Guide

Save money on Microsoft 365 licences

Start with the licences you buy, the price you actually pay and the date you can change them. A useful Microsoft 365 cost review compares like-for-like products and checks your next commitment before proposing a saving. For businesses with 100 or more licences, small price differences can matter, but the right product mix and renewal plan matter too.

Reviewed 22 September 2026. This guide covers business licensing. Savings depend on your current contract and the confirmed replacement offer. No percentage saving is guaranteed.

Review your licence costs

One licence or a whole team. No payment or order when you send a request.

1. Start with your invoice, not a headline saving

List each product, its exact variant, the quantity you pay for and the price excluding VAT. Record whether the unit amount covers a month or a full year, and whether services are bundled into it. Your actual invoice is the useful starting point; a comparison against Microsoft list price is a different comparison.

Our quote builder lets you add a mixed licence list and optional renewal details. Keep any uncertain product or price marked for review. You do not need to upload an invoice or connect a tenant to ask for a quote.

2. Check paid quantities against what your team needs

Review enabled and assigned licence quantities with your IT team. An unassigned paid seat is a reason to investigate: it might be reserved for a new starter or still committed until renewal. A fully assigned plan can also deserve a commercial review; assignment alone does not establish whether it is the right plan.

The optional connected licence review shows available and assigned quantities. It does not measure user activity, read your invoices or decide which staff can safely lose features. Free and trial capacity is not evidence of paid seats, and products without a verified price must not be treated as free.

3. Compare exact plans and check overlapping purchases

Match the product and variant before comparing prices. Microsoft 365 E3 and Office 365 E3 are different products. Confirm whether Teams is included, and check the prerequisites for specialist add-ons. Ask your IT team which security, compliance, device and collaboration features each group actually requires.

Review standalone tools alongside your suite entitlements. An apparent overlap is an investigation point, not an instruction to cancel a service. Your team still needs to check configuration, dependencies, retention and its operational requirements.

Use our Business Standard versus Premium guide and Microsoft 365 E3 versus E5 comparison to prepare the questions. The cheapest licence is only useful if it covers the work and obligations of the people using it.

4. Plan changes before the renewal

Record the current supplier, commitment end date and applicable change deadline for each subscription. Contact your supplier early enough to confirm the permitted change and its effective date. A move to another supplier does not by itself cancel an existing commitment.

Microsoft's CSP New Commerce cancellation guidance describes limited cancellation windows for per-user subscriptions. An unassigned licence or a monthly invoice does not create a new opportunity to exit an annual commitment. Confirm the exact rules for your subscription before making changes.

5. Separate payment frequency from commitment length

An annual commitment paid monthly is still an annual commitment. Compare the full cost over the agreed term, then check when the money is due. A one-month offer and a twelve-month offer provide different flexibility; multiplying a current monthly rate by twelve is a scenario, not a guaranteed annual price.

Dead Simple 365 offers annual commitment paid upfront or monthly commitment paid monthly, where available. We do not offer annual commitment paid monthly. For a stable core team and changing short-term requirements, ask us to check whether a mixed set of commitments is available for your exact products.

Our annual versus monthly billing guide explains the distinction. Microsoft's pricing and offers guidance also describes how offer prices and availability are published for CSP partners.

6. Compare the complete proposal with your IT team

Keep licence charges, optional technical support, one-off work and usage-based services on separate lines. Check any overlap during a supplier change and the eligibility or expiry of a promotion. Record which quantities are required and which you may not renew.

For 100+ licences, request a licensing review for your internal IT team. Bring the details you have and identify the decisions still outstanding. We confirm the exact products, price, billing, commitments and any support scope before supply. The downloadable comparison pack is an indicative review document; submitting it does not place an order or change your tenant.

Common questions.

Can I get cheaper Microsoft 365 business licences without changing tenant?

It may be possible to arrange licence supply into your existing tenant. We first check the exact products, eligibility, current supplier arrangements and commitments. Your tenant does not need to be replaced simply because you want to compare prices, but the supply route and timing must be agreed.

Does an unassigned Microsoft 365 licence mean I can save money immediately?

No. It shows an enabled seat that is not currently assigned, which may be intentional. Your purchase terms, permitted reduction window and renewal date determine when a paid quantity can change. Free and trial capacity is excluded from paid-seat savings estimates.

Do you guarantee to beat every Microsoft 365 price?

No. We aim to offer competitive business licensing with clear terms. We compare the exact products, commitments and costs you provide and confirm our offer by email. Promotions, eligibility and bundled services can make headline prices unsuitable for a direct comparison.

Can our own IT team keep managing Microsoft 365?

Yes. Licence-only customers are welcome. Your team can keep control of the tenant and choose whether to request additional support. Technical work and any delegated access are agreed separately.

Your licences. Your next step.

Build your licence list and we confirm prices and terms by email. Licence-only customers are welcome; a review or support service is optional.

Review your licence costs See all plans and prices

Sending a request takes no payment and places no order.

Operated by Dead Simple Computing Ltd, a UK Microsoft 365 reseller. Per user per month, ex VAT. Business customers only.