Office 365 E1, E3 a E5 a alternatives

Office 365 E1 provides up-to-date versions of individual online applications. None of the available applications within this suite can be used as a desktop version. Nevertheless, this plan is widely used for the day-to-day administration and workflow in large companies. The potential use of this service lies in unrestricted access from virtually any place or facility. So the only necessity is an internet connection.

Because it gives users the ability to use products as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive shared storage services without the need for server installation and access CALs, this package is also a good foundation for the PREDNY SLM Hybrid solution.

If the company requires a complete package of Office applications for its activities and pays attention to the increased security of sensitive data within the organization, E3 or E5 plan is the best choice. Both plans provide Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. Here, Microsoft already offers the possibility for each user to install them on up to five devices. So the basic difference between the E1 and E3 packages is the desktop version of Office, which allows you to work with documents as you are used to.

E5 plan is additionally enhanced with advanced voice features, ability to hold large video conferences for up to 250 users. A useful tool of the E5 version is also Microsoft Power BI, thanks to which the company can consolidate diverse data into one element and thus create complex reports. This will allow the organization to see, for example, productivity or transfer data to reports. This tool is important for companies that want to have an up-to-date overview of the workflow and results.

If your company does not have a server infrastructure or you just want to take advantage of the cloud trend, it is advisable to use the Office 365 E1 package as a basis of the Hybrid solution. You get easy deployment, instant access to e-mail and shared storage without having to buy hardware and you get company-wide communications channels as Microsoft Teams and SharePoint online.

However, we recommend using E1 plan in combination with Office Professional Plus or Standard on premise perpetual licenses instead of choosing higher plans. 2016 and 2019 MS Office suite versions have the same end of support date, October 2025. The functional differences between these versions are negligible, but the price of the 2016 version is significantly lower, so we recommend using this option.

The important thing is that you will be able to use all the functions and features (with a few minor exceptions), as with higher editions of cloud Enterprise Office, although you will pay a much lower price for them.

If you use your own server hardware in your company and if you have your own IT department and server infrastructure, it is best for your organization in terms of security and price to stay in the on-premise model for as long as possible. Not only will your data not travel around the world, but you will have complete control over the environment. For example, you don't have to worry about unsolicited updates or price increases from the manufacturer.

Due to the long period of support for server solutions, most frequently sold solution is based on 2016 server infrastructure version, which brings proven functionality at a very affordable price.