Does Microsoft 365 Basic increase my Outlook mailbox storage directly in the app?

Question

Does Microsoft 365 Basic increase my Outlook mailbox storage directly in the app?

The description makes it sound like it mainly offloads emails, attachments, photos, etc. to OneDrive, rather than actually increasing the mailbox capacity in Outlook/Exchange.

For context, my Outlook mailbox limit is 50GB, and I’m currently at full capacity. I don’t need OneDrive storage or any other features — I simply need more email storage, so I can keep all my emails in one place. I don’t want to archive, offload, or move anything out of Outlook.

If Microsoft 365 Basic won’t increase my mailbox size, do I need to upgrade to something like Microsoft 365 E3 or Exchange Online (Plan 2) instead?

Answer 1

Dear @Kel Goesch,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A forum. I’m happy to assist you.

To increase your Exchange mailbox storage, I recommend purchasing a standalone plan such as Exchange Online Plan 2, or a subscription that includes this plan. With Exchange Online Plan 2, your mailbox capacity will increase to 100 GB.

For more information about Exchange Online Plan 2, visit this link: Compare Microsoft Exchange Online Plans Microsoft 365

For Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Business Standard, the mailbox limit for sending and receiving remains 50 GB.

For more details and a comparison of available plans, please visit the following link: Exchange Online limits - Service Descriptions | Microsoft Learn

I hope this information is helpful. If you need any further assistance, please feel free to reach out. We are here to help. Thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation.

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Answer 2

Microsoft 365 Basic does not increase your Outlook mailbox storage directly within the app. The mailbox storage limit for Exchange Online Plan 1, which is included in Microsoft 365 Basic, is 50 GB. If you are at full capacity and require more email storage without offloading or archiving, you would need to upgrade to a plan that offers a higher mailbox storage limit, such as Microsoft 365 E3 or Exchange Online Plan 2, which provides a larger storage capacity of 100 GB or 1.5 TB respectively.

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References:

• Exchange Online limits