Microsoft 365 comes with a dizzying array of subscription packages for Home, Business, Enterprise, Non-Profit, Government and Education.
Office 2024 is sold as a one-time purchase, which means you pay a single, up-front cost to obtain and use the Microsoft Office suite on one computer. One-time purchases are available for both PCs and Macs. However, there are no upgrade options. This means if you plan to upgrade to the next major release, you'll have to buy it at full price.
With Microsoft 365 you always have the latest features, fixes, and security updates and you have the choice to pay the subscription either monthly or annually.
As these products and prices can change it always makes sense to review the linked Microsoft sites.
For your convenience, you can quick jump to Home, Business, Enterprise, Why Subscribe and How Can Pro-Networks Help by using the links provided.
For reference, this page was last updated on 21/05/25
Microsoft 365 Subscription Plans for Home Users
Microsoft 365 for Home represents excellent value for money and comes in two flavours:
Microsoft 365 Personal (formerly Office 365 personal) at £84.99 (Inc VAT) annually provides you with premium office applications for one user (installed versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access and Publisher).
Microsoft 365 Family (formerly Office 365 Home) at £104.99 (Inc VAT) annually is the same as Personal but is shareable with 6 family members.
Both of these come with 1TB OneDrive cloud storage, a 50GB mailbox with ransomware detection and file recovery options.
The Business and Enterprise subscription options are by far the most common solution Pro-Networks provides for its customers.
Business Microsoft 365 Subscriptions
Microsoft 365 Business comes in four flavours as below:
Microsoft 365 Business Basic (formerly Office 365 Business Essentials) at £4.60 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) is simply hosted email (Exchange in the cloud). It comes with web versions of the popular Microsoft Office Application (Word, Excel etc). Collaboration is achieved through OneDrive, SharePoint and Microsoft Teams (more discussion on these in later posts).
Microsoft 365 Apps For Business (formerly Office 365 Business) at £8.10 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) is best thought of as a rented version of Office. Email services (and collaboration services) are not included in the subscription but Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access are, and can be installed on your desktop PC.
Microsoft 365 Business Standard (formerly Office 365 Premium) at £9.60 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) is an installed version of Office on your desktop PC (as per Office 365 Business Apps), along with hosted email and collaboration (as per Office 365 Business Basic).
Microsoft 365 Business Premium (formerly Microsoft 365 Business) at £16.90 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) gives businesses everything included in Business Standard plus advanced cyberthreat protection and device management.
Like the Home products above (where applicable) mailboxes have a maximum capacity of 50GB. These accounts are provided with 1TB of cloud storage via OneDrive.
Paid Annually in Advance - this is a recent (Q1 2025) change by Microsoft where they are clearly pushing customers to commit to annual subscriptions and reward them for paying annually in advance. Should you wish to commit annually and pay monthly there will be an (approx) 5% increase in the published costs. Should you wish to only commit monthly, there is a further (approx) 20% increase to the annual commit / monthly payment figures.
The Office 365 Business Subscriptions are licensed for commercial use.
Enterprise Microsoft 365 Subscription Features
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Subscriptions come with a host of additional benefits. The advantages that a businesses can enjoy are dictated by the type of subscription:
Office 365 E1 at £6.00 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) does not include any installed version of Microsoft Office and is simply cloud-based Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Plannerer and Stream.
Office 365 Apps for Enterprise at £11.70 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) provides you with an installed version of Microsoft Office and 1TB of OneDrive storage, but does not include all of the collaboration tools in the E1 plan above.
Office 365 E3 at £18.60 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) merges the two plans above. Users get an installed version of Microsoft Office (as per the Apps for Enterprise plan) and all of the collaboration tools that come with the E1 plan.
Office 365 E5 at £32.10 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) is the E3 plan above and includes advanced security features and PowerBi Pro.
Paid Annually in Advance - this is a recent change by Microsoft (Q1 2025) where they are clearly pushing customers to commit to annual subscriptions and reward them for paying annually in advance. Should you wish to commit annually and pay monthly there will be an (approx) 5% increase in the published costs. Should you wish to only commit monthly, there is a further (approx) 20% increase to the annual commit / monthly payment figures.
At the same time Microsoft removed Microsoft Teams from new subscriptions for Enterprise plans and made this available as an optional (charged) extra.
Finally, Microsoft offer Microsoft 365 subscription plans that overlay the Office 365 subscriptions above with additional security features - please speak to us if you would like more information on this.
Why Choose a Microsoft 365 Subscription Over One-Time Purchase
A Microsoft 365 subscription offers compelling advantages over the traditional one-time Office purchase model, making it the preferred choice for both businesses and home users.
Unlike Office 2024's static one-time purchase, a Microsoft 365 subscription ensures you always have access to the latest features, security updates, and new applications as they're released, eliminating the need to purchase expensive upgrades every few years. The subscription model includes valuable cloud services such as 1TB of OneDrive storage, Exchange Online email hosting, and collaborative tools like Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, which aren't available with standalone Office purchases.
Additionally, Microsoft 365 subscriptions provide enhanced security features including advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and compliance tools that are crucial in today's cybersecurity landscape.
From a financial perspective, while the upfront cost of Office 2024 may seem lower, the total cost of ownership over 3-5 years typically favours the subscription model when you factor in upgrade costs, cloud storage fees, and email hosting expenses.
Most importantly, Microsoft 365 subscriptions offer installation flexibility across multiple devices and automatic cloud synchronisation, ensuring your work is accessible anywhere, anytime – a level of convenience and productivity that one-time purchases simply cannot match.
How Can Pro-Networks Help With My Microsoft 365 Subscriptions
As Microsoft 365 subscription specialists, Pro-Networks offers comprehensive support to help your business maximise the value of your investment. Whether you're considering your first Microsoft 365 subscription or looking to optimise your existing setup, our expert team provides tailored solutions to meet your specific requirements.
Microsoft 365 Subscription Migration & Setup
Our experienced consultants handle the complete migration process from legacy systems to Microsoft 365, ensuring minimal downtime and seamless data transfer. We configure your new Microsoft 365 subscription to align with your business processes and security requirements.
Subscription Optimisation & Management
Already using Microsoft 365? We conduct thorough audits of your current subscription usage to identify cost savings and feature opportunities. Our team helps you unlock advanced capabilities within your existing Microsoft 365 subscription that many businesses overlook.
Strategic Microsoft 365 Subscription Planning
We analyse your business needs, growth projections, and security requirements to recommend the most cost-effective Microsoft 365 subscription plan. Our independent advice ensures you're not paying for features you don't need while ensuring you have the capabilities to support your business objectives.
Proactive Licence Management
Pro-Networks proactively monitors your annual Microsoft 365 subscription commitments, providing timely recommendations for scaling up or down at renewal periods. This proactive approach helps prevent unnecessary costs while ensuring your team has the tools they need.
Ready to optimise your Microsoft 365 subscription strategy? Contact our certified Microsoft 365 specialists today on 01244 535527 or complete our simple contact form for a free consultation on your subscription requirements.