For organizations, Microsoft Office 365 is the clear leader in cloud productivity suites, offering everything from Microsoft Office apps to cloud storage and email to instant messaging and video conferencing in one monthly subscription.
Microsoft E1 vs Microsoft E3
The difference between Microsoft E1 and Microsoft E3 is that Microsoft E1 provides basic email, file sharing, and storage while Microsoft E3 offers a complete set of business capabilities, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and additional security features.

In addition to email and file storage and sharing with Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive also offers additional security features like multi-factor authentication, making it a good choice for small businesses.
Microsoft Office 365 E3 is the medium option for Office 365 subscribers, featuring all the functionality of E1 and the entire desktop suite of Office 365 programs as well as more storage for email and SharePoint.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Microsoft E1 | Microsoft E3 |
---|---|---|
Mobility | No | Yes |
Office 365 | Web-version | Desktop |
Level of Security | Low | High |
Voicemail | Unavailable | Available |
Suitable for | 1 user | 5 users |
What is Microsoft E1?
Microsoft’s Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) is exclusively available over the web and on mobile devices in Microsoft E1.
You can use the calendar, contacts, and email archiving features. However, you won’t be able to use Outlook on your desktop because the desktop client is not available.
Office 365’s fundamental email security, Exchange Online Protection, guards against unauthorized access to your messages.
Users can exchange and collaborate on files using SharePoint and Yammer, which are provided (again, this is only possible on mobile or in the web version of cloud office applications).
What is Microsoft E3?
Microsoft E3 lacks Defender for Office 365’s increased email security functionality as well as audio-conferencing.
Email and file data loss prevention (DLP) is also provided. Email encryption and retention regulations, as well as audit logs and audit trails, are all included as standard features.
SharePoint comes with an unlimited amount of OneDrive storage for each user. All three of these tools are included. It does not include Power BI Pro.
Group policies that aren’t available in E1 can be managed by admins. Searching for content, eDiscovery, and basic auditing are all available.
Main Differences Between Microsoft E1 and Microsoft E3
- Microsoft E1 version is focused on the online version only whereas the Microsoft E3 version comes with a full license to install the desktop version of Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.
- Microsoft E1 includes less business services than Microsoft E3.
References
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-5875-0_1
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4842-3567-6_1
I am Sandeep Bhandari; I have 20 years of experience in the technology field. I have various technical skills and knowledge in database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about me on my bio page.