Time to pay the Microsoft 2025 Office 365 E3

Time to pay the Microsoft 2025 Office 365 E3

Microsoft licenses—especially for Office and enterprise environments—can be confusing. Here’s a breakdown focused on Office 365 E3, a common business-tier license:


What Is Office 365 E3?

Office 365 E3 is a business-class subscription license from Microsoft that gives organizations access to a full suite of productivity, security, and compliance tools. It’s part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, primarily aimed at mid-sized to large businesses.


What Does Office 365 E3 Include?

Core Productivity Apps (installed & web):

  • Microsoft Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Outlook
  • OneNote
  • Publisher (Windows only)
  • Access (Windows only)

Online Services:

  • Exchange Online – Business-class email with 100 GB mailbox per user
  • OneDrive for Business – 1 TB (or more) cloud storage per user
  • SharePoint Online – Collaboration intranet sites
  • Microsoft Teams – Chat, meetings, calls
  • Yammer – Corporate social network
  • Stream – Video sharing and management

Security & Compliance:

  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for email and files
  • Azure Information Protection (AIP) – Manual classification and labeling
  • Message Encryption – Encrypt email inside and outside your organization
  • eDiscovery & Litigation Hold – For legal/compliance teams
  • Intune integration – If combined with EM+S (sold separately)

Other Benefits:

  • Install on up to 5 PCs or Macs + 5 tablets + 5 phones per user
  • Access to Office Web Apps
  • 99.9% SLA uptime with financial backing
  • 24/7 phone and web support

How Much Does It Cost?

As of July 2025, Microsoft lists Office 365 E3 pricing at:

  • $23.00/user/month (USD) — with an annual commitment
  • Prices vary slightly depending on region, reseller discounts, or volume licensing

What Does the Cost Cover?

Your monthly cost covers:

  • Software licenses for each named user
  • Updates and upgrades (no version-buying required)
  • Cloud storage and backend services
  • Access to Microsoft’s support and security ecosystem
  • Integration with other Microsoft cloud services (Azure AD, Intune, Defender, etc.)

Summary Table

FeatureOffice 365 E3
Desktop Apps✅ Full Office suite
Email & Calendar✅ Exchange, 100 GB mailbox
Cloud Storage✅ 1 TB OneDrive per user
Teams Collaboration✅ Yes
Web & Mobile Access✅ Yes
Security Tools✅ AIP, DLP, encryption
Price (2025)💵 $23/user/month

Here’s a clear comparison of Office 365 E1 vs E3 vs E5, focusing on features, price, and use case — so you can understand what you’re paying for and why.


Office 365 E1 vs E3 vs E5: Side-by-Side Comparison

FeatureE1 (Basic)E3 (Standard)E5 (Premium)
Monthly Price (USD)$10.00/user/mo$23.00/user/mo$38.00/user/mo
Desktop Office Apps (Word, Excel, etc.)❌ Web & mobile only✅ Full desktop + web + mobile✅ Full desktop + web + mobile
Email & Calendar (Exchange)✅ 50 GB mailbox✅ 100 GB mailbox✅ 100 GB + advanced security
OneDrive for Business✅ 1 TB/user✅ 1 TB/user✅ 1 TB/user
Microsoft Teams✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes
SharePoint / Yammer / Stream✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes
Office Online (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)✅ Yes✅ Yes✅ Yes
Install Office on PC/Mac❌ No✅ Yes (5 devices/user)✅ Yes (5 devices/user)
Advanced Security (AIP, DLP, Encryption)❌ No✅ Yes✅ Yes + enhanced (Defender, Insider Risk)
eDiscovery / Legal Hold❌ No✅ Yes✅ Advanced eDiscovery + Analytics
Power BI Pro (for data analysis)❌ No❌ No✅ Included
Phone System / PSTN Calling❌ No❌ No✅ Yes (Cloud PBX, Audio Conferencing)
Advanced Compliance & Analytics❌ No✅ Basic Compliance✅ Full Compliance, Threat Analytics

Summary of Key Use Cases

  • Office 365 E1 – Great for frontline workers, light users, or organizations that only need web-based apps and email.
  • Office 365 E3 – Best for most businesses needing full Office apps, compliance features, and enterprise-grade email.
  • Office 365 E5 – Ideal for regulated industries, legal/compliance-heavy orgs, or security-focused teams needing threat protection, Power BI, and telephony.

TL;DR:

  • E1 = Cloud-based apps only, basic collaboration – $10/mo
  • E3 = Full Office apps + compliance + security – $23/mo
  • E5 = Everything in E3 + security, analytics, calling – $38/mo

Time to pay the Microsoft 2025 Office 365 E3

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