E3 or E5: the short answer
Choose Microsoft 365 E3 if your staff need Office apps, email, Teams, managed devices and solid core security. Choose Microsoft 365 E5 if you hold regulated or high-value data and need advanced threat protection, Entra ID Plan 2, deeper Purview compliance, Teams Phone or Power BI Pro. Many organisations find E3 is enough for most users.
Both plans share the same productivity base: desktop, web and mobile Office apps, a 100 GB mailbox with a 1.5 TB archive, 1 to 5+ TB of cloud storage per user, and no user limit. The difference is what sits on top. E5 is the plan for a Kenyan bank, insurer, SACCO, hospital or law firm that must detect attacks quickly, prove who saw what, and investigate when something goes wrong. E3 is the plan for an organisation that needs strong defaults and good management, without a dedicated security team using advanced tools every day.
Both are part of our Microsoft 365 enterprise plans for organisations of any size. Prices below are per user per month on an annual commitment, excluding VAT, and are explained in full on our Microsoft 365 pricing page.
| Plan | Priori price (KES) | Priori price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 E3 | KES 4,817 | USD 37.05 |
| Microsoft 365 E5 | KES 7,410 | USD 57.00 |
| Microsoft 365 E7 | KES 12,227 | USD 94.05 |
Per user per month, annual commitment. Excludes VAT (16%). Converted at KES 130 to the US dollar. Prices checked 3 October 2026.
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E3 and E5 side by side
E5 includes everything in E3 and upgrades the security, identity, compliance, calling and analytics layers. This table shows each difference using Microsoft’s product names.
| Feature | Microsoft 365 E3 | Microsoft 365 E5 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum users | No limit | No limit |
| Desktop, web and mobile Office apps | Yes | Yes |
| Mailbox | 100 GB plus 1.5 TB archive (Exchange Plan 2) | 100 GB plus 1.5 TB archive |
| Cloud storage per user | 1 to 5+ TB | 1 to 5+ TB |
| Microsoft Teams | Yes | Yes |
| Teams Phone and Audio Conferencing | Not included | Included |
| Windows | Windows 11 Enterprise E3 | Windows 11 Enterprise E5 |
| Device management | Intune Plan 1 | Intune Plan 1 plus Intune Suite capabilities (Remote Help, Endpoint Privilege Management, Cloud PKI) |
| Identity | Microsoft Entra ID Plan 1 | Microsoft Entra ID Plan 2 |
| Device protection | Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 | Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 |
| Email protection | Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 | Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 |
| Identity and cloud app protection | Not included | Defender for Identity and Defender for Cloud Apps |
| Microsoft Purview | Information Protection Plan 1, Audit Standard, eDiscovery Standard | Information Protection Plan 2, Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Audit Premium, eDiscovery Premium |
| Power BI Pro | Not included | Included |
| Copilot | Copilot Chat included; Microsoft 365 Copilot as an add-on | Copilot Chat and Security Copilot (default capacity) included; Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agent 365 as add-ons |
Office 365 E3 and E5 are different plans
Check whether a quote says Office 365 or Microsoft 365, because the names hide a real difference. Microsoft 365 E3 includes Office 365 E3 and adds Windows 11 Enterprise, Intune and Defender for Endpoint; the same pattern holds for E5 (Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plan options and Microsoft 365 for enterprise overview, Microsoft Learn, checked 4 October 2026). Office 365 E3 gives you the apps, email, Teams, basic security and identity management, without device management. If you manage laptops with another tool and only need the apps and email, Office 365 E3 can be enough; we quote it on request.
Which plan should you choose?
The right plan depends on the data you hold and the people who protect it, not on the size of your organisation.
Choose E3 if…
- Most of your staff create documents, email and meet, and need managed laptops and phones.
- You want multifactor sign-in, conditional access, device encryption and phishing protection as a solid baseline.
- You already have a phone system and a reporting tool you are happy with.
- You don’t yet have people who will use advanced investigation and compliance tools each week.
Choose E5 if…
- You hold customer financial, health or legal data and a breach would be costly to your reputation.
- You need the advanced Entra ID Plan 2 identity tier and threat protection across devices, email, identities and cloud apps.
- Auditors or regulators ask you to show who accessed what, and you may need to search and export records for an investigation.
- You want to replace a desk phone system with Teams Phone, or put Power BI Pro dashboards in front of managers.
What E3 leaves out
E3 leaves out five things that E5 includes: the wider Defender XDR set, Entra ID Plan 2, advanced Purview compliance, Teams Phone with Audio Conferencing, and Power BI Pro. Here is what each one means in practice.
- Defender XDR. E3 has Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 and Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, which block malware and phishing. E5 moves both to Plan 2 and adds Defender for Identity and Defender for Cloud Apps, so your team can detect, investigate and respond to an attack that spans laptops, mailboxes, accounts and cloud services.
- Microsoft Entra ID Plan 2. E3’s Plan 1 gives you conditional access, so you can require multifactor sign-in and block risky logins. Plan 2 is the advanced identity tier, for organisations where a single stolen staff or administrator account could expose customer data.
- Microsoft Purview. E3 labels and protects sensitive files and keeps standard audit logs. E5 adds Information Protection Plan 2, Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Audit Premium and eDiscovery Premium, the tools you reach for when a regulator, auditor or court asks questions.
- Teams Phone and Audio Conferencing. E5 turns Teams into your phone system. With E3, you add Teams Phone separately at KES 1,235 per user per month if you need it. Microsoft sells calling plans only in specific markets, so we check how to connect Kenyan numbers through Operator Connect or Direct Routing for you.
- Power BI Pro. E5 includes Power BI Pro for every user, so finance and operations teams can build and share reports without extra licences. E3 does not include it.
If none of these five would be used in the next year, E3 is the better buy. You will get more value from switching on everything E3 already includes, such as Intune policies, conditional access and sensitivity labels, than from paying for tools nobody opens. Our Microsoft 365 security service sets up either plan properly.
E3 plus an add-on instead of E5
If you need only one part of E5, an add-on can be cheaper than moving everyone up. Microsoft offers E3 customers add-ons such as the Microsoft Defender Suite and the Microsoft Purview Suite (Microsoft 365 for enterprise overview, Microsoft Learn, checked 4 October 2026), and Teams Phone is sold separately. For a Kenyan SACCO that mainly needs stronger threat protection, or an insurer that mainly needs deeper Purview controls for the Data Protection Act 2019, we price E3 plus the add-on against E5 so you can see both. Purview helps you meet your obligations; compliance also needs your own policies and processes.
Where E7 fits: E3 vs E5 vs E7
E7 is E5 with Microsoft 365 Copilot, Agent 365 and Microsoft Entra Suite included in one licence. Microsoft calls it “The Frontier Suite”. It suits organisations that want every user on Copilot and plan to build and govern AI agents.
If only some staff need Copilot, E3 or E5 plus Microsoft 365 Copilot for those people is usually the cheaper route. Read more on our Microsoft 365 E7 page. We confirm Copilot availability for your tenant and plan before you commit.
Can you mix E3 and E5?
Yes. Microsoft licenses these plans per user and allows different plans to be combined in one account (Microsoft Learn, checked 4 October 2026), so you can put most staff on E3 and give E5 to finance, executives and the IT team who handle the most sensitive data. Bear in mind that some protection works best when it covers everyone, so we help you decide where the line should sit.
How Priori helps you decide
We look at how your people actually work, then recommend the plan that gives you full value, and we stay with you after the licences are bought.
- Licence review. We map your roles, data and current tools, such as phone systems, reporting and security products, and show where E3 is enough and where E5 pays for itself.
- Clear quote. Prices are 5% below the standard price, invoiced in KES or USD, excluding VAT. See how to buy Microsoft 365 in Kenya through us.
- Setup. We switch on the security and compliance features your plan includes, and move email and files with our Microsoft 365 migration service.
- Adoption. Short training sessions so staff and administrators use what you are paying for. Training and advisory.
Questions
E3 vs E5 questions
The cost gap between E3 and E5, and what the extra buys you.
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What is the difference in cost between Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 licences in Kenya?
Through Priori, Microsoft 365 E3 is KES 4,817 (USD 37.05) and Microsoft 365 E5 is KES 7,410 (USD 57.00) per user per month on an annual commitment, excluding VAT.
We invoice in KES or USD. VAT, currency and billing are explained on our Microsoft 365 pricing page.
Is E3 secure enough for a Kenyan company?
Yes, for most organisations E3 gives a strong baseline when it is configured properly.
It includes Entra ID Plan 1 conditional access, Intune, Defender for Endpoint Plan 1, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Purview Information Protection. E5 matters when you need to detect and investigate attacks in depth. Microsoft 365 security.
Does E5 help with the Data Protection Act 2019?
Yes, E5 adds controls that support compliance, such as Insider Risk Management, Audit Premium and eDiscovery Premium.
Compliance also depends on your own policies and processes, so treat either plan as one part of your data protection programme. Microsoft 365 E5.
What’s the difference between E3 and E5 licences?
E5 adds advanced security, identity and compliance tools, Teams Phone with Audio Conferencing, and Power BI Pro to everything in E3.
The Office apps, mailbox size, storage and user limits are the same in both plans. Microsoft 365 E3.
Does Microsoft 365 E3 include Teams Phone?
No, Teams Phone and Audio Conferencing are included in E5 but not in E3.
E3 users can add Teams Phone Standard at KES 1,235 per user per month. Microsoft Teams for enterprise.
What is the difference between E3, E5 and E7?
E7 is E5 plus Microsoft 365 Copilot, Agent 365 and Microsoft Entra Suite in one licence.
It is priced at KES 12,227 per user per month. We confirm Copilot availability for your tenant and plan before you commit. Microsoft 365 E7.
What does Microsoft E5 stand for?
The “E” marks Microsoft’s enterprise plans, which have no user limit, and the number shows the tier: E3 is the core plan and E5 the advanced one.
Office 365 uses the same labels (E1, E3, E5). Above Microsoft 365 E5 sits E7, which adds Copilot and Agent 365. Microsoft 365 enterprise plans.
What are the key differences between Office 365 E3 and Microsoft 365 E3?
Microsoft 365 E3 includes everything in Office 365 E3 and adds Windows 11 Enterprise, Intune device management and Defender for Endpoint.
Office 365 E3 covers the apps, email, Teams, basic security and identity management. Choose it only if you already manage and protect devices another way. Microsoft 365 E3.
Is Office 365 E3 available without Teams?
Yes, Microsoft lists Office 365 E3 (no Teams), as well as Microsoft 365 E3 (no Teams) and E5 (no Teams).
Microsoft 365 E3 (no Teams) is KES 3,761 per user per month, and we quote the Office 365 version on request. You then license Teams separately. Microsoft Teams Enterprise.
Get a quote in KES today
Tell us how many users you have and what you use now. We reply with a recommendation and a price.
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