Microsoft 365 F5 Security + Compliance
E5-grade security and compliance for frontline workers
In this guide
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First, the Naming Trap
There is no Microsoft 365 F5 plan. This catches people out constantly, because E5 is a full plan and everyone reasonably assumes F5 works the same way.
It doesn’t. F5 is an add-on, not a base licence. You buy F1 or F3 first, then layer F5 on top of the seats that need it.
💡 Plain English: E5 is a meal. F5 is a side you order with your F1 or F3.
The Three Options
| Add-on | Price | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| F5 Security | about $8/user/mo | Identity and threat protection |
| F5 Compliance | about $8/user/mo | Data governance and eDiscovery |
| F5 Security + Compliance | about $13/user/mo | Both — cheaper than buying them separately |
⚠️ A note on these prices. They come from Microsoft’s February 2021 announcement, which is the last time Microsoft published F5 add-on pricing publicly. F1 and F3 both went up in July 2026, so the F5 add-ons may well have moved too. Use these as a starting point for a conversation, not a quote.
Buying both separately is $16, so the bundle saves $3 per user per month. If you genuinely only need one side, buy that one.
What F5 Security Adds
- Entra ID P2 — Privileged Identity Management, risk-based conditional access, access reviews
- Defender for Endpoint — endpoint detection and response on frontline devices
- Defender for Office — phishing and malware protection on frontline mailboxes
What F5 Compliance Adds
- Advanced data loss prevention — policies that follow the data
- eDiscovery — legal hold and investigation
- Insider risk management — detecting risky internal behaviour
- Information protection — sensitivity labels and encryption
Who Actually Needs It
F5 is aimed at frontline environments where the risk profile doesn’t match the licence tier — healthcare, finance, government, and anywhere handling regulated data on shared or mobile devices.
The common pattern: a retailer runs F1 for shop floor staff and adds F5 Security only for pharmacy or payments staff. You don’t need to buy it for every frontline seat.
⚠️ Prerequisite: F5 add-ons require a Microsoft 365 F1 or F3 base licence. They cannot be bought standalone.
The Agent 365 Connection
If you’re deploying Agent 365 across a frontline workforce, this matters. Agent 365 expects a security baseline underneath it — Microsoft 365 E5 for enterprise seats, Business Premium for small business, and the Defender plus Purview coverage in F5 for frontline seats.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is there a Microsoft 365 F5 plan?
No. Unlike E5, there is no F5 base plan. F5 exists only as add-ons that layer on top of a Microsoft 365 F1 or F3 licence — F5 Security, F5 Compliance, or the two bundled together.
2. How much do the F5 add-ons cost?
Microsoft’s published list prices are F5 Security $8, F5 Compliance $8, and the bundle $13 per user per month — but those come from the February 2021 announcement, which is the last time Microsoft published them publicly. F1 and F3 both rose in July 2026, so treat these as a starting point and confirm current figures with your reseller. All three are add-ons and require an F1 or F3 base licence.
3. What does F5 Security add?
Advanced identity and threat protection for frontline seats — Entra ID P2 (including Privileged Identity Management and risk-based conditional access), Defender for Endpoint, and Defender for Office.
4. What does F5 Compliance add?
The data governance side — advanced data loss prevention, eDiscovery, insider risk management, and information protection, bringing frontline seats close to E5 compliance coverage.
5. Do frontline workers need F5 for Agent 365?
Agent 365 requires a qualifying security baseline. For enterprise seats that is Microsoft 365 E5, and for small business it is Business Premium. For frontline seats, the Defender and Purview coverage in the F5 add-ons is the equivalent baseline.