Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise is just one of the subscription plans Microsoft offers to companies who want to access its incredible range of productivity tools. It’s the evolution of Microsoft’s previous “Office 365 ProPlus” plan, which includes access to all of Microsoft’s core tools, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
But is it the right plan for your team? As of 2024, choosing the right Microsoft plan is a little more complex. No matter which “Microsoft 365” plan you choose, Microsoft Teams won’t be included.
In fact, if you’re going to access a wide range of Microsoft solutions, such as the 365 apps, Teams, Teams Premium, and even Copilot, you’ll need separate plans for everything.
Still, if you’re in the process of “rebuilding” your Microsoft ecosystem, following the Microsoft Teams / 365 separation, Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise could be a good plan to start with.
Here, I’ll guide you through all the features of this plan and how the “Apps for Enterprise” plan compares to other Microsoft subscription options.
What is Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise?
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise is a subscription plan designed for enterprise users, which gives you access to a range of Microsoft applications in exchange for a fee. It’s one of the cheaper plans for Microsoft users, starting at $12.00 per user per month.
With Apps for Enterprise, you’ll get full access to Microsoft 365 apps on the web, with the ability to create and edit rights for all online versions of core applications. You can also install apps on up to 5 PCs, tablets, and mobile devices (so 15 devices in total).
The plan includes any-time phone and web support, as well as 1TB of cloud storage. According to Microsoft, this plan supports teamwork, enabling employees to share files, collaborate in real-time, and work on any device, anywhere.
Notably, while you don’t get Microsoft 365 Copilot, you do get access to basic Copilot intelligent features with your Microsoft account. For instance, you’ll be able to use basic Copilot features within apps on the web and when searching for content online.
The Core Features of Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise
The apps and services included in Microsoft 365 apps for enterprise are:
- Microsoft Word: With included translation, dictation, and researcher capabilities.
- Microsoft Excel: Including chart recommendations, multiple chart types, Power Query capabilities, and Power Pivot.
- PowerPoint: With Morph, Zoom, Designer, and 3D animation effects.
- Outlook: Including focused inbox, suggested event locations, travel summary cards, “shared with me” insights, and @mentions.
- OneDrive: With 1TB of storage, information protection, and threat protection tools.
You’ll also get:
- OneNote
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Publisher
- Delve
- Sway
- Microsoft Forms
Notably, Microsoft Teams is no longer included in this plan, if you want to connect Microsoft Teams with your productivity apps, you’ll need a separate plan, starting at $4 per month for the Teams Essentials option. As mentioned above, if you want to add Copilot for Microsoft 365 into the mix, so you can access the full AI assistant on all of your apps, that’s an extra $30 per user, per month.
How Does Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise Compare?
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise basically gives you all of Microsoft’s core productivity features, aside from Teams and Copilot. Outside of this plan, there are a few other primary Microsoft 365 subscription options to choose from. Here’s a quick insight into the major differences between Microsoft 365 plans and the Apps for Enterprise solutions.
Office 365 Plans
There’s a range of Office 365 plans available today. The E1 edition, for $7.75 per user per month, is the least expensive plan Microsoft offers for its productivity apps.
Like most of Microsoft’s plans today, Teams isn’t included, but you do get a handful of Microsoft 365 apps for the web and email, file storage, and file sharing tools. Plus, there’s still 1TB of OneDrive cloud support available.
Notably, this plan doesn’t include Microsoft’s core Office apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. However, you get some apps you won’t have access to with the Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise plan. Alongside OneDrive, Microsoft Forms, Sway, and Delve, you’ll also get:
- Exchange
- Viva Engage
- Viva Insights
- Microsoft Bookings
- Microsoft Stream
- Power Automate
- Microsoft To Do
- Microsoft Planner
Other Office 365 plans include:
- Office 365 E3: $20.75 per user, per month: All the features of Office 365 E1, plus message encryption, rights management, and data loss prevention. Plus you get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Power Apps, and Microsoft Publisher.
- Office 365 E5: $35.75 per user per month: All the features of E3, plus Power BI, and advanced security and compliance options.
Microsoft 365 E3 and E5
Microsoft 365 E3, now without Teams, gives you all of the same basic features as Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, such as 1TB of cloud storage and a range of Microsoft apps. However, you do get a lot of extras in exchange for the higher $33.75 per month price, including:
- Microsoft Windows for Enterprise
- Exchange
- Microsoft Bookings
- Microsoft Stream
- Viva Engage
- Viva Insights
- Microsoft Lists
- Microsoft Forms
- Visio
- Power Apps
- Power Automate
- Microsoft Loop
- Microsoft Planner
- Microsoft To Do
- ClipChamp
Basically, you get a much more comprehensive collection of Microsoft tools here, including the latest employee engagement tools (Viva), Microsoft Loop for workplace collaboration, and Windows.
Microsoft 365 E5 is the next step up from E3, similar in many ways to Office 365 E5. It includes all the features of the E3 plan, plus advanced security and compliance capabilities, for more robust control over permissions and data management. You’ll also gain access to Microsoft Power BI for business intelligence.
The Other Plans
Alongside the core plans above, companies can also choose from dedicated Microsoft plans, created for specific teams. For instance, there’s:
- Microsoft 365 F3: $8.00 per user per month: This is Microsoft’s basic plan for frontline workers, which includes the web and mobile versions of most Microsoft 365 apps. You can also create custom apps to automate tasks, and access a centralized hub for productivity.
- Government plans: Microsoft’s government plans (G3 and G5) are custom-price, and basically convert all the Office 365 and Microsoft 365 plans above into more secure solution, designed for government organizations.
- Nonprofit plans: Microsoft offers discounted versions of its “Microsoft 365” plans for non-profit organizations. There’s a free option similar to Microsoft Office 365 E3 for up to 300 users, and paid plans start at $3 per month, per user.
Is Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise Right for You?
Overall, Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise is a cost-effective option for companies that want to leverage all of the benefits of the top Microsoft apps, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It’s not as robust as the Microsoft 365 or Office 365 plans, but it gives you all the basics, provided you already have Windows, and don’t need things like Power BI and Viva for your workflows.
If you’re looking for an affordable and easy solution to help boost employee productivity, this might be the perfect plan for you.
