Short answer: A3 and A5 are the higher tiers of Microsoft 365 for education, available at education pricing to eligible schools, colleges and universities. A3 gives you the desktop Office apps plus management and security tools; A5 adds advanced security, compliance and analytics on top.
A3 compared with A5
| A1 | A3 | A5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Office apps, Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Office apps | No | Yes | Yes |
| Extra management and security tools | Basic | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced security and compliance | No | Limited | Yes |
| Analytics such as Power BI | No | No | Yes |
Who is eligible?
Education licences are for qualifying educational institutions, not commercial businesses. Microsoft sets and checks the eligibility rules, which can change, so we confirm them before ordering.
Choosing between them
- List your usersStaff and students are often licensed differently.
- Decide what you needDesktop apps, security needs and compliance duties.
- Compare cost against benefitA5 costs more per user, so many institutions use it only for staff who need it.
- Plan the rolloutLicences, devices, security settings and training.
Sources and further reading
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