Not every employee sits at a desk. For shift, warehouse, production, and service staff, Microsoft offers the F1 and F3 frontline plans – significantly cheaper than the E plans, but with clear limits. Know them, and you can assign the right license and save money without slowing anyone down.
What frontline plans are for
Microsoft distinguishes between two types of users: information workers at a desktop/laptop (E plans) and frontline workers, who often work on a tablet or phone and directly with customers. F1 and F3 are built for the second group: mobile-first, affordable, and stripped down to the essentials.
The decisive difference: mailbox and Office apps
Both plans include Teams and core collaboration. The difference lies in email and the Office apps – and it's a big one. Microsoft describes the feature limits in its guide to switching from E to F plans:
| Feature | F1 | F3 |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange mailbox | none (Exchange kiosk only, for the Teams calendar) | 2 GB via Outlook on the web |
| Office apps (web/mobile) | read-only access | full access |
| Teams | ✓ | ✓ |
| Target role | task/device-focused, little email | needs email + document editing |
Feature scope per Microsoft documentation (as of early 2026); details may change.
When F1 is enough
F1 is the right choice for roles that primarily use Teams, tasks, and device-based processes and don't need their own email handling: warehouse, production, cleaning, security. The Exchange kiosk portion is enough for the Teams calendar – a full mailbox is not included.
When F3 is the right tier
F3 pays off as soon as a person needs their own mailbox or has to edit documents in the web/mobile apps (not just read them) – for example shift leads, store managers, or service staff who correspond with customers. F3 remains significantly cheaper than an E plan, but delivers the missing mailbox and full Office web usage.
The common mistake: an E plan for frontline
Out of habit, many companies give frontline roles a full E3 or E5 seat – and pay a multiple for features these users never touch. This is one of the most common cost traps. The official frontline plan pricing shows the gap clearly.
How to find your frontline candidates
The approach is the same as with any optimization: look at who actually uses which features. Users on a full plan but with only Teams/basic activity are frontline downgrade candidates. License Lens surfaces these assignments in read-only mode – as a concrete savings figure, with no changes and no stored employee data.
More on the big picture: Microsoft 365 license types explained · Cut licensing costs – the complete guide.