Microsoft 365 E3 — Pricing, Plans & What’s Included

Microsoft 365 E3 is an enterprise per-user subscription for commercial organizations, because it combines Microsoft 365 Apps, enterprise email and collaboration, Windows Enterprise E3 rights, Intune device management, and core identity and security capabilities. It is typically chosen for knowledge workers who need a full Microsoft 365 standard without moving to Microsoft 365 E5.

Microsoft 365 E3 includes Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, Exchange Online email and calendaring, OneDrive and SharePoint collaboration, Windows Enterprise E3 rights, Microsoft Intune, and Microsoft Entra ID Plan 1-aligned identity capabilities. Teams is included only when you select a Teams-included Microsoft 365 E3 SKU, because the Commercial catalog also contains separate no-Teams options.

Microsoft 365 E3 does not include Microsoft Entra ID Plan 2, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Copilot for Microsoft 365, Teams Phone calling plans, Power BI Pro, or the full Microsoft 365 E5 security, compliance, and analytics stack. Those capabilities require separate add-ons, a different plan, or a higher-tier license depending on the requirement.

Microsoft 365 E3 can include Teams, but only if the Teams-included SKU is selected. The Commercial catalog also includes Microsoft 365 E3 no-Teams SKUs, so buyers should choose the Teams or no-Teams path deliberately before checkout.

Choose Microsoft 365 E3 with Teams if your users need Teams chat, meetings, and collaboration under the same suite license. Choose Microsoft 365 E3 no Teams if your procurement, regional licensing, or collaboration strategy requires the no-Teams path, because the Teams-included and no-Teams SKUs are separate purchasing entries.

No, Copilot for Microsoft 365 is not included in the base Microsoft 365 E3 license. Microsoft 365 E3 can be a relevant base for Copilot eligibility in many commercial scenarios, but Copilot itself is a separate purchase and its current prerequisites should be confirmed before ordering.

No, Microsoft 365 E3 does not include Microsoft Entra ID Plan 2 as a base entitlement, because E3 includes core identity capabilities aligned to Entra ID Plan 1. The Commercial catalog includes an Entra P2 Add On, and IT Partner should confirm the exact prerequisite rules before purchase or trial activation.

No, Microsoft 365 E3 does not include Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 as a base entitlement. The Commercial catalog includes a Defender for Endpoint P2 Add On for Microsoft 365 E3, so buyers that need P2 endpoint security should budget and license that add-on separately.

Microsoft 365 E3 is enough for many organizations that need baseline enterprise identity, device management, Windows Enterprise, and productivity security controls. It is not enough if your security or compliance team specifically requires E5-grade capabilities, Entra ID Plan 2, Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, advanced compliance, or analytics, because those require E5 or separate add-ons.

Yes, Microsoft 365 E3 includes Windows Enterprise E3 rights for licensed users and device and application management capabilities through Microsoft Intune. This is one of the main reasons buyers choose Microsoft 365 E3 instead of an Office-only plan, because E3 combines productivity, operating system rights, and endpoint management in one user license.

Microsoft 365 E3 is broader than Office 365 E3, because Microsoft 365 E3 adds Windows Enterprise E3 rights, Intune device management, and additional identity and security value around the productivity suite. Office 365 E3 is more focused on Office apps, email, and collaboration, so it can be a better fit only when Windows Enterprise and Intune are not needed.

Microsoft 365 E3 is an Enterprise family plan for commercial organizations that want enterprise licensing and no Commercial enterprise seat cap stated in the provided catalog data. Microsoft 365 Business Premium is a small and midsize business plan with different eligibility and service limits, so buyers should not treat it as a direct substitute without checking user count, enterprise requirements, and management needs.

The Commercial catalog shows monthly, one-year, and three-year commitment options, with billing choices that can include monthly, annual, or triennial billing depending on the exact SKU. Annual billing on one-year terms and the listed three-year options generally have the lowest annualized cost posture for the corresponding SKUs, while monthly commitment or annual commitment billed monthly trades higher overall cost for flexibility or cash-flow benefits.

Seat reductions and cancellations are generally limited under CSP/NCE to Microsoft’s short post-purchase or renewal cancellation window, because the commitment term governs flexibility even if the subscription is billed monthly. IT Partner should confirm the exact cancellation window and seat-reduction rules before the order is placed.

Yes, seat increases are generally allowed during the subscription term and align to the existing subscription term. Seat decreases are generally restricted to the cancellation window or renewal, so annual and three-year commitments should be purchased with realistic headcount planning.

Microsoft 365 E3 is normally assigned per named user in the Microsoft 365 admin center, and admins can reassign licenses when users leave or roles change. It should not be pooled across multiple people, because it is a named-user subscription rather than a shared concurrent-use license.

The provided Commercial catalog shows trial entries for the Entra P2 Add On and the Defender for Endpoint P2 Add On for Microsoft 365 E3, not for every Microsoft 365 E3 base SKU. Buyers should not assume the full Microsoft 365 E3 suite has a trial from these add-on trial entries.

Start by selecting the correct Teams-included or no-Teams SKU, then choose the commitment term that matches staffing stability. Most organizations pilot with IT and a representative business group, confirm identity and Intune device-management settings, and then expand by department while assigning licenses and enabling the required service plans.

Yes, a CSP transfer for Microsoft 365 E3 usually focuses on the licensing provider relationship rather than moving mailbox, OneDrive, SharePoint, or Teams data. Because the tenant data normally stays in place, the goal is a zero-downtime licensing transition, but IT Partner should review current SKUs, renewal dates, and term commitments to avoid overlap or gaps.

No, Microsoft 365 E3 Commercial is the standard commercial offer and should not be treated as GCC, GCC High, nonprofit grant, student, or faculty licensing. Government cloud residency and compliance requirements require the appropriate Government licensing path, nonprofit buyers should review Charity eligibility and grant context, and education buyers should use the applicable Education licensing programs.