Microsoft 365 E3: what is included, and what is not
Microsoft 365 E3
per user per month, excluding VAT
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Microsoft 365 E3 is the enterprise baseline: Microsoft 365 Apps, a 100 GB Exchange mailbox, Windows 11 Enterprise, Microsoft Entra ID P1, Microsoft Intune Plan 1 and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1. Since 1 July 2026 it also carries Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1. What it does not carry is the whole reason E5 exists: no Privileged Identity Management, no Identity Protection or risk-based Conditional Access, no access reviews, no entitlement management, no endpoint detection and response, no Insider Risk Management, and eDiscovery that can search but not delete. E3 has no user cap, unlike the Business plans.
What it is
Microsoft 365 E3 is the entry plan in Microsoft's enterprise range. It combines productivity, Windows, identity and device management with the foundational tier of Microsoft's security products.
Who it is for
Organisations past the 300 user ceiling of the Microsoft 365 Business plans, or below it but needing enterprise features such as Windows 11 Enterprise. E3 is the plan most organisations standardise on before deciding whether the E5 security and compliance layer is worth the step up.
Key capabilities
- Microsoft 365 Apps on desktop, web and mobile
- Exchange Online with a 100 GB mailbox and archiving included
- Windows 11 Enterprise and Windows Autopilot
- Microsoft Entra ID P1 for Conditional Access and multifactor authentication
- Microsoft Intune Plan 1 for device and application management
- Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 for preventive endpoint security
- Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, included since 1 July 2026
- Core Microsoft Purview: retention policies, manual retention labels, Standard Audit
What is not included
The gap between E3 and E5 is specific and worth reading before choosing. E3 does not include Privileged Identity Management, Microsoft Entra ID Protection or risk-based Conditional Access, access reviews, or entitlement management. On endpoints it has Plan 1 only, so no endpoint detection and response, no automated investigation and remediation, and no threat and vulnerability management. On compliance it has no Insider Risk Management, no Communication Compliance, Standard rather than Advanced Audit, and eDiscovery that can search but not delete.
Requirements
No user minimum or maximum. Microsoft 365 Copilot is an add-on to E3, not part of it.
What is the real difference between Microsoft 365 E3 and E5?
E5 adds Microsoft Entra ID P2 (Privileged Identity Management, Identity Protection, risk-based Conditional Access, access reviews, entitlement management), Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, Intune Plan 2, and the advanced Purview layer including Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Advanced Audit and eDiscovery that can delete.
Does Microsoft 365 E3 include endpoint detection and response?
No. E3 includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 1, which is preventive. Endpoint detection and response is a Plan 2 capability and therefore an E5 capability, or a separate Plan 2 licence.
Does E3 include email protection?
Yes. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 has been included in Microsoft 365 E3 and Office 365 E3 since 1 July 2026. Plan 2, which adds attack simulation training, Threat Explorer and automated investigation, remains an E5 capability.
Is there a user limit on E3?
No. The 300 user ceiling applies to the Microsoft 365 Business plans, not to the enterprise range. E3 is also the usual destination for organisations that outgrow Business Premium.
Does E3 include Microsoft 365 Copilot?
No. Copilot is a separate add-on licence for E3 and E5. It is bundled only in Microsoft 365 E7.
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Category
- Productivity
- Type
- SaaS
- Billing
- Monthly
- Commitment
- 1-Year
- Available terms
- Monthly, 1-Year
- SKU
- MST-NCE-105-C100
- 1You request the licence, or add it to the cart.
- 2I confirm price, term and seats, and check your VAT number in VIES. Businesses in the EU only.
- 3You pay before we provision, under the CSP Marketplace Terms. The invoice comes from Michal Jatczak, a sole trader registered in Malta, trading as ITSailor. Reverse charge for an EU VAT number that validates in VIES.
- 4Your authorised signatory accepts the Microsoft Customer Agreement before activation.
- 5I place the order with Pax8 within one business day of payment.