With the expansions of Microsoft 365 announced in December 2025, Microsoft is also adjusting the prices for its commercial subscriptions. The new prices will take effect on July 1, 2026. Microsoft is communicating these changes early so that companies can adjust their licensing and budget planning in a timely manner.
Why are prices rising?
The price adjustments mainly affect the cheaper plans and the frontline licenses the most. Microsoft justifies the price adjustment with significantly expanded features in three areas:
| Microsoft‑365‑Plan | Preis bisher | Preis ab 01.07.2026 | Änderung | Wichtige Neuerungen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Basic | 6,00 € | 7,00 € | +16,7 % | Erweiterte Sicherheitsfunktionen, Copilot Chat |
| Business Standard | 12,50 € | 14,00 € | +12 % | Copilot Chat, zusätzlicher URL‑ und Phishing‑Schutz |
| Business Premium | 22,00 € | 22,00 € | keine | Preis stabil, erweitertes Security‑ & Device‑Management |
| Office 365 E1 | 10,00 € | 10,00 € | keine | Copilot Chat, URL‑Schutz |
| Office 365 E3 | 23,00 € | 26,00 € | +13 % | neu inkl. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 |
| Microsoft 365 E3 | 36,00 € | 39,00 € | +8,3 % | mehr Security‑ & Managementfunktionen |
| Microsoft 365 E5 | 57,00 € | 60,00 € | +5,5 % | Security Copilot & erweiterte Intune‑Funktionen |
| Frontline F1 | 2,25 € | 3,00 € | +33,3 % | Copilot Chat |
| Frontline F3 | 8,00 € | 10,00 € | +25 % | Copilot Chat |
Praxis-Tipp
Setzen Sie auf Automatisierung von Anfang an. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) mit Tools wie Azure Resource Manager Templates oder Terraform ermöglicht reproduzierbare Deployments und erleichtert das Management erheblich.
Why are prices rising?
Microsoft links price changes directly to new features. Particularly relevant for many companies is that functions that were previously paid add-ons are now included directly in the licenses. These include, among others:
- Monitoring und Logging mit Azure Monitor einrichten
- additional administrative and security features for IT departments
- additional administrative and security features for IT departments
- Copilot Chat as a standard AI feature in many plans
Recommendation for businesses
Companies should use the time until July 2026 to:
- check your current Microsoft 365 licenses
- question the used add-ons and security solutions
- to budget for the additional costs early in the IT budget
- Copilot Chat as a standard AI feature in many plans
What is Copilot Chat?
Copilot Chat is the AI chat for daily work in Microsoft 365. It helps users create texts, summarize content, answer questions, or analyze information from uploaded files. Copilot Chat operates securely within the enterprise, considers existing permissions, and can be used in many Microsoft 365 plans without additional Copilot add-on.
Unlike the paid Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Chat is not directly integrated into Word, Excel, or Outlook, but it is excellent for research, customer communication, and quick support in everyday work.
Conclusion
The announced price adjustments for Microsoft 365 starting in July 2026 may initially be critical for many companies, especially in light of overall increasing IT costs. However, considering the simultaneous performance enhancements, a more nuanced picture emerges.
Microsoft is increasingly shifting key functions such as AI support, email security, and management tools directly into the core licenses. For companies already using or needing these functions in the future, the price increase is significantly justified – especially in cases where additional add-ons or third-party products were previously in use.
For customers, this means: Not every price increase is automatically a disadvantage, but every license should be critically questioned. The key is not the list price, but the actual value in relation to your own requirements.
