In this guide · 8 sections
Short answer
For a five-person company, the core recurring IT cost is roughly US$35 to US$110 a month for Microsoft 365 (or about S$47 for Google Workspace Business Starter), plus a domain and a password manager. Set up Corppass, MFA and company-owned accounts on day one; they cost nothing and prevent most problems.
Before IT: the registration costs
ACRA's service and transaction fees page lists S$15 to apply for a business entity name and S$300 to register a new company. After that, annual returns cost S$60 a year. These are not IT costs, but founders often budget them together, and the company's Unique Entity Number (UEN) is needed for the steps below.
Week 1: identity and accounts
Set up Corppass
Corppass controls which staff can transact for the company on government services such as IRAS, CPF and MOM. Per ask.gov.sg, a Corppass Admin must hold an NRIC or FIN; if you are a Registered Officer, your Admin application is approved automatically. Wait at least a day after incorporation before applying.
Register the domain in the company's name
A .sg or .com.sg domain must be registered through an SGNIC-accredited registrar. Use the company as the registrant and a shared admin email, not a personal one. Our .sg vs .com.sg guide explains which to choose.
Choose Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
This gives you business email on your domain, file storage and video calls. Pick one; running both doubles the cost and the admin work.
Create a separate admin account
Keep the main administrator login separate from your everyday mailbox, protected with MFA, and store the recovery details somewhere safe.
If you would rather not do this yourself, our guide to setting up business email covers the DNS records that make email deliverable from day one.
What the core tools cost (October 2026)
Prices below are published list prices, per user per month on annual plans, before GST. Microsoft's come from its Singapore business plans page (new prices since 1 July 2026), and Google's from its Singapore Workspace pricing page.
| Item | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Business Basic | US$7.00 per user a month | Email, Teams, web and mobile Office apps |
| Microsoft 365 Business Standard | US$14.00 per user a month | Adds desktop Office apps |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium | US$22.00 per user a month | Adds device management and Defender for Business |
| Google Workspace Business Starter | S$9.40 per user a month (flexible) | Gmail, Drive, Meet |
| Password manager (Bitwarden Teams) | From US$4 per user a month | Shared vaults, removes leavers in one step |
| .sg domain | Varies by registrar; check the renewal price | First-year deals often require multi-year terms |
We have not run our own tests of these products; the figures are from vendor pages as of October 2026. Our Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace comparison helps you choose.
Worked example: a five-person company
A five-person consultancy on Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Bitwarden Teams, both billed yearly, before GST:
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: US$14 × 5 users × 12 months = US$840 a year
- Bitwarden Teams: US$4 × 5 × 12 = US$240 a year
- Domain: one .sg or .com.sg domain, renewed yearly at your registrar's price
- Laptops: whatever you buy, but buy business editions so they can be managed and encrypted
That is about US$1,080 a year for software, or about US$90 a month, before the domain and any one-off set-up help. If you choose Business Premium (US$22) instead, Microsoft includes device management and Defender for Business, which you would otherwise add separately. Check which of those you actually need before upgrading.
Security basics from day one
A new company is a small target, but it is not invisible: CSA's Singapore Cyber Landscape 2025/2026 report found SMEs were the most affected by ransomware. The cheapest protection is set up before you have data worth stealing.
Day-one security checklist
Our MFA set-up guide shows how to turn it on for the main services.
What can wait
Most new companies do not need a server, a managed IT contract or a full website in month one. A one-page site and a Google Business Profile are often enough at the start; our website cost guide explains the options when you are ready. Add accounting software when you start invoicing, and a data protection policy as soon as you collect customer personal data, because the PDPA applies from your first customer.
Do it yourself or get help?
A technical founder can set this up in a day. If nobody on the team wants to own DNS records, admin roles and MFA, getting it right at the start is much cheaper than fixing it after a lockout or a hacked mailbox.
Our Business Email Setup (S$249) sets up Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace on your domain with the right DNS records, mailboxes and shared addresses. Microsoft 365 / Google Security Lockdown (S$590) adds MFA, admin roles, sharing rules and a leaver process.
Frequently asked questions
For software, expect roughly US$7 to US$22 per user a month for Microsoft 365, or from S$9.40 for Google Workspace, plus a password manager from about US$4 per user and a yearly domain fee, as of October 2026. A five-person team on Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Bitwarden pays about US$1,080 a year before GST and hardware.
Corppass for government services, a domain registered in the company's name, business email through Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, MFA on every important account, and a password manager. Websites, servers and managed IT contracts can usually wait until the business needs them.
Usually a director or trusted manager who holds an NRIC or FIN. If they are a Registered Officer with ACRA, their application is approved automatically. Each entity can appoint up to two Admins, so add a second one to avoid being locked out if someone leaves.
The company's. If the domain or email account is registered to an employee, a former partner or a web agency, you may struggle to get it back later. Use the company as registrant, a shared admin email address, and turn on auto-renew and two-factor login at the registrar.
Not always. Business Basic or Standard is enough for email and documents. Business Premium, at US$22 per user a month as of October 2026, adds device management and Defender for Business. It is worth it if staff handle sensitive data on laptops or you want central control of devices.