July 2025 • 6 min read
SharePoint storage limits hit when you least expect them. Here's how organizations are getting blindsided by costs and what you can do to avoid the trap.
The Storage Limit Surprise
Most Microsoft 365 plans include a base amount of SharePoint storage:
- Business Basic/Standard: 1TB + 10GB per user
- Enterprise plans: 1TB + 10GB per user
- Additional storage: £0.18 per GB per month (£180/TB/month)
How Quickly Limits Are Hit
Real scenarios from our experience:
Marketing Agency
25 users, 1.25TB included storage
- • High-res images: 800GB
- • Video files: 600GB
- • Client projects: 300GB
Total: 1.7TB (over limit by 450GB)
Additional cost: £81/month
Engineering Firm
100 users, 2TB included storage
- • CAD files: 1.2TB
- • Project archives: 900GB
- • Documentation: 400GB
Total: 2.5TB (over limit by 500GB)
Additional cost: £90/month
The Hidden Storage Killers
1. Version History
SharePoint keeps versions of every file. A 100MB PowerPoint with 20 versions = 2GB of storage. Most organizations don't realize versions count toward their limit.
2. Deleted Items
Deleted files stay in the recycle bin for 93 days, still counting toward your storage quota.
3. Large Files
Design files, videos, and media assets grow faster than document storage. A single 4K video can be 500MB-1GB.
4. User Behavior
Users upload first, organize later. Duplicate files, poor folder structure, and "just in case" storage habits add up quickly.
⚠️ The Versioning Trap
One client discovered that 40% of their storage was consumed by file versions. A single Excel file had 150 versions totaling 300MB.
What Happens When You Hit the Limit
- Upload blocking: Users can't add new files
- Sync failures: OneDrive stops syncing properly
- User frustration: Productivity drops as people can't access files
- Emergency purchasing: IT has to buy expensive storage add-ons immediately
Traditional Solutions (And Why They Fall Short)
Buy More SharePoint Storage
Cost: £180-225/TB/month
Problem: Doesn't solve the underlying issue - you'll hit limits again
Clean Up and Delete Files
Cost: Staff time + potential data loss
Problem: Users resist deleting "important" files
Move to OneDrive Personal
Cost: Compliance and security risks
Problem: Files scattered across personal accounts
The Smart Alternative
Forward-thinking organizations are adopting a hybrid approach:
- Keep collaborative documents in SharePoint (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Move bulk storage to Azure Blob Storage (media, archives, large files)
- Maintain familiar interfaces so users don't need retraining
| File Type | Best Storage | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Office Documents | SharePoint | Co-authoring, version control, workflows |
| Design Files | Blob Storage | Large files, infrequent collaboration |
| Media Assets | Blob Storage | Size, cost, streaming capabilities |
| Archives | Blob Storage | Long-term storage, cost efficiency |
Real Results
"We went from paying an extra £150/month for SharePoint storage to £25/month for blob storage. Same files, same access patterns, 83% cost reduction."