E3 with add-ons vs E5
Microsoft 365 E3 costs £33.50 and Microsoft 365 E5 £51.60 per user and month (Microsoft list price for the UK in pounds sterling, annual commitment, excl. VAT, as of 16 October 2026). Microsoft 365 E5 adds 41 capabilities and drops none in Microsoft’s plan comparisons.
In short: With one suite, E3 is clearly cheaper than E5; with both, it costs slightly more. Microsoft 365 E3 (£33.50) takes two add-ons: the Microsoft Defender Suite (£9.20) and the Microsoft Purview Suite (£9.20). Microsoft 365 E5 costs £51.60. E3 plus both suites still lacks Microsoft Teams Phone and Power BI Pro. (List prices in pounds, excl. VAT, as of 4 October 2026.)
From the Licensing FAQ, checked against its sources on 25 September 2026: Security suites for enterprises (UK) · Microsoft Defender Suite (formerly E5 Security) on top of E3, or full Microsoft 365 E5?
Everything E5 adds over E3, matched to the suite that covers it: Microsoft Defender Suite (formerly E5 Security) or Microsoft Purview Suite (formerly E5 Compliance).
Microsoft’s list price per user and month
- Microsoft 365 E3 £33.50
- Defender Suite £9.20
- Purview Suite £9.20
- Microsoft 365 E5 £51.60
From Microsoft 365 E3 to Microsoft 365 E5: Adds 41 capabilities, loses nothing · +£18.10 per user and month
Counts rows in Microsoft’s plan comparison; one row can hold several features.
Annual commitment, excl. VAT, Microsoft’s list price for the UK (in pounds sterling) as of 16 October 2026. Add or remove plans in the table below. All plans side by side
161 capabilities differ of 198 · · drag a plan to move it, or an add-on onto a plan to merge them
Prices per user and month, annual commitment, excl. VAT, as of 16 October 2026.
ClearSource restates Microsoft’s published facts in its own layout; for the full details open Microsoft’s documents. Prices are Microsoft’s UK list prices in pounds. Microsoft 365 User Subscription Suites for Small and Medium-sized Businesses · Microsoft 365, Office 365, Enterprise Mobility + Security, and Windows 11 Subscriptions
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