commitment, excl. VAT, as of 15 October 2026). Microsoft 365 E5 adds 41 capabilities and drops none in Microsoft’s plan comparisons.
In short: It depends on which suites you need, and ClearSource has no South African list price for the two enterprise suites yet. Microsoft 365 E3 (USD 39,00) takes two add-ons: the Microsoft Defender Suite and the Microsoft Purview Suite (formerly E5 Compliance). Microsoft 365 E5 costs USD 60,00. E3 plus both suites still lacks Microsoft Teams Phone and Power BI Pro, which E5 includes. (US-dollar list prices excl. VAT, as of 4 October 2026.)
From the Licensing FAQ, checked against its sources on 25 September 2026: Security add-ons for Business Premium (ZA) · Microsoft Defender Suite (formerly E5 Security) on top of E3, or full Microsoft 365 E5?
Everything E5 adds over E3, matched to the suite that covers it: Microsoft Defender Suite (formerly E5 Security) or Microsoft Purview Suite (formerly E5 Compliance).
Microsoft’s list price per user and month
- Microsoft 365 E3 USD 39,00
- Defender Suite no list price for South Africa
- Purview Suite no list price for South Africa
- Microsoft 365 E5 USD 60,00
From Microsoft 365 E3 to Microsoft 365 E5: Adds 41 capabilities, loses nothing · +USD 21,00 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
161 capabilities differ of 198 · · 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