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Which Version of Microsoft Office Is Right For Me?
01
February

In this article we’ll cover the differences between the MS Office versions that are currently available and even a few free versions of Office. Hopefully we will uncover which version of Microsoft Office is right for you.

Disclaimer: This article is aimed at personal and home users of Office products only. The business and enterprise solutions will be discussed in a separate article.

The first thing to take note of  when choosing which Version of Microsoft Office is right for you is that all current versions of MS Office are no longer available to purchase on a physical CD / DVD. You’ll have to download the software and install it. You will still need to buy the license. You can purchase this at your local computer store or online or directly from Microsoft. License keys that you buy in a physical store will come in small box that contains a business card-sized card with your license key printed on it.

For license keys bought online, the key is mailed to you once you’ve made your purchase. Microsoft purchases will store the license key in your Microsoft account. A Microsoft is a requirement when purchasing any software products from Microsoft.  Always remember to keep you license keys in a safe place in case you ever need to reload you computer.

Take note that when installing MS Office, you’ll need to login to or create a Microsoft account. This is the way that Microsoft now keeps track of your purchases.


Microsoft Office 2021

This is the “traditional” way that Office was sold in the past. Once you’ve purchased the product, its yours. There are no additional charges or monthly subscriptions fees. It’s a “pay once and it’s yours forever” package deal.

The down side to this is that you also wont receive any updates or products improvements. And if (or should we say, when) the product becomes obsolete, you’ll have to upgrade by repurchasing the new MS Office product.

Office 2021 comes in three options: Professional, Home & Student and Home & Business.


Office 2021 Home & Student

When choosing which version of Microsoft Office is right for, consider Home and Student. This version only includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint (No Outlook, I’m afraid). This is the bare basics of the MS Office options available. There are a number of ways to receive this package free of charge if you are a student or teacher. A quick Google could help you find this solution.

Home & Student

Pros

  • Free to students and educators
  • No monthly fees
  • No internet connection needed once downloaded
  • Includes Word, Excel & PowerPoint

Cons

  • Only works on Windows 10 & 11/ Mac iOS latest 3 versions
  • Does not include Outlook
  • Minor updates and product improvements
  • 1 purchase = 1 license for 1 PC or Mac
 


Office 2021 Home & Business

Another option to consider which version of Microsoft Office is right for you is Home And Business. This version includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. It’s a 1 purchase = 1 license for 1 computer (PC or MAC). Remember, MS Office 2021 will only run on Windows 10 & 11. On a MAC, Office 2019 is supported on the three latest versions of iOS. You don’t need to be connected to the internet to use Office 2019. But will require an internet connection to download and activate it (and to use Outlook – obviously).

Home & Business

Pros

  • No monthly fees
  • No internet connection needed once downloaded
  • Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

Cons

  • Only works on Windows 10 & 11/ latest 3 versions on Mac iOS
  • Minor updates and product improvements
  • 1 purchase = 1 license for 1 PC or Mac


Office 2021 Professional

Office 2021 Pro includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher and Access It’s also a 1 purchase = 1 license for 1 computer (PC or MAC). Remember, MS Office 2021 Pro will only run on Windows 10. On a MAC, Office 2021 Pro is supported on the three latest versions of iOS. You don’t need to be connected to the internet to use Office 2019. But will require an internet connection to download and activate it (and to use Outlook – obviously).

Office Professional

Pros

  • No monthly fees
  • No internet connection needed once downloaded
  • Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, Access and Publisher

Cons

  • Only works on Windows 10 & 11/ latest 3 versions on Mac iOS
  • Minor updates and product improvements
  • 1 purchase = 1 license for 1 PC or Mac


Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is the “new" way Microsoft delivers products and services to it’s customers. This is a subscriptions based service where you will have to pay a fee either monthly or annually. Office 365 is broken down into three major categories, Personal, Family and Business. (Business options are available but are not discussed in this article.)

Microsoft 365 Personal is a single user license but is available on multiple devices owned by that one user. It includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, Publisher (PC Only) and Access (PC only)

Microsoft 365 Personal

Pros

  • Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, Access (PC only) and Publisher (PC Only)
  • Receive free product improvements and updates
  • No internet connection needed once downloaded (except for storage access and email)
  • 60 free Skype minutes per month (conditions apply)
  • 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage
  • Free live chat or telephone support
  • 1 license = one user on 6 device

Cons

  • Only works on Windows 10 & 11/ latest 3 versions on Mac iOS
  • You will have to pay a monthly / annual fee


Microsoft 365 Family

Microsoft 365 Family is a multi license version where up to 6 users can use the software. This is designed for family use. It includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, Publisher (PC Only) and Access (PC only). As with Office 365 Personal, Home also includes many additional features, such as, 60 free Skype minutes per month per user* conditions apply, 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user and free live chat or telephone support for life.

You don’t need to be connected to the internet to use 365 but if you want to make use of the 1TB cloud storage then you’ll need an internet connection. And as with any email program, Outlook requires an internet connection to send and receive email. You’ll also need to connect to the internet to received updates. But for Word ,excl, PowerPoint,etc, an internet connection is not required.

Microsoft 365 Family

Pros

  • Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, Access (PC only) and Publisher (PC Only)
  • Receive free product improvements and updates
  • No internet connection needed once downloaded (except for storage access and email)
  • 60 free Skype minutes per month per user (conditions apply)
  • 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user
  • Free live chat or telephone support
  • 1 license = up to 6 family members

Cons

  • Only works on Windows 10 & 11 / latest 3 versions on Mac iOS
  • You will have to pay a monthly / annual fee
Get Microsoft 365 Family

Is there a Free version version of Microsoft Office that is right for me?

The simple answer is YES! However, as you’d probably expect, it’s quite limited.

The free version of Office is only available to use online (while you are connected to the internet). So this is essentially a cloud service. To access your free account, simply go to https://office.com/. Either create a Microsoft account or sign in with you existing Microsoft account – and that’s it! Your free MS Office account offers Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Tasks, Calendar and a few more nice to haves. You’ll only get 5GBs of free OneDrive space. One major drawback is that you can’t import your Outlook data into your free account

Office Online

Pros

  • Free
  • Most Office application available

Cons

  • Can’t import your email data to Outlook
  • Only 5 GB’s of cloud storage available
  • Need to be connected to the internet
  • All created documents are stored in OneDrive

Microsoft Office Alternatives

If you’re not sure which version of which version of Office is right for me, then you may want to consider and alternative. Here’s three options you might want to consider.

Google offers a similar cloud solution in the form of Gmail and Google Drive: Gmail replacing Outlook and Google Sheets, Google Docs and Google Slides replacing the Excel, Word and PowerPoint respectively. You’ll need to be connected to the internet.
You get 15GBs of space with Google and you can store anything in your drive, like photos, videos, music,etc. Sharing the content of your drive with anyone you like is an added bonus.

Gmail and Google Drive

Pros

  • Free
  • Use Sheets, Doc and Slides to replace Excel, Word and PowerPoint
  • 15GB cloud Storage

Cons

  • Need to be connected to the internet

Offline Alternatives to Office includes Open Office, which is free opensource software that could replace Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Open Office does not have an email client.

And lastly there’s LibreOffice. It’s also opensource software so its also free to download and use.
Again this package does not offer an email client.

Conclusion of which version of Office is right for me?

We hope this article helps you pick the right option for you Office suite that’s suitable for your needs.

Remember, if you need any assistance in choosing and installing your choice of Office products, feel free to get in touch with us. We are hear to help you.

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