Which Microsoft 365 Business Plan Is Right for a Mac-Based Business?
Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard or Premium? What each plan includes, Australian prices from Microsoft and how to choose for a Mac business.
Microsoft 365 plans can look similar at first, but the differences matter, especially on a Mac. This guide explains the main business plans in plain English, with Microsoft’s Australian prices, so you can choose the one that fits how your business works. It is part of our Microsoft 365 setup guide.
The short version
There are three main business plans. Business Basic gives you email, Teams and the web versions of the Office apps. Business Standard adds the full desktop apps. Business Premium adds security and device management. All of them are for businesses with up to 300 users.
Prices in Australia
These prices are per user per month, paid yearly and excluding GST.
- Business Basic, A$10.501.
- Business Standard, A$21.001.
- Business Premium A$32.901.
- Business Premium with Copilot at A$47.901.
What each plan includes
Business Basic is designed for cloud-first work. It includes business email on your own domain with a 50 GB mailbox, Teams, 1 TB of OneDrive per user and SharePoint. The Office apps are the web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, with no installed desktop apps.
Business Standard includes everything in Basic, plus the desktop versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. One licence covers fully installed apps on up to five PCs or Macs, five tablets and five phones per user.
Business Premium includes everything in Standard, plus security and device management. It includes protection against phishing and ransomware, controls to encrypt and protect sensitive information, and tools to keep iOS, Android, Windows and macOS devices secure and up to date.
Apps for business is a separate option. It gives you the desktop apps and 1 TB of OneDrive per user, but no business email or Teams. It suits a business that already has email somewhere else.
Why desktop apps matter on a Mac
For a Mac-based business, the main question is whether people need the desktop apps. The browser versions are convenient, but they are not the same. Excel for the web looks like the desktop app but works differently. Not every file format is supported, some features behave differently, and a macro-enabled workbook can be opened but its macros do not run in a browser.
Business Basic works well for light use or shared devices. Many businesses find they need the full versions of Excel or Outlook within a few months. Business Standard is usually where Microsoft 365 starts to feel complete on a Mac, because people can work locally while staying connected to the cloud.
When Business Premium makes sense
Premium becomes relevant when a business needs more control. That might mean managing several devices, applying security policies or protecting sensitive client information. For a small team it may not be necessary on day one, but it matters more as the team grows or compliance requirements increase. See our Security & Email Protection service if this applies to you.
Avoid choosing on price alone
It is common to start with the cheapest plan. In practice that often means upgrading later once the limits appear, which can mean retraining people and changing how the business works. It is better to match the plan to how you work now, and leave room to grow.
A practical way to decide
Business Basic can be enough for email, file access and simple collaboration. Business Standard is usually the better fit when staff regularly use Word, Excel or Outlook. Consider Business Premium when the business needs stronger security, device management or tighter control.
Fit the plan to your setup
The plan only helps if the setup behind it is sound. If OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint are used consistently, the right plan makes everything work together. If the setup is inconsistent, no plan will fix it. Our setup guide explains the structure to use. If you are comparing Microsoft 365 with Google Workspace, see our guide to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for a Mac business.
Need help choosing?
The right answer usually comes down to how your business works today and where it is heading. See our Microsoft 365 & Email service, or contact Your Mac Tech for clarity before you commit.
1. Prices shown are current as at August 2026.
