Tag: Software

Windows 10 End of Life: What UK Businesses Must Do Before 14 October 2026

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on 14 October 2025. Businesses can pay Microsoft for Extended Security Updates (ESU), but the first year of cover ends on 13 October 2026, the price doubles for year two, and joining late means paying for every year you missed. For almost every business the cheaper and safer answer is to upgrade eligible PCs to Windows 11, which is still free, and replace the rest.

Last updated: 30 September 2026. ESU dates and pricing checked against Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates documentation and partner coverage dates on that date.

In this guide

What does Windows 10 end of life mean?

Windows 10 reached its end of support on 14 October 2025. Since then Microsoft has stopped releasing free security updates, bug fixes and technical support for it. The PCs still switch on and work, but every vulnerability discovered since that date stays open unless the device is enrolled in paid Extended Security Updates.

That matters because attackers look for exactly this. Unpatched operating systems are one of the easiest ways into a business network, and the list of known, unfixed Windows 10 flaws grows every month.

What changes on 14 October 2026?

Two deadlines land together in October 2026, and both affect businesses:

DateWhat happensWho it affects
13 October 2026Year one of Windows 10 Extended Security Updates endsBusinesses paying for ESU on Windows 10 PCs
14 October 2026Year two of ESU begins, at double the year-one priceAnyone who wants Windows 10 security updates to continue
13 October 2026Windows 11 version 24H2 stops receiving security updates on Home and ProBusinesses that upgraded to Windows 11 but have not updated since
ESU coverage dates from Microsoft’s partner documentation; Windows 11 dates from Microsoft’s release information.

The last row catches out businesses that think they are finished. Upgrading to Windows 11 is not a one-off: each annual version has its own support end date. Our Windows 11 for business guide lists every version and date.

How much do Windows 10 Extended Security Updates cost?

For businesses, Microsoft charges $61 per device for year one, and the price doubles every year for a maximum of three years. Microsoft publishes business ESU pricing in US dollars only; if you buy through a UK Microsoft partner you will be invoiced in pounds at the partner’s price.

ESU yearCover runsPrice per device (Microsoft list)Cumulative cost if you join this year
Year one15 October 2025 to 13 October 2026$61$61
Year two14 October 2026 to 12 October 2027$122$183 (years one and two)
Year three13 October 2027 to 10 October 2028$244$427 (all three years)
Sources: Microsoft Learn, Extended Security Updates for Windows 10, and Partner Center ESU coverage dates.

The column on the right is the part most businesses miss. Microsoft states that ESUs are cumulative: “If you decide to purchase the program in Year Two, you have to pay for Year One too.” So a PC that joins ESU in October 2026 costs three times the year-one price, just to stay patched until October 2027. Devices must also be running Windows 10 version 22H2 to receive ESU updates.

For comparison, the Windows 11 upgrade itself costs nothing on an eligible PC. On most machines, ESU only makes sense for a device that genuinely cannot be moved yet, such as one running software that has no Windows 11 version.

There is one exception worth knowing: Windows 10 virtual machines in Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop get ESU at no extra cost, and Windows 10 PCs connecting to Windows 365 Cloud PCs are covered while the subscription is active.

What are your options?

Every Windows 10 PC in your business falls into one of three groups:

OptionWhen it fitsCostWatch out for
Upgrade to Windows 11The PC meets Microsoft’s requirementsFree licence; time to plan and testCheck business applications and printers first
Replace the PCThe PC fails the requirements or is near the end of its lifeNew hardwareBuy to a sensible spec so it lasts five years
Pay for ESUThe PC cannot move yet for a specific reasonDoubles each year and is cumulativeA bridge, not a plan; ends in October 2028

Microsoft confirms the upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is free on eligible PCs. Your data, applications and settings normally carry across, although we always recommend testing business-critical software on a pilot machine first.

Can your PCs run Windows 11?

A PC needs to meet all of Microsoft’s Windows 11 requirements:

  • A compatible 64-bit processor on Microsoft’s supported list. For the current versions of Windows 11 that broadly means Intel 8th generation Core or AMD Ryzen 3000 series and newer.
  • At least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
  • UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability.
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.
  • A DirectX 12 compatible graphics card with a WDDM 2.0 driver.

Many business PCs bought since around 2018 pass, and sometimes the only blocker is TPM or Secure Boot switched off in the firmware settings, which is a quick fix. Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app will tell you for a single machine. For a whole office, your IT provider can pull a report across every device at once.

Treat the minimums as a floor. For business use we recommend at least 16GB of RAM and a solid-state drive, so a PC that only just passes may still be worth replacing.

What are the risks of staying on Windows 10?

Staying on Windows 10 without ESU creates problems well beyond the PC itself:

  • Unpatched vulnerabilities. Every security flaw found since October 2025 stays open, and attackers actively scan for unsupported systems.
  • Cyber Essentials. The current requirements say unsupported software must be removed or isolated from the internet in a separate sub-set. A Windows 10 PC without ESU is unsupported software, so it will fail the assessment if it is in scope. See our Cyber Essentials requirements guide.
  • Cyber insurance. Insurers commonly ask whether your systems are supported and patched. An unsupported operating system can make a claim harder, so check your policy wording.
  • Software support. Microsoft 365 Apps still receive security updates on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028, but Microsoft treats Windows 10 as unsupported for them and feature updates end with Version 2608. Other vendors are withdrawing support too.

How should a business plan the move?

With the ESU price about to double, the aim is to have as few Windows 10 PCs as possible left by 13 October 2026, and a firm date for the rest. A practical plan:

  1. Audit every device: its age, processor, TPM, RAM, disk and whether it is still on Windows 10.
  2. Sort into upgrade, replace or bridge. Only put a device on ESU if there is a specific reason it cannot move yet, and write that reason down.
  3. Test first: line-of-business software, printers, scanners and VPN on one or two pilot machines.
  4. Back up anything stored locally, and make sure OneDrive is syncing desktops and documents.
  5. Roll out in waves, out of hours where possible, so nobody loses a working day.
  6. Harden as you go: turn on BitLocker, check multi-factor authentication and bring devices under central management.
  7. Keep Windows 11 current, so PCs move to each new version before the old one loses support.

ATS Connection handles Windows 10 to 11 migrations for businesses across Sussex and the UK, from the device audit to the rollout, as part of our managed IT services or as a one-off IT consultancy project. If you are not sure where you stand, our free IT review covers your devices, network and Microsoft 365, and tells you plainly what to fix first. You can also call us on 01903 255 159.

Frequently asked questions

Is Windows 10 still supported?

No. Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. It only receives security updates on devices enrolled in Microsoft’s paid Extended Security Updates programme.

When does Windows 10 ESU year one end?

Year one of Extended Security Updates covers 15 October 2025 to 13 October 2026. Year two runs from 14 October 2026 to 12 October 2027, and year three ends on 10 October 2028.

How much does Windows 10 ESU cost for a business?

Microsoft lists business ESU at $61 per device for year one, doubling each year to $122 and then $244. It is cumulative, so a device that joins in year two costs $183 in total. Microsoft publishes these prices in US dollars; UK partners invoice in pounds.

Can I still upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free?

Yes. Microsoft states that the upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is free on eligible PCs.

Will Windows 10 pass Cyber Essentials?

Not without Extended Security Updates. Cyber Essentials requires software in scope to be supported by its vendor, so an unsupported Windows 10 PC must be upgraded, covered by ESU, removed, or isolated from the internet in a separate sub-set.

What happens if I do nothing?

The PCs keep working, but they receive no security fixes, which makes them an easy target, can cause a Cyber Essentials failure and may complicate an insurance claim. The longer you wait, the more ESU costs if you need it.

Does Microsoft 365 still work on Windows 10?

Yes, for now. Microsoft 365 Apps receive security updates on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028, but Microsoft treats Windows 10 as unsupported for them and feature updates end with Version 2608.

Sources

Microsoft 365 Business Premium UK (2026): What’s Included, Price and Is It Worth It?

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Microsoft 365 Business Premium costs £16.90 per user per month in the UK on an annual subscription, excluding VAT. It is Business Standard plus Microsoft’s security layer: Conditional Access (Entra ID P1), device management (Intune), Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Purview data protection. For a business that holds client or financial data it is usually worth the extra £6.10 per user over Standard, but only once those security features are actually configured, because most are not switched on out of the box.

Last updated: 30 September 2026. Prices checked against Microsoft’s UK Business Premium page and security add-on pricing on that date. Microsoft changes prices and features from time to time, so confirm before you buy.

In this guide

What is Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the top Microsoft 365 plan for businesses with up to 300 users. It includes everything in Business Standard, the desktop Office apps, business email, Teams and 1TB of OneDrive per user, and adds the identity, device and threat protection tools that the cheaper plans leave out.

Microsoft describes the extra as four things: policy-based identity and access management, device security and management, advanced threat protection against phishing and malware, and discovery and protection of sensitive data. In product terms that is Entra ID P1, Intune Plan 1, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Purview Information Protection with data loss prevention.

The 300-user limit applies across all the Business plans combined. Above that, organisations move to the enterprise plans such as Microsoft 365 E3 and E5.

How much does Business Premium cost in the UK?

Business Premium is £16.90 per user per month on an annual subscription, excluding VAT. These are Microsoft’s current UK list prices:

VersionAnnual subscription (per user, per month)Monthly subscription (per user, per month)
Business Premium£16.90£20.28
Business Premium (no Teams)£14.40£17.28
Business Premium with Copilot£24.60Not shown
Business Premium with Copilot (no Teams)£22.10Not shown
UK list prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK Business Premium, compare and Copilot pricing pages, checked 30 September 2026.

Three things are worth knowing about the price:

  • It was not part of the July 2026 rise. Microsoft’s 1 July 2026 price increase applied to Business Basic and Business Standard but not to Business Premium, so the step up from Standard is now £6.10 per user per month at UK list prices. Existing customers see new prices at their next renewal.
  • Monthly subscriptions cost 20% more. An annual subscription is cheaper but generally cannot be reduced until renewal.
  • Microsoft’s compare page now shows the Copilot versions. The plain £16.90 plan is listed on the Business Premium page itself, which is why some people think Premium now costs £24.60.

For the full price list across Basic, Standard, Premium and Apps for business, see our guide to Microsoft 365 business prices in the UK.

What does Business Premium include?

Business Premium includes everything in Business Standard plus five security products. This table shows what each part does and whether Standard has it:

FeatureWhat it doesIn Business Standard?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, TeamsDesktop, web and mobile apps, chat and meetingsYes
Exchange email100GB mailboxYes (100GB)
Email archiveAuto-expanding archive up to 1.5TB50GB archive
OneDrive and SharePoint1TB of storage per user plus shared team sitesYes
Entra ID P1Conditional Access: rules for who can sign in, from where and on what deviceNo
Intune Plan 1Enrol, configure, update and wipe laptops and phonesNo
Defender for BusinessAntivirus plus endpoint detection and response on company devicesNo
Defender for Office 365 Plan 1Safe Links, Safe Attachments and anti-phishing for email and TeamsPartly: Microsoft is adding basic time-of-click link checks to Standard, rolling out from summer 2026
Purview Information Protection and DLPSensitivity labels, encryption and rules that stop sensitive data leavingNo
Windows AutopilotNew laptops set themselves up for your business at first sign-inNo
Azure Virtual Desktop rightsLicence to use Microsoft’s hosted Windows desktops (you still pay for the Azure capacity)No
From Microsoft’s UK Business Premium and compare pages, the Exchange Online limits service description and Microsoft Learn licensing pages, checked 30 September 2026.

What do the Business Premium security features actually do?

Each security feature in Business Premium closes a specific gap that Business Standard leaves open. This is what they mean in day-to-day terms.

Conditional Access (Entra ID P1)

Conditional Access lets you set rules for every sign-in. Typical rules are: always require multi-factor authentication, block sign-ins from countries you do not work in, block older email apps that cannot do multi-factor authentication, and only allow access to company data from devices you manage. Without it, the free security defaults give you basic multi-factor authentication but none of the control over where and from what device people sign in.

Device management (Intune)

Intune manages the laptops and phones that access your data. It can require encryption and a screen lock, push Windows and Office updates on a schedule, install the apps staff need, and remotely wipe a lost or stolen laptop. Combined with Conditional Access, it means a personal device that does not meet your rules simply cannot open company email or files. Our guide to Microsoft Intune covers it in more detail.

Defender for Business

Defender for Business is endpoint protection for up to 300 users. As well as antivirus, it includes endpoint detection and response, which watches for suspicious behaviour such as ransomware encrypting files, and automated investigation and remediation that can quarantine malicious files and stop harmful processes, plus the option to isolate a compromised device from the network. It also reports on missing updates and weak settings across your devices.

Defender for Office 365 Plan 1

Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 checks links at the moment someone clicks them (Safe Links), opens attachments in a sandbox before delivery (Safe Attachments) and adds impersonation protection, which helps catch emails pretending to come from your managing director or a regular supplier. That matters because payment diversion fraud usually starts with a convincing email.

Purview Information Protection and data loss prevention

Purview lets you label documents and emails as, for example, Confidential, and encrypt them so only the right people can open them, even if they are forwarded outside the business. Data loss prevention rules can warn or block when someone tries to send data such as bank details or National Insurance numbers to an outside address.

Does Business Premium help with Cyber Essentials?

Business Premium does not give you Cyber Essentials on its own, but it contains a tool for each of the five technical controls, which makes it much easier to meet them and show the assessor evidence. The Cyber Essentials requirements, version 3.3, which apply to assessments started from 27 April 2026, state that cloud services such as Microsoft 365 cannot be excluded from scope, that sign-in to cloud services must always use multi-factor authentication, and that high-risk and critical updates must be applied within 14 days.

This mapping is our own view from preparing clients for assessment, not an official Microsoft or NCSC mapping:

Cyber Essentials controlBusiness Premium tool that helpsWhat it does not cover
FirewallsIntune can enforce the Windows firewall on every deviceYour office router or firewall
Secure configurationIntune security baselines and compliance policiesServers and other devices Intune does not manage
Security update managementIntune update rings for Windows and Microsoft 365 Apps; Defender for Business reports missing updatesThird-party apps usually need extra tooling or a clear process
User access controlConditional Access for multi-factor authentication; Entra ID for separate admin accountsAccounts on other cloud services you use
Malware protectionDefender for Business on every enrolled deviceDevices that are not enrolled
Our own analysis of the Cyber Essentials requirements for IT infrastructure v3.3 against Business Premium features. The requirements themselves are set by the NCSC.

See our Cyber Essentials requirements checklist for the full list, and our guide to what Cyber Essentials costs.

Business Standard or Premium: who needs Business Premium?

Business Premium is the right plan if any of these apply to your business:

  • You hold client, patient or financial data that would cause real harm if it leaked.
  • Staff work from home or on the move, on laptops that leave the office.
  • People use their own phones for work email.
  • You have Cyber Essentials, or a client, insurer or tender is asking for it.
  • You are regulated, for example by the SRA or FCA, and need to show how data is protected.

Business Standard can be enough for a very small business with no sensitive data, office-based staff on company-owned PCs, and another security product already covering its devices and email. In our experience that describes fewer businesses than people expect.

You can mix plans. Many businesses put office staff on Premium and occasional users, such as part-time or site staff who mainly need email and Teams, on Business Basic. Each user who is protected by Conditional Access or managed by Intune needs a licence that includes it, so mixing works best when the people touching sensitive data are all on Premium.

What are the Business Premium add-ons?

Microsoft now sells two security add-ons that only work with Business Premium: the Defender Suite and the Purview Suite. Microsoft introduced them in September 2025, and the Defender Suite replaced the earlier Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on for Business Premium. UK Microsoft partners can sell both.

Add-onUK price (annual, per user, per month)What it adds
Defender Suite for Business Premium£7.70Entra ID P2 (risk-based sign-in protection), Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps
Purview Suite for Business Premium£7.70eDiscovery (Premium), Audit (Premium), Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Compliance Manager
Defender and Purview Suites for Business Premium£11.50Both of the above
UK prices excluding VAT from Microsoft’s UK security add-on pricing page, checked 30 September 2026. Each add-on requires Business Premium.

Most small businesses do not need either add-on. The Defender Suite makes sense where account takeover would be very costly, for example a firm that moves client money. The Purview Suite suits firms that need to search, hold and audit email and files for legal or regulatory reasons. Microsoft’s Security Copilot is not part of Business Premium or these add-ons; Microsoft is including it with Microsoft 365 E5.

Is Business Premium with Copilot worth it?

Business Premium with Copilot costs £24.60 per user per month on an annual subscription and bundles Microsoft 365 Copilot, the version that works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams using your own files and email. Buying Premium at £16.90 and the Copilot Business add-on at £16.10 separately would come to £33.00 at list price, or £30.70 during Microsoft’s promotional offer on the add-on (first year only, for existing Business customers, until 31 December 2026), by our arithmetic.

So the bundle is the cheaper route for people who will use Copilot every day. For everyone else, plain Premium plus Copilot Chat, which is included at no extra cost, is usually enough. Before switching Copilot on, tidy up file permissions: Copilot can find anything a user already has access to, so overshared folders become visible very quickly.

What should you set up first in Business Premium?

Buying Business Premium does not make you more secure until the features are configured. These are the first things we set up for clients moving to Premium:

  1. Multi-factor authentication for everyone through Conditional Access, with a separate, protected emergency admin account so you cannot lock yourself out.
  2. Block legacy authentication, which lets older email apps sign in without multi-factor authentication.
  3. Separate admin accounts, so nobody reads email while signed in with global administrator rights.
  4. Enrol every company device in Intune, with compliance rules for encryption, supported Windows versions and Defender being switched on.
  5. Onboard devices to Defender for Business and check they report in.
  6. Turn on Microsoft’s preset security policies for Safe Links, Safe Attachments and anti-phishing.
  7. Require a compliant device for access to company email and files once enrolment is complete.
  8. Add sensitivity labels and data loss prevention for the data that matters most, starting small.

We license, set up and manage Microsoft 365 for businesses across Sussex and beyond. Licences are billed at cost, and the configuration and ongoing management sit within our fixed monthly IT support price. See our Microsoft 365 services, or take the free IT security review to check who holds the keys to your systems today.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Microsoft 365 Business Premium per user in the UK?

£16.90 per user per month on an annual subscription, excluding VAT, or £20.28 on a monthly subscription. The version without Teams is £14.40, and Business Premium with Copilot is £24.60, both on an annual subscription.

What does Business Premium have that Business Standard does not?

Business Premium adds Entra ID P1 for Conditional Access, Intune device management, Defender for Business endpoint protection, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 email protection, Purview sensitivity labels and data loss prevention, and an email archive of up to 1.5TB.

Is Microsoft 365 Business Premium worth it for a small business?

For most small businesses that hold client or financial data, yes. It costs £6.10 more per user per month than Business Standard at UK list prices and is the only Microsoft 365 Business plan that includes Intune, Conditional Access and endpoint detection and response. The value depends on the features being configured.

Does Microsoft 365 Business Premium include antivirus?

Yes. Business Premium includes Defender for Business, which provides antivirus plus endpoint detection and response for up to 300 users on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices.

Does Business Premium give you Cyber Essentials?

No. Cyber Essentials is a separate certification with its own assessment. Business Premium includes tools that help meet all five technical controls, including multi-factor authentication for cloud services, but they must be configured and the assessment passed separately.

Did Business Premium go up in price in 2026?

No. Microsoft’s 1 July 2026 price increase applied to Business Basic and Business Standard but not to Business Premium.

How many users can have Business Premium?

Up to 300 users in total across the Microsoft 365 Business plans. Larger organisations use the enterprise plans such as E3 and E5.

Sources

Microsoft 365 Business Prices UK (2026): Every Plan Compared

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Microsoft 365 for business costs £5.40 per user per month for Business Basic, £10.80 for Business Standard and £16.90 for Business Premium, on an annual subscription and excluding VAT. Apps for business is £9.80. Paying on a monthly subscription instead costs 20% more. For most businesses that hold client data, Business Premium is the plan worth paying for, because it is the only one that includes device management and proper threat protection.

Last updated: 29 September 2026. Prices checked against Microsoft’s UK compare plans page and plan pages on that date. Microsoft changes prices from time to time, so always confirm before you buy.

In this guide

Microsoft 365 business prices at a glance

These are Microsoft’s published UK list prices for the four Microsoft 365 business plans. All four are capped at 300 users.

PlanAnnual subscription (per user, per month)Monthly subscription (per user, per month)No-Teams version (annual)
Microsoft 365 Business Basic£5.40£6.48£4.20
Microsoft 365 Business Standard£10.80£12.96£8.30
Microsoft 365 Business Premium£16.90£20.28£14.40
Microsoft 365 Apps for business£9.80£11.76Not applicable (no Teams)
UK list prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK plan pages, checked 29 September 2026.

Microsoft also now sells Standard and Premium with Copilot built in: Business Standard with Copilot at £18.10 and Business Premium with Copilot at £24.60 per user per month on an annual subscription. Microsoft’s UK compare page currently shows the Copilot versions of Standard and Premium, so the plain versions are easiest to find on each plan’s own page.

If you have more than 300 users, you move to the enterprise plans. Microsoft lists Microsoft 365 E3 at £33.50 and E5 at £51.60 per user per month (annual, excluding VAT).

What changed on 1 July 2026?

Microsoft raised the price of Business Basic and Business Standard on 1 July 2026, while Business Premium stayed the same. The change was announced in December 2025 and applied worldwide. These are the UK prices now, with the size of each increase:

PlanUK price now (annual, per user per month)Change on 1 July 2026
Business Basic£5.40Up about 17%
Business Standard£10.80Up 12%
Business Premium£16.90No change
Microsoft 365 E3£33.50Up about 8%
Microsoft 365 E5£51.60Up about 5%
UK prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK plan pages, checked 29 September 2026. Microsoft set the increase globally; the percentages are calculated from its published list prices before and after 1 July 2026.

Three details matter if you already pay for Microsoft 365:

  • Existing customers keep their current price until renewal. The new price applies when your annual term renews, so check your renewal date.
  • Basic and Standard gained features. Microsoft added extra mailbox capacity and time-of-click protection against malicious links to both plans alongside the increase.
  • The gap to Premium has narrowed. With Premium unchanged, the step up from Standard now costs £6.10 per user per month at UK list prices.

Is it cheaper to pay monthly or annually?

Annual is cheaper. Microsoft offers three ways to pay, and the difference is worth knowing before you commit:

How you buyCommitmentPrice effectBusiness Premium example
Annual subscription, paid yearly12 monthsLowest price£16.90 per user per month
Annual subscription, paid monthly12 months5% more (since 1 April 2025)About £17.75 (our calculation)
Monthly subscriptionMonth to month20% more£20.28 per user per month
The 20% monthly-subscription price is published by Microsoft. Microsoft announced the 5% uplift for annual subscriptions billed monthly in November 2024; the Premium example is our own arithmetic.

The trade-off is flexibility. On an annual subscription you can add licences at any time but generally cannot reduce them until renewal. A monthly subscription lets you drop licences when someone leaves. For a stable team, annual wins. For seasonal staff or a business about to shrink, a mix of the two is often the sensible answer.

What does each Microsoft 365 business plan include?

Every plan includes business email (except Apps for business), 1TB of OneDrive storage per user and Copilot Chat. The real differences are desktop apps and security.

FeatureBasicStandardPremiumApps for business
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OutlookWeb and mobile onlyDesktop, web and mobileDesktop, web and mobileDesktop, web and mobile
Business email (Exchange)100GB mailbox100GB mailbox100GB mailbox, archive up to 1.5TBNot included
OneDrive storage1TB1TB1TB1TB
TeamsWith or withoutWith or withoutWith or withoutNot included
Device management (Intune)NoNoYesNo
Conditional Access (Entra ID P1)NoNoYesNo
Defender for Business (endpoint protection)NoNoYesNo
Data loss prevention and sensitivity labels (Purview)NoNoYesNo
Maximum users300300300300
From Microsoft’s UK compare page and the Exchange Online service description, checked 29 September 2026.

If you want to understand what the security features in Premium actually do, we have separate guides to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Entra ID.

Basic, Standard or Premium: which should you choose?

Choose on how you work and what data you hold, not on price alone. This is how we advise our own clients:

Business Basic: email, Teams and files, in the browser

Basic suits people who work mostly in email and Teams and rarely need the full desktop versions of Word or Excel, such as site staff, part-timers or volunteers. It is also a sensible way to give a shared mailbox user a proper account without paying for desktop apps.

Business Standard: the full Office apps

Standard adds the desktop apps. It suits office-based teams who live in Excel and Outlook. The catch is that it has no device management and only the free tier of Entra ID, so you cannot enforce security on the laptops and phones that access your data.

Business Premium: Standard plus the security

Premium is Standard plus Intune, Conditional Access, Defender for Business and Purview. In practice that means you can require multi-factor authentication, block sign-ins from unmanaged devices, wipe a lost laptop, and stop client files being shared outside the business. If you handle client, patient or financial data, or you are working towards Cyber Essentials, Premium is the plan we recommend. Since April 2026, Cyber Essentials automatically fails any business that has not turned on multi-factor authentication for its cloud services where it is available, and Premium makes that far easier to enforce and prove.

Apps for business: desktop apps without email

Apps for business is only the Office apps and OneDrive. It fits businesses that run email elsewhere. For most small businesses, Standard costs only a little more and includes email and Teams.

You can mix plans. Many businesses put office staff on Premium and frontline or occasional users on Basic. You pay for what each person needs, provided everyone who touches sensitive data is on a plan that can be secured properly.

Do you need Teams or Copilot?

Microsoft sells every business plan with or without Teams. The no-Teams versions save £1.20 to £2.50 per user per month, which only makes sense if you already pay for another meetings and chat platform. Existing customers can keep renewing their plans with Teams.

Copilot Chat is included in all business plans. The full Microsoft 365 Copilot, which works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams using your own files and email, costs extra: Microsoft 365 Copilot Business is £16.10 per user per month on an annual subscription, with an introductory price of £13.80 for the first year on annual subscriptions bought by 31 December 2026. Alternatively, buy Standard or Premium with Copilot built in.

Our advice is to license Copilot for the people who will use it daily rather than the whole company, and to tidy up file permissions first. Copilot can surface anything a user has access to, so overshared folders become a real problem the day it is switched on.

What costs does the Microsoft price list not show?

The licence is rarely the whole cost of running Microsoft 365 properly. Budget for these as well:

  • VAT. Every Microsoft UK price is quoted excluding VAT.
  • Backup. Microsoft keeps your data available and offers retention settings, but retention is not the same as an independent backup you control. Most businesses add a third-party Microsoft 365 backup.
  • Setup and security configuration. Premium’s security features do nothing until they are configured. MFA, Conditional Access policies, device enrolment and data loss prevention all need setting up and maintaining.
  • Migration. Moving from another email system or old file server is a project in its own right.
  • Buying route. Prices through Microsoft partners can differ from Microsoft’s list prices, and partner-billed licences may come with different terms.

When we manage Microsoft 365 for a client, the licences are billed at cost and the management sits in our fixed monthly IT support price. You can see exactly how that works on our Microsoft 365 services page, or use the IT support cost calculator for a figure for your own team.

Charities pay much less: Business Basic is free for up to 300 users and Premium is heavily discounted. See our guide to Microsoft 365 for charities.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Microsoft 365 cost per user in the UK?

At UK list prices, excluding VAT, on an annual subscription: Business Basic £5.40, Business Standard £10.80, Business Premium £16.90 and Apps for business £9.80 per user per month. A monthly subscription costs 20% more.

Did Microsoft 365 prices go up in 2026?

Yes. From 1 July 2026 Microsoft raised Business Basic and Business Standard, along with the E3 and E5 enterprise plans. Business Premium did not change. Existing customers move to the new price at their next renewal.

What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium?

Both include the desktop Office apps, email, Teams and 1TB of OneDrive. Premium adds Intune device management, Entra ID P1 Conditional Access, Defender for Business and Purview data protection, plus an archive of up to 1.5TB. Premium is the plan to choose if you need to secure devices and client data.

What is the difference between Business Basic and Business Standard?

Business Basic gives web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Business Standard adds the full desktop apps. Email, Teams and OneDrive storage are the same on both.

Are Microsoft 365 prices shown with or without VAT?

Microsoft’s UK business prices are shown excluding VAT, so add 20% if your business is not VAT registered.

How many users can have Microsoft 365 Business?

Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, Premium and Apps for business are each limited to 300 users. Larger organisations use the enterprise plans such as E3 and E5.

Is Microsoft 365 Business Premium worth it for a small business?

For most small businesses that hold client or financial data, yes. It is the only business plan that lets you manage and secure devices, enforce multi-factor authentication through Conditional Access and protect against malware and data leaks, and at current UK list prices it costs £6.10 more per user per month than Standard.

Sources

Windows 11 for Business: Requirements, Versions and Upgrading (2026 Guide)

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Windows 11 needs a 64-bit processor on Microsoft’s supported list (broadly Intel 8th generation or AMD Ryzen 3000 series and newer), 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, UEFI Secure Boot and TPM 2.0. Businesses should run Windows 11 Pro or above, not Home. The newest release, version 26H2, began rolling out on 29 September 2026, and support for 24H2 on Home and Pro ends on 13 October 2026, so any PC still on 24H2 needs updating now. Upgrading an eligible Windows 10 PC is still free.

Last updated: 29 September 2026. Checked against Microsoft’s Windows 11 release information, hardware specifications and lifecycle documentation on that date.

In this guide

What are the Windows 11 hardware requirements?

These are Microsoft’s minimum system requirements for Windows 11:

ComponentMinimum requirement
Processor1GHz or faster, 2 or more cores, compatible 64-bit processor or system on a chip
Memory4GB RAM
Storage64GB or larger
System firmwareUEFI, Secure Boot capable
TPMTrusted Platform Module version 2.0
GraphicsDirectX 12 compatible with a WDDM 2.0 driver
Display720p, larger than 9 inches diagonally, 8 bits per colour channel
Internet and accountHome, and Pro for personal use, need internet and a Microsoft account during setup
Source: Microsoft Windows 11 specifications and Microsoft Learn.

The processor rule is the one that rules out most older business PCs. Microsoft publishes supported processor lists for each version. The lists for the latest versions start at Intel 8th generation Core and AMD Ryzen 3000 series, while older lists still include some Ryzen 2000 chips. The quickest check is Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app, or ask your IT provider to run a report across every device at once.

Treat the minimums as a floor, not a target. For business use we recommend at least 16GB of RAM and a solid-state drive on new laptops, because 4GB and 8GB machines struggle with Teams, browsers and security software running together.

Which Windows 11 versions are supported, and until when?

Microsoft releases a Windows 11 feature update each year. Each second-half release gets 24 months of security updates on Home and Pro, and 36 months on Enterprise and Education. A PC on an expired version stops receiving security updates, even though it is running Windows 11.

VersionReleasedHome and Pro support endsEnterprise and Education support ends
26H2 (Windows 11 2026 Update)29 September 2026, phased rolloutNot yet published (24 months expected)Not yet published (36 months expected)
26H110 February 2026, new devices only14 March 202813 March 2029
25H230 September 202512 October 202710 October 2028
24H21 October 202413 October 202612 October 2027
23H231 October 2023Ended 11 November 202510 November 2026
Sources: Microsoft Learn, Windows 11 release information (updated 22 September 2026) and the Windows 11 version 26H2 status page.

The practical point for most businesses: Windows 11 Pro PCs still on 24H2 lose security updates on 13 October 2026. Moving from 24H2 to 25H2 or 26H2 is quick, because both are delivered as a small enablement package that needs a single restart rather than a full reinstall. 26H1 is different: it is only for new devices and is not offered as an update to existing PCs.

What if you are still running Windows 10?

Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. Businesses that still have Windows 10 PCs have three options, set out in our Windows 10 end of life guide:

  • Upgrade PCs that meet the requirements. Microsoft confirms the upgrade from Windows 10 is still free.
  • Replace PCs that do not meet them.
  • Buy Extended Security Updates (ESU) as a stopgap. For businesses, Microsoft charges $61 per device for the first year, doubling each year for up to three years, and the cost is cumulative: joining in year two means paying for year one as well. Year three ends in October 2028.

Two other points matter. Microsoft 365 Apps will keep receiving security updates on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028, but Microsoft treats Windows 10 as unsupported for them and feature updates end with Version 2608. And for Cyber Essentials, a Windows 10 PC without ESU is unsupported software, which fails the assessment unless it is removed or isolated from the internet. See our Cyber Essentials requirements guide.

Windows 11 Home vs Pro: which should a business use?

Use Windows 11 Pro or above. Home lacks the features that let a business manage and secure its devices centrally:

FeatureHomeProEnterprise
BitLocker drive encryption (managed)No (basic device encryption on some hardware)YesYes
Join to Microsoft Entra IDNoYesYes
Windows Hello for BusinessNoYesYes
Windows Update client policies (control update timing)NoYesYes
Credential Guard and advanced security featuresNoNoYes
Support per annual release24 months24 months36 months
Hotpatch (security updates without restarts)NoNoYes, with eligible licences
Source: Microsoft Learn documentation for each feature.

Businesses on Microsoft 365 Business Premium can manage Windows 11 Pro devices through Intune, enforce BitLocker and push updates automatically. Windows 11 Enterprise features need a Windows Enterprise E3 or E5 subscription on top of a Pro licence.

Do you need a Copilot+ PC?

Copilot+ PCs are Windows 11 laptops with a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 40 or more trillion operations per second, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. They run AI features on the device, including Recall, Click to Do and improved search. For businesses, Microsoft has made Recall opt-in and disabled by default on managed devices, and it requires Windows Hello sign-in.

You do not need a Copilot+ PC to use Microsoft 365 Copilot, which runs in the cloud. The Copilot+ specification is still a sensible baseline for new laptops you plan to keep for four or five years, because 16GB of RAM and a fast SSD are what we would recommend anyway.

How should a business upgrade to Windows 11?

A controlled upgrade avoids the Monday morning where half the office cannot print. A sensible process:

  1. Inventory every device with its processor, TPM, RAM, disk and current Windows version.
  2. Sort devices into upgrade, replace, or update to a supported Windows 11 version.
  3. Test your business applications, printers, scanners and VPN on a pilot group first.
  4. Back up anything stored locally, and make sure OneDrive is syncing desktops and documents.
  5. Upgrade in waves, out of hours where possible, starting with the pilot group.
  6. Set update policies so future feature updates arrive on a schedule you control, before each version’s end-of-support date.
  7. Securely wipe and recycle replaced hardware.

If you would like us to check your estate, our free IT review covers your devices, network and Microsoft 365, and tells you plainly what to fix first. For ongoing management, see our managed IT services.

Frequently asked questions

What are the minimum requirements for Windows 11?

A compatible 64-bit processor with 2 or more cores at 1GHz or faster, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, UEFI with Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, a DirectX 12 compatible graphics card with a WDDM 2.0 driver, and a 720p display larger than 9 inches.

Is the Windows 11 upgrade still free?

Yes. Microsoft states that upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is free on eligible PCs, through Windows Update.

What is Windows 11 26H2?

The Windows 11 2026 Update, released on 29 September 2026 as a phased rollout. PCs on 24H2 or 25H2 get it as a small enablement package with a single restart.

When does Windows 11 24H2 support end?

13 October 2026 for Home and Pro editions, and 12 October 2027 for Enterprise and Education. PCs on 24H2 should move to 25H2 or 26H2 before then.

Should a business use Windows 11 Home or Pro?

Pro. Home cannot join Microsoft Entra ID, lacks Windows Hello for Business and managed BitLocker, and gives administrators no control over update timing.

How much do Windows 10 Extended Security Updates cost for business?

$61 per device for the first year, doubling each year for up to three years. The cost is cumulative, so joining later means paying for earlier years too.

Can I run Windows 11 on an unsupported PC?

It can be forced onto some older hardware, but Microsoft does not support it and such devices may not receive updates. For a business, and for Cyber Essentials, unsupported configurations are best avoided.

Sources