Microsoft Teams Essentials vs Microsoft 365 Business vs Enterprise
By ClearSourcePublished Last checked
Three ways to get Microsoft Teams, and what you give up by taking the cheapest.
In short:
- Microsoft Teams Essentials: small teams needing meetings/chat only, no mailbox
- Business Basic: SMBs wanting Microsoft Teams plus email and file storage
- Microsoft Teams Enterprise: enterprises on no-Teams E-suites adding Microsoft Teams per user
ClearSource’s reading of Microsoft’s documentation — not a recommendation for your situation.
Microsoft Teams Essentials CHF 3.20, Microsoft 365 Business Basic (with Teams) CHF 5.67 per user and month — Microsoft 365 Business Basic (with Teams) costs CHF 2.47 more. Microsoft list prices for Switzerland, annual commitment, excl. VAT, as of 4 October 2026; IT partners often quote lower.
The upgrade path
CHF list price per user and month, annual commitment, excl. VAT
- Teams EssentialsCHF 3.20Includes
- Meetings up to 30 h and 300 participants, chat, 10 GB cloud storage per user
- +2.47Business Basic (with Teams)CHF 5.67Includes
- Microsoft Teams plus Exchange mailbox (100 GB), Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft OneDrive, web/mobile Office
The options
- Lowest list priceBusiness
Microsoft Teams Essentials
- Enterprise
Microsoft Teams Enterprise / Teams EEA
Microsoft_Teams_Enterprise_NewIncludes
- Full enterprise Microsoft Teams (standalone, used with no-Teams enterprise suites) [5]
Key differences
What changed recently
1 November 2025
Microsoft Teams unbundling commitments effective 2025-11-01 [6]
Where Microsoft’s own pages disagree
- Switzerland isn’t in the EEA, yet Microsoft’s Swiss pages sell “EWR” (EEA) suites without Microsoft Teams. The Swiss price gaps between with and without Microsoft Teams (about CHF 6.9 for enterprise suites, 2.61 for Business, 1.30 for Business Basic) differ from the euro minimums Microsoft committed to the European Commission (EUR 8.00 / 3.00 / 1.50). [7] [6]
Sources
- 1Exchange Online plans and pricing (CH) (25 September 2026)
- 2Compare Microsoft Teams business options (de-ch) (24 September 2026)
- 3Microsoft 365 Business plans with Teams (de-ch) (24 September 2026)
- 4Microsoft 365 Enterprise – Pläne und Preise (microsoft.com/de-ch) (25 September 2026)
- 5Office 365 Enterprise plans & pricing (de-ch) (24 September 2026)
- 6Evolving our productivity offerings to resolve European competition concerns about Teams (Microsoft 365 blog) (12 September 2025)
- 7Microsoft 365 Enterprise plans & pricing (de-ch) (24 September 2026)
Microsoft’s own pages, read on or before 25 September 2026.
Microsoft changes for these products
All Microsoft changes →Want offers for these licences?
Free and without obligation: checked Swiss IT partners send you an offer. Nothing goes out until you confirm by email.