The three-number comparison
Every cost check rests on the same comparison. Put these side by side for each licence type:
- Bought. How many seats your subscription includes, and the price you pay per seat.
- Assigned. How many are given to named people. The licences page under Billing shows this.
- Used. How many people have actually signed in or used the service recently.
A 30-minute check
- Open the licences page in the Microsoft 365 admin centre and note bought and assigned for each plan.
- Export the Active users report and sort by last activity.
- Count the people with no activity for 60 or 90 days.
- Count licence types that look duplicated, for example two plans on one person.
- Multiply by the price on your invoice. The total is a first estimate, not a result.
What the check cannot tell you
It tells you where to look, not what is safe to change. It does not show whether an inactive person is on leave, or whether an apparently over-specified seat is protecting something. Those questions belong to a fuller Microsoft 365 licence audit.
When to go further
If the check shows a meaningful gap between assigned and used, or if renewal is within about 90 days, move to a Microsoft 365 licence review. If you would rather have it done for you, an expert-led assessment covers cost and security together.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cost check free?
Doing it yourself costs only your time. If you would like us to talk it through, you can book a free 20-minute call.
What price should I use?
The price on your own invoice or partner agreement. List prices change, so confirm current pricing with Microsoft or your reseller before acting on any figure.
How is this different from an audit?
A check gives a quick estimate of where to look. An audit gathers evidence for each licence and records what you decide. See reduce Microsoft 365 licence costs for how the two fit together.
Innoligo is an authorised Microsoft CSP partner. This page is general information and applies whoever you buy your licences from. Microsoft changes its plans, prices and admin screens, so check the linked Microsoft pages for current detail. Microsoft, Microsoft 365, Entra and Copilot are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies; this page is independent and is not published or endorsed by Microsoft. About Innoligo.