SUMMARY

• Most businesses running Microsoft 365 are paying for external tools that duplicate capabilities already included in their subscription
• The overlaps go unnoticed because the Microsoft alternatives are less well known and rarely get set up by default
• Consolidating reduces subscription costs, keeps business data inside one governed environment, and simplifies the tools your team needs to know
• These five replacements are available in Microsoft 365 Business Standard or above with no additional licensing

We do a Microsoft 365 utilisation review with most new clients as part of onboarding. The pattern is consistent. The business is paying for five or six external subscriptions that do something Microsoft 365 already does and nobody made the connection because the Microsoft version was never set up or mentioned.

The obvious ones get picked up quickly. The five below usually do not. They sit on a credit card statement unnoticed while the built-in alternative goes untouched. Over the past few months we have helped clients replace all of them without touching their Microsoft 365 licensing costs.

Here is what we switched, and how to do it yourself.

1. Calendly → Microsoft Bookings

Calendly has become the default for external appointment scheduling but Microsoft Bookings does the same job and is included in Microsoft 365 Business Standard.

Bookings lets you create a public scheduling page where clients, candidates, or contacts can book time directly into your calendar based on your real availability. You can set buffer times between appointments, define service types with different durations, assign bookings to specific staff members, and send automated confirmation and reminder emails to attendees.

To get started: go to office.com and open Bookings from the app launcher. Create a new booking page, set your available hours and services, and share the booking link wherever you would have shared your Calendly link.

2. Loom → Microsoft Teams screen recorder

Loom built its reputation on making async video messages easy. Teams has had built-in screen and video recording for some time, and for most businesses it does the same job.

Inside Teams you can record a video message with your screen, your camera, or both, and share the link directly in a chat or channel without the recipient needing to download anything. For internal walkthroughs, quick updates, and onboarding recordings, it removes the need for a separate Loom subscription.

To get started: open a Teams chat, select the video clip icon below the message box, and choose to record with your screen, camera, or both. The recording is saved automatically and the link is inserted into your message.

3. Miro or Mural → Microsoft Whiteboard

Miro and Mural became standard tools for remote workshops and visual collaboration. Microsoft Whiteboard is the built-in equivalent, integrated directly into Teams meetings.

Whiteboard supports sticky notes, freehand drawing, shapes, text, and image insertion on an infinite canvas. Multiple participants can collaborate in real time during a Teams meeting, and the whiteboard is saved automatically and accessible after the session ends. For facilitated workshops, brainstorms, and planning sessions, it covers what most businesses use Miro for without the subscription cost.

To get started: during a Teams meeting, select the Share button and choose Microsoft Whiteboard from the options. Everyone in the meeting can contribute immediately. You can also open Whiteboard directly from office.com to prepare a canvas before your session.

4. Eventbrite plus Zoom → Microsoft Teams Webinars

Businesses running webinars typically pay for Eventbrite to manage registrations and Zoom to deliver the session. Teams Webinars replaces both.

Teams Webinars includes a built-in registration page where attendees sign up, receive automated confirmation emails, and get a reminder before the event starts. You control the attendee experience during the session, with a clear distinction between presenters and audience members, Q&A management, and attendee reporting after the event. Registration data is captured and exportable, covering what most businesses use Eventbrite for, and the delivery replaces Zoom.

Most clients we work with have never had this one pointed out to them, and it is one of the more useful switches available inside Microsoft 365 Business Standard.

To get started: open Teams and select Calendar, then New Meeting, and choose Webinar from the event type options. Set up your registration page, add your presenters, and share the registration link with your audience.

5. Grammarly → Microsoft Editor

Grammarly is the most widely installed writing tool in business, but Microsoft Editor does the same core job and is already included in Microsoft 365.

Editor provides spelling and grammar checking, clarity suggestions, tone detection, conciseness recommendations, and inclusive language prompts across Word and Outlook. For browser-based writing, the Editor experience is now built directly into Microsoft Edge, covering Teams messages, SharePoint pages, and any web-based text field without a separate extension.

For staff using Chrome, Editor remains active inside Word for the web and Outlook on the web when signed into a Microsoft 365 account. For business writing, email, and document drafting it covers what most staff use Grammarly for.

To get started: Microsoft Editor is active by default in Word and Outlook. For browser coverage, switch to Microsoft Edge and sign in with your Microsoft 365 work account to activate the built-in writing assistance across the web.

A note on licensing

Most replacements are available in Microsoft 365 Business Standard. Teams Webinars requires Business Standard or above. Check your current plan at admin.microsoft.com under Billing before making the switch. In most cases the cost of upgrading from Basic to Standard is less than the combined subscriptions it replaces. We explore Microsoft licensing costs and other ways to maximise your IT spend in our article here.

The IT Agency helps keep businesses connected, protected, productive and supported through cyber governance, compliance, AI and managed IT solutions. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner and SMB1001 Gold Certified MSP, we help businesses simplify IT, implement technology securely and strengthen resilience. Talk to us about building a more secure and future-ready business.

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