Store associates and field teams
A retail chain assigns Business Basic to store associates, providing low-cost corporate email and Teams chat to every storefront.
Microsoft 365 (Office 365) · Productivity and Collaboration
Microsoft 365 Business Basic
Web and mobile Office apps + Teams, Exchange, SharePoint.
Quick answer
Microsoft 365 Business Basic is the entry-level M365 plan designed for SMBs of up to 300 users. It excludes desktop Office apps; Word, Excel and PowerPoint are used through browser and mobile only. Exchange (50 GB), Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive (1 TB) are included.
M365 Business Basic is the cost-optimized plan for users who don't require desktop Office apps — field staff, store associates, call center agents and similar frontline workers.
Web Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint Online) and the mobile Office apps cover basic editing needs. Heavy Excel macros or full Word formatting workflows require an upgrade to Business Standard.
Once the 300-user limit is exceeded, an upgrade to Enterprise E1 is required; E1 is the functional equivalent of Business Basic but supports unlimited users.
Key features
What it offers
- 50 GB Exchange mailbox
- 1 TB OneDrive storage
- Teams meetings, chat and files
- SharePoint intranet sites
- Web and mobile Office apps
- Outlook web access
- Forms, Lists, Planner
- Microsoft Bookings (appointment management)
Tech Summary
Important technical data
- Maximum users
- 300
- Exchange mailbox
- 50 GB
- OneDrive
- 1 TB
- Office apps
- Web + mobile only (no desktop)
- Teams
- Full (meetings, calling, chat, channels)
- Price
- ~$6 per user/month (~$5.5 via CSP)
Use CasesRetail Hospitality Logistics Education
When would you choose this product?
Restaurant chain operations
A restaurant chain gives branch managers Business Basic with Bookings (reservation) and Teams (communication) at a per-seat cost that scales with headcount.
Courier and warehouse staff
A logistics company assigns Business Basic to field couriers — mobile Office and Teams without the expense of desktop Office.
Teacher staff communication
A private school issues Business Basic to its teaching staff and runs parent communication and classroom channels through Teams.
Who is it for?
Frontline staff who don't work primarily at a desk, and small businesses under 300 users.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions
Why are desktop Office apps not included?
Business Basic is designed for light users; desktop Office sits in Business Standard ($12.5/month). A blended deployment (some users on Basic, others on Standard) is supported on the same tenant.
What happens if the 300-user cap is exceeded?
An upgrade to Enterprise E1 is required (~$10/user/month). E1 carries every Business Basic feature with no user cap and adds Yammer and a few enterprise tools.
Is the Outlook desktop app available?
No — only the web and mobile Outlook clients. The Outlook desktop app starts at Business Standard. Web Outlook covers most SMB needs.
Is Teams PSTN calling included?
No — outbound PBX calling requires the Teams Phone add-on. Internal calling, video conferencing and chat are included with Business Basic.
What does Microsoft Bookings do?
Bookings is a customer-appointment portal — a free built-in feature for consultants, clinics, salons and other appointment-driven businesses. Customers self-serve a slot online and it lands in the calendar.
Does every user get 1 TB of OneDrive?
Yes — every licensed user gets 1 TB. It can be extended to up to 5 TB with additional licensing (5 TB is default on E3).
Is Defender for Office 365 included?
No. Business Basic ships only the baseline EOP (Exchange Online Protection) anti-spam. Defender for O365 is a separate add-on or comes bundled with Business Premium.
Is data backed up automatically?
Microsoft retains Exchange and OneDrive data through 30/93-day retention but that is not a backup. For long-term retention, add Acronis or Veeam M365 Backup.
Can licenses be billed monthly?
Yes — monthly CSP billing (with flexible scale up/down) is supported. An annual commitment delivers ~10% discount.
Can users be moved between tenants?
Cross-tenant migration in Microsoft is complex; third-party tools (BitTitan, Quest) are typically used. Sora Yazılım runs tenant consolidations post-M&A.
Vendor's official product page
Opens the vendor's original technical documentation and product page in a new tab.
Microsoft 365 (Office 365) — Microsoft 365 Business Basic →From the same brand
Microsoft 365 (Office 365) family — other products
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Desktop Office + Teams + Exchange + 1 TB OneDrive.
DetailsMicrosoft 365 Business Premium
Business Standard + Intune, Defender and Entra ID P1.
DetailsMicrosoft 365 E3
Enterprise Office + security + compliance baseline.
DetailsMicrosoft 365 E5
E3 + advanced security (Defender XDR) + compliance + analytics + Teams Phone.
DetailsComparable Solutions
Similar solutions from other brands
Microsoft 365 Business Basic licensing + deployment + support
Sora Yazılım handles licensing, deployment, training and ongoing management — all from a single team.