Microsoft 365 Frontline (F1 & F3)
Mobile-first plans for shift workers, retail staff & field teams
In this guide
Browse all plans
Who Are Frontline Plans For?
Frontline plans are for workers who don’t sit at desks — retail associates, healthcare workers, factory floor staff, delivery drivers, and field technicians. They primarily use mobile devices and shared terminals.
Frontline is right for:
- ✅ Shift workers who need Teams for communication and scheduling
- ✅ Retail staff using shared devices (kiosks, shared tablets)
- ✅ Healthcare workers who need mobile access to schedules and patient info
- ✅ Field technicians who need mobile access to work orders and documentation
- ✅ Factory/warehouse workers needing safety communications and task management
- ✅ Organisations wanting to include every employee in Teams without high per-user cost
Frontline is NOT right for:
- ❌ Users who need desktop Office apps — use M365 E3 or Business Standard
- ❌ Users who need a full email mailbox — F1/F3 only have 2 GB mailboxes
- ❌ Users who need Microsoft 365 Copilot — not eligible on frontline plans
- ❌ Knowledge workers who create documents daily — use enterprise plans
F1 vs F3 — Which Frontline Plan?
flowchart LR
F1["F1
$3/mo
View only + Teams"]
F3["F3
$10/mo
Full web apps
+ Windows + Intune"]
F1 -->|"+$7"| F3
| Feature | F1 ($3) | F3 ($10) |
|---|---|---|
| Teams (chat, meetings, walkie-talkie) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Web Office Apps | View only | Full editing |
| Exchange | Kiosk (calendar only) | 2 GB mailbox |
| SharePoint | Read-only | Full access |
| OneDrive | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Entra ID P1 (Conditional Access) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Intune P1 (device management) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Windows Enterprise | ❌ | ✅ |
| Shifts (schedule management) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Walkie Talkie (push-to-talk) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Tasks / Updates apps | ✅ | ✅ |
| Viva Connections | ✅ | ✅ |
| Copilot eligible | ❌ | ❌ |
💡 Rule of thumb: If workers just need to read documents and use Teams → F1 ($3). If they need to create and edit content, or you need to manage their devices with Intune → F3 ($10).
Frontline-Specific Features
These features are designed specifically for frontline workers and work across both F1 and F3:
| Feature | What It Does | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Shifts | Schedule management for shift workers | Managers create rosters, workers swap shifts |
| Walkie Talkie | Push-to-talk over Teams | Instant voice comms on the floor — replaces physical radios |
| Tasks | Task assignment and tracking | Head office pushes tasks to all stores |
| Updates | Structured check-ins from workers | Start-of-shift safety checks, status reports |
| Viva Connections | Mobile intranet dashboard | Company news, announcements, policies |
| Approvals | Request and approve time off, expenses | Works inside Teams with Power Automate |
Frontline vs Enterprise — When to Upgrade
flowchart LR
F1["F1
$3/mo"]
F3["F3
$10/mo"]
E3["M365 E3
$39/mo"]
E5["M365 E5
$60/mo"]
F1 -->|"Need editing"| F3
F3 -->|"Need desktop apps\nor 100GB mailbox"| E3
E3 -->|"Need advanced\nsecurity"| E5
| Feature | F1 ($3) | F3 ($10) | E3 ($39) | E5 ($60) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web/Mobile Apps | View | Edit | Edit | Edit |
| Desktop Apps | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Exchange | Kiosk | 2 GB | 100 GB | 100 GB |
| OneDrive | 2 GB | 2 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Security suite | Basic | Basic | P1 | P2 |
| Copilot eligible | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Per-user cost | $3 | $10 | $39 | $60 |
💡 The mixed licensing play: Most organisations give F1 or F3 to frontline workers ($3-10/user) and E3 or E5 to office staff ($39-60/user). A 5,000-person company with 3,000 frontline F1 and 2,000 office E3 saves $216,000/year vs giving everyone E3.
Common Scenarios
| Scenario | Recommended Plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Retail associates with shared tablets | F1 ($3) | Only need Teams comms and view access |
| Healthcare nurses with personal phones | F3 ($10) | Need to edit notes, manage devices via Intune |
| Warehouse workers with scanners | F1 ($3) | Push-to-talk, task checklists, no document editing |
| Field technicians with company laptops | F3 ($10) | Need Windows Enterprise + Intune + editing |
| Delivery drivers with company phones | F1 ($3) | Teams navigation, task updates, no documents |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between F1 and F3?
F1 ($3) gives view-only web apps, Teams, and basic identity. F3 ($10) adds full web/mobile app editing, Windows Enterprise, and Intune for device management.
2. Can frontline workers use Copilot?
Not currently. Microsoft 365 Copilot requires E3, E5, Business Standard, or Business Premium as a base plan. Frontline plans (F1/F3) are not eligible.
3. What mailbox size do frontline workers get?
F1 gets an Exchange Kiosk licence (Teams calendar only, no real mailbox). F3 gets a 2 GB mailbox. Both are much smaller than enterprise plans (100 GB). Frontline workers primarily use Teams, not email.
4. Can I mix frontline and enterprise licences in the same tenant?
Absolutely. Most organisations give F1/F3 to frontline workers and E3/E5 to office-based staff. This is the recommended approach and is fully supported by Microsoft.
5. Do frontline workers get OneDrive?
F1 gets 2 GB OneDrive (very limited). F3 also gets 2 GB. For meaningful file storage, use shared SharePoint sites instead of individual OneDrive.
6. Can frontline workers join Teams meetings with desktop users?
Yes. Teams works the same across all licence types. Frontline workers can join meetings, chat, and collaborate with any M365 user.