For the uninitiated, Office 365 is the cloud-based SaaS offered by Microsoft that consists of a comprehensive suite of productivity applications including Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and Outlook for the desktop; and server-based applications such as Exchange and SharePoint.
- Microsoft Exchange Online P1
- Microsoft Exchange Online Powershell Module
- Microsoft Exchange Online Portal
- Microsoft Exchange Server
However, many may be stuck with the dilemma of choosing between Exchange Online and Office 365. The Exchange Online vs Office 365 matchup is confusing because users can either opt-in for only Microsoft’s email solution, Exchange Online, or they can choose the complete suite of productivity applications by purchasing an Office 365 license. If your company is considering a migration to the cloud from on-premises servers running some edition of Microsoft Exchange Server (for example), this could be a genuine decision-making challenge.
Therefore, in this article, we will compare both products including Exchange Online and Office 365 to help you decide whether the former would be enough for you or if it would make more sense to choose the latter.
Is Office 365 different than Exchange Online?
Exchange Online (Plan 2) Microsoft 365 Business Standard; Get business-class email as either a standalone Exchange Online plan, or as part of a Microsoft 365 for business plan that includes Office apps and more. See more Microsoft 365 plans. Looking for more? See Exchange Server licensing. A Microsoft Exchange account is a work or school email account. The organization that gave you the Exchange email account is running a Microsoft Exchange Server, or is using Microsoft 365 which uses Exchange Server to provide email. You can't designate an Exchange Online mailbox as a journaling mailbox. You can deliver journal reports to an on-premises archiving system or a third-party archiving service. If you're running an Exchange hybrid deployment with your mailboxes split between on-premises servers and Exchange Online, you can designate an on-premises mailbox as the.
Many assume that Microsoft Exchange Online and Office 365 are two different products altogether. However, this is not categorically true. Exchange Online is simply one of the many products that are included in Office 365, which is a collection of tools rather than being a single product. You can purchase either product without the other; it is possible to opt-in for Microsoft Exchange Online without the Office 365 suite, but you can also purchase the Office 365 Pro Plus edition that doesn’t include Exchange Online.
However, no matter the case, Exchange Online complements Office 365 (and hence doesn’t compete with it). For example, if you choose Exchange Online as a standalone email service now, you can always upgrade to Office 365 later.
What is your business requirement?
Email, phone, or Skype. Can’t access your account? Exchange Online vs Office 365: What Should You Choose? For the uninitiated, Office 365 is the cloud-based SaaS offered by Microsoft that consists of a comprehensive suite of productivity applications including Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and Outlook for the desktop; and server-based applications such as Exchange and SharePoint.
If you are looking only for a cloud-based email service, Exchange Online is more than enough. You can choose between two Exchange Online plans: Plan 1 & Plan 2.
Exchange Online Plan 1 offers up to 50 GB storage per user along with the web-based and app-based versions of the Outlook client and enterprise-level email security through Exchange Online Protection.
Exchange Online Plan 2 offers unlimited storage and unified messaging services, with advanced security features like Data Loss Prevention (DLP), In-Place Hold, and hosted voicemails. Generally required by large companies.
However, Office 365 can be considered if you’re looking for a comprehensive suite of collaboration and productivity tools. Depending on your requirements, you can choose between various Office 365 plans such as Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business, and Office 365 Business Premium. If you are a larger organization with more than 300 users, you may choose Office 365 Enterprise plans: Enterprise E1, Enterprise E3, and Enterprise E5.
Do note that all those editions (Business and Enterprise) include Exchange Online as part of the product package except Office 365 Pro Plus.
The size of your company matters
Microsoft Exchange Online P1
If you are a small enterprise with no more than, say, 50 members or so, it is fine to migrate to Exchange Online only. This is because we anticipate that as you are a small company, you may not need advanced collaboration features that Office 365 offers. However, if you have a considerable number of employees and you expect your team size to grow further in the future, consider getting some edition of Office 365. With Office 365, you get not only the email solutions of Exchange Online, but you also get business communication tools such as Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business. Ultimately, as your company grows bigger, you are going to need more than just email, and that is where Office 365’s applications come in handy.
What is the nature of your business?
If your nature of business is such that it requires a lot of collaboration, consider going for Office 365. The software package comes with a host of useful applications such as Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, SharePoint, OneDrive for Business, and more. If you have a service-based company, you can expect your users to collaborate online a lot; therefore, in such cases, Office 365 is the correct choice for your company. However, if your business is such that your users don’t need to collaborate online, Exchange Online is what you must go for as it only offers email functionality.
So, as you see, it all boils down to your company’s requirements. If you are still confused, you can begin by going for Microsoft Exchange Online and then later migrate to Office 365 full suite as your company’s needs grow.
If you would like expert advice and assistance to help you decide and finalize, get in touch with us today!
Exchange Online is a cloud-based email service. When on-premises Exchange Server is offered in the hosted version, it simply becomes Exchange Online. Available as a standalone service or a part of Office 365 subscription, Exchange Online is hosted on Microsoft’s secure servers. Apart from providing the same benefits of an on-premises Exchange Server, it saves huge costs by getting rid of maintaining on-premises infrastructure.
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Interested in Hosted Exchange 2016? Plans start at $4.46month/mailboxSee More | Exchange Online Plan 1 | Exchange Online Plan 2 |
|---|---|---|
| $4.00 user/monthBased on Annual CommitmentStart Trial | $8.00 user/monthBased on Annual CommitmentStart Trial | |
| Money-back guarantee | 15 days | 15 days |
| 24/7 End User Support via Phone, Chat, and Email | ||
| Mailbox storage for each user | 50 GB | 100 GB |
| Messages size supported upto | 150 MB | 150 MB |
| Focused Inbox Your inbox includes two tabs: Focused, for email you need to act on right away, and Other, for everything else. | ||
| Outlook support Users can connect supported versions of Outlook to Exchange Online, so they can use the rich client application they already know. | ||
| Web-based access For web-client access, Outlook on the web provides a premium browser-based experience that matches the look and feel of the full Outlook client. | ||
| Outlook App Get more done on your phone and tablet with the Outlook App for iOS and Android. | ||
| Inbox management Stay focused on the most important messages with Clutter, which applies machine learning to clean up your inbox and set up rules that match the way you work. | ||
| Document collaboration Save attachments directly to OneDrive for Business with just one click and share the link to the file-right from Outlook on the web. | ||
| Shared calendar and contacts Compare calendars to schedule meetings and access collaboration features, including shared calendars, groups, the global address list, external contacts, tasks, conference rooms, and delegation capabilities. | ||
| Third-party Apps for Outlook Spend less time switching between apps with an extension model that allows third-party web applications easy plug-in access for both Outlook and Outlook on the web. | ||
| Security Every mailbox is protected with premier anti-malware and anti-spam protection via Exchange Online Protection. | ||
| In-Place Archive Keep your inbox clean by automatically moving old messages to an In-place Archive. | ||
| In-place Hold Use In-Place Hold to preserve deleted and edited mailbox items from users’ primary mailboxes and In-Place Archives. | ||
| Hosted voicemail Take advantage of hosted Unified Messaging services that provide call answering, a dial-in user interface, and company automated attendant capabilities. | ||
| Unlimited storage Take advantage of unlimited storage (100 GB of storage in the user’s primary mailbox, plus unlimited storage in the user’s In-place Archive). | ||
| Data loss prevention (DLP) Control sensitive business data with built-in DLP policies based on regulatory standards such as PII and PCI, which help to identify, monitor, and protect sensitive data through deep content analysis. | ||
| $4.00 user/monthBased on Annual CommitmentStart Trial | $8.00 user/monthBased on Annual CommitmentStart Trial |
Comparing Microsoft Exchange Online Plans
Apart from the standalone plan, Exchange Online Plan 1 is also included with Business Premium & Business Essentials. The storage space available is 50 GB per user. Outlook is offered on all web, mobile, and desktop-based interface. The features like inbox management, EOP, contact and calendar sharing are available.
Apart from the standalone plan, Exchange Online Plan 2 is also included with Enterprise E3 with an unlimited storage space for each user. All the features of Plan 1 are included. In addition to that, Plan 2 offers advanced security and compliance features such as In-Place Hold, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and hosted voicemail.
All Our Exchange Online plans include
FAQ - Your questions? We got answers!
How exactly will Apps4Rent help me with these plans?
Apps4Rent will assist you in getting started with Exchange Services. Our team of Exchange experts will help you in configuring various handheld devices for synchronizing your Mails, Calendars, Contacts, and more. We will also take care of configuring the rules in Outlook and Outlook Wed Application. As a true end-to-end service, we will migrate your current mailboxes to Office 365 and configure DNS records for activating and using Office 365 services.
Can Exchange be connected to my smartphones and tablets to receive email?
Yes. Exchange features the Exchange ActiveSync, the world-wide standard for mobile email syncing. Besides, Exchange also provides a great Outlook Web App experience that works across any device that support web browsers, so you can easily access your email through your mobile devices.
How can I retain information for a period of time in Exchange?
Time-based In-Place Hold enables you to retain email data immutably for a specified time period. This helps organizations in preservation of data that meets internal and external regulatory needs.
I am using Exchange Online as a standalone plan, is it possible to switch to other Office 365 plans?
Yes. You can upgrade your account to any of the Office 365 Enterprise plans, which are in the same service family as Exchange Online standalone plans. However, for switching to a different service family like Office 365 Business Essentials or Office 365 Business Premium plans, you should first cancel your Exchange Online account and then sign up for a different account.
Does Exchange offer protection for the sensitive information on mobile devices?
Yes. Exchange offers the ability to remotely wipe the devices that are connected with Exchange ActiveSync. For businesses that do not want any data stored outside of their organization, the Outlook Web App web browser access without storing any organizational data on the mobile device.
Microsoft Exchange Online Powershell Module
Microsoft Exchange Online Portal
How can I search across my organization for information, from a single place?
The eDiscovery Center will allow you to search for information across email, calendar items, contacts, instant messages, and documents, from a single place.
Microsoft Exchange Server
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