We are on E3, when is upgrading to E5 worthwhile?
E5 adds heavier security (Defender Suite), Power BI Pro, Audio Conferencing, and compliance tools. Often E5 is worth it for part of the team (security, finance, compliance) while the rest stays on E3 or Business Premium, because mixed tiers are allowed.
Try this first
- 1Inventory which E5 features you actually use or would use: Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps, Audit Premium, Power BI Pro.
- 2Count what you currently pay for equivalents (external SIEM, AV, Power BI Pro), compare to the E3 to E5 delta per user.
- 3Start with E5 on roles that genuinely need it (security team, CFO, compliance officer), not everyone at once.
- 4Schedule a review after 6 months, then you see whether the added features are actually used, otherwise it is overspend.
When to bring us in
If you want a sober E3-to-E5 calculation for your company, we can review independently.
See also
- New hire has an account but cannot reach Outlook or TeamsAn M365 account without a license is an empty shell. Assigning takes a few clicks, but picking the right plan pays off long-term.
- Employee left, but their email must be retainedPulling the license straight away starts a 30-day timer on the mailbox. The right route keeps access to the mail without paying for the license.
- We pay for licenses nobody usesBetween leavers, duplicate plans, and test accounts there is often 10-20% wasted license spend. A usage report exposes it fast.
None of the above fits?
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