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. The stand alone product does not come with any online storage, and there are no upgrade options available. This means if you plan to upgrade to the next major release, you'll have to buy it again 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 22/09/26
Microsoft 365 Subscription Plans for Home Users
Microsoft 365 for Home represents excellent value for money and comes in three 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 now includes Microsoft Copilot).
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.
Microsoft 365 Premium at £189.99 (Inc VAT) annually is the same as M365 Family but includes enhanced AI features and usage.
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 three main flavours as below:
Microsoft 365 Business Basic (formerly Office 365 Business Essentials) at £5.40 + 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 Business Standard (formerly Office 365 Premium) at £10.80 + 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 Microsoft 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.
Mailbox sizes on business plans have recently increased from 50GB to 100GB. These accounts are provided with 1TB of cloud storage via OneDrive.
Paid Annually in Advance - this is a change made in Q1 2025 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 to a maximum of 300 licences per tenancy.
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 £7.70 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) provides access to web and mobile applications and basic security.
Office 365 E3 at £23.30 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) adds desktop installed apps to the E1 plan above along with enhanced security and identity management capabilities.
Office 365 E5 at £36.80 + VAT monthly (paid annually in advance) adds AI-powered productivity apps and "core" security, compliance, and analytics capabilities to the E3 plan above.
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.
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 like the companies we support in Chester, Cheshire and North Wales? Contact our certified Microsoft 365 specialists today on 01244 535527 or complete our simple contact form for a free consultation on your subscription requirements.