Microsoft 365 Business Basic at €6/user/month or Business Standard at €12.50? The price difference is small — but the feature difference can completely change how you work. Here is the real comparison, without Microsoft jargon.
This is the question we are most often asked when supporting a Belgian SME in its Microsoft 365 migration. And honestly, the answer is not the same for everyone.
Here is how we analyze this at NexK IT, with our clients.
Both plans at a glance
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
- Exchange — professional email
- Teams — video conferencing and chat
- SharePoint — file sharing
- OneDrive 1 TB per user
- Applications web Office (Word, Excel…)
- No Office desktop apps
- No Outlook desktop
- No Publisher or Access
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
- All content from Basic
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint desktop
- Full Outlook desktop
- Teams with advanced features
- Publisher and Access (PC)
- Webinars and Teams recordings
- MileIQ (mileage tracking)
- Up to 5 devices per user
The real difference: the desktop apps
This is where it all plays out. With Business Basic, you use Word, Excel and PowerPoint only via the web browser. It works well for simple tasks — but as soon as you have complex files, Excel macros, advanced Word layouts or elaborate PowerPoint presentations, you will feel the limitations.
With Business Standard, you have the full applications installed on your PC — with all features, even offline. It is the Office experience your teams are used to.
Which plan for which situation?
✅ Business Basic suffit si…
Your team works mainly in Teams, uses simple files, has a good permanent internet connection, and does not need Outlook desktop or advanced Office features. Typically: light sales teams, administrative assistants with basic usage.
✅ Business Standard est nécessaire si…
Your team uses Excel with macros or complex tables, Word for long and formatted documents, PowerPoint for client presentations, or Outlook as the main mail client. Also essential if you sometimes work without an internet connection.
The math for a 10-person SME
| Plan | Monthly cost (10 users) | Annual cost (10 users) | Desktop apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Basic | 60 €/mois | 720 €/an | No |
| Business Standard | 125 €/mois | 1.500 €/an | Yes |
| Difference | +65 €/mois | +780 €/an | — |
€780 difference per year for 10 users — that is €78 per user per year. Compared to the total cost of an employee, that is negligible if the desktop apps really improve their productivity.
Our recommendation at NexK IT
💡 What we do with our clients
We analyze workstation by workstation. Generally, we recommend a mix: Business Standard for profiles that use Office intensively (accounting, management, sales people who make presentations) and Business Basic for light profiles (reception, logistics, field). Result: we optimize the budget without sacrificing productivity where it matters.
As a Microsoft CSP reseller, we manage your licenses directly — purchase, add, remove, monthly invoicing. No blocking annual contract, total flexibility.
☁️ Migrating to Microsoft 365?
NexK IT handles your full migration — licenses, email transfer, Teams and SharePoint configuration — without interrupting your business.