Office 2021 Vs. Microsoft 365 Which is The Best? Find out which application suite, between Office 2021 and Microsoft 365, is best for your office needs. In October 2021, Office 2021 was released alongside Windows 11. This is the most recent version of Microsoft’s 30-year-old productivity suite. However, if you go to the Microsoft website, you’ll discover that Microsoft 365 is also available.
“Why is Microsoft selling two versions of essentially the same product?” you might question. So, to clear things up, here’s a comparison between Microsoft 365 and Office 2021.
Subscription Vs. one-time purchase
The single-purchase version of Microsoft’s office suite is Office 2021. Home & Student 2021 and Home & Business 2021 are the two versions available. The former contains the desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for $149.99, while the latter adds Outlook for $249.99. The applications can also be used for corporate purposes with the Home & Business 2021 licence.
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What Can We Expect From Microsoft Office 2021?
The subscription-based office suite Microsoft 365 comes in two flavours: Personal and Family. Personal plans start at $69.99 per year (or $6.99 per month), while Family plans start at $99.99 per year (or $9.99 per month).
Both editions of Office 2021 need a considerable upfront financial investment compared to Microsoft 365’s services. You just need to spend money on the app once because it’s a one-time payment. If you choose Microsoft 365 Personal, on the other hand, you will be charged $69.99 each year.
If you choose Microsoft 365 Personal over Office Home & Student 2021, you would have already spent more in just two years. However, if you choose the Microsoft 365 Family plan and share it with six people, you would only pay $16.67 per person. The cost of your Microsoft 365 subscription would take at least nine years to match the cost of an equal number of Office 2021 licences.
Versions: Classic vs. Premium
You’ll get the 2021 editions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook if you pick Office 2021. (included in the Home & Business version). If you choose Microsoft 365, however, you will receive the 365 versions of these programmes.
So, what’s the difference between these two applications’ versions? In terms of features, there is currently no significant difference between them, especially since Office 2021 was only recently published.
However, you will not receive any future upgrades or new features if you purchase the Classic 2021 edition. What you see now is exactly what you’ll get. The Premium 365 edition, on the other hand, allows you to upgrade your installed applications whenever Microsoft publishes a new update or feature.
The XLOOKUP feature, for example, was added to Excel 365 in August 2019. However, if you’re using Microsoft Excel 2019, you won’t be able to utilise this function at all; it’s only available in the Excel 2021 edition.
Additional Services and Apps | Office 2021 Vs. Microsoft 365
In addition to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, Microsoft 365 now includes Skype and OneDrive. You may make up to 60 minutes of international calls each month with Skype. In addition, each unique user gets 1TB of OneDrive storage. So, if you have six people on your family subscription, you’ll receive 6TB of cloud storage.
When you download a 365 membership, you’ll also get Microsoft Access and Publisher. As a result, if you use these apps, you should consider switching to 365. Furthermore, each user may install all included Office programmes on up to five different devices with Microsoft 365.
So, if you have a MacBook, a desktop Windows PC, an iPhone, an Android device, and an iPad, you can install the office suite on all of them for free. Meanwhile, you may install all Microsoft 365 apps on up to 30 devices if you have a family membership with six people.
Additional Advantages of Microsoft 365
You also gain access to a number of features in addition to the applications and services listed above. You may use Microsoft 365 to easily incorporate royalty-free creative assets like as stock pictures, icons, fonts, templates, and more.
AI-powered tools such as the PowerPoint Presenter Coach, Resume Assistant, Designer, and Ideas are also included. These value-added capabilities make your life easier by utilising artificial intelligence to assist you in automating tasks.
Word, for example, can determine whether you’re creating a résumé and provide templates to help you enhance it. When making a presentation, ideas propose layouts and graphics. Designer also assists you in selecting formatting for your Word document and ensuring that it is uniform across all pages.
Is Microsoft 365 a Better Alternative?
After hearing about all of the advantages of Microsoft 365 vs Office 2021, you may believe that choosing the former is a no-brainer. But it isn’t that simple.
If you plan to retain your computer for at least two years, don’t require online storage, and just use the basic functionalities of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Office 2021 is the best option. This version is designed for young kids or retirees who don’t frequently use these applications and aren’t always online.
Professionals using company-provided smartphones may also choose the single-purchase option, particularly if they don’t use these applications outside of work.
You’re better off obtaining the subscription plan if you can pool at least two users who will share a Microsoft 365 plan for at least three years.
That’s because you’ll each spend $150 over three years, which is the same price as getting Office Home & Student 2021 as a single purchase. However, you will receive additional perks such as cloud storage, international calls, and more if you choose this option.
It Isn’t That Easy | Office 2021 Vs. Microsoft 365
You should sit down and ponder before picking one over the other because you want all the extra features or don’t like paying for memberships. “Which one provides the best value for me?” you might wonder. After all, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution in life.
When you’ve thought about your scenario, such as what you’d use the office suite for, what features you really need, and what other options you have, you’ll be able to pick the ideal selection for your lifestyle.