Jul 07, 2020 The service recently called Office 365, rebranded as Microsoft 365 on 21 April, after receiving a whole bunch of updates. In spite of the name change and upgrades, the prices remain the same actually. If you do not want to buy a subscription, then the latest version of Office for Mac is Office Home & Student 2019 (£119.99/US$149.99) or Office. Microsoft 365 makes your life more creative, organized, and secure. With Microsoft 365, you’ll always have the latest AI-powered Office apps, 1 TB of cloud storage, and premium mobile features to stay on top of things wherever you are on any device.
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The best solution for youI've worked with the suite Microsoft Office apps for a long time, and while I've tried other apps, I always come back because of the features and usability. After spending thousands of hours writing, communicating, and collaborating with these apps and services, I know that choosing between Office 2019 and Microsoft 365 (Office 365) isn't easy.Subscription-based
Office 365
One-time purchase
Office 2019
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is the best option for anyone who needs access to the full range of apps and perks on multiple devices. And, you can share an account with up to six people. Also, it's the only option that offers continuity of updates and upgrades with a low cost of ownership. However, there are monthly or yearly costs, and you may end up paying for features that you'll never use over time.
Pros
- All apps access
- Multiple people can use across multiple devices
- Free upgrades
- Customer support
- Windows 10, 8.x, 7, and macOS support
Cons
- Monthly or yearly subscription
- Limited functionality if service issues
- New changes may be overwhelming
- Paying for unnecessary features
If you only need the basic features on a single PC, Office 2019 is probably all you need, as it allows you to access the must-have apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, with all the necessary functionalities. However, paying upfront can be pricey, you have to pay again for upgrades, and you don't get extra perks.
Pros
- Popular apps access
- No monthly payments
- Security updates
- Traditional experience
- Windows 10 and macOS support
Cons
- One device per license
- Limited set of features
- Limited to Windows 10 and macOS
- No upgrades
- No customer support
If you're planning to upgrade, or you're new to Microsoft Office, you probably noticed that now you have two options: Office 2019 and Microsoft 365 (Office 365). If you're a little confused about which one to choose, you're not alone. Although both products give you access to the same apps with the latest core features, some significant differences come down to the cost of ownership and the list of enhancements.
Office 2019
Source: Windows Central
Office 2019 is the name that Microsoft is using for the standalone version of its popular suite of office apps. It doesn't require a monthly subscription, meaning that once you go through the one-time purchase, you own the copy forever.
Using this option (also known as the 'perpetual' or 'on-premises' version of Office), you can install the apps on one computer, and you'll get security updates. But you won't be able to upgrade to a follow-up version. This means that you can keep using the version that you purchased for its life-cycle (usually five years) and beyond (without updates), but if you want to access the new features and tools, you'll need to pay full price again.
Also, even though Office 2019 comes with apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook with more improvements than the older version, it only ships with a subset of features and without many of the perks available with a Microsoft 365 subscription. For example, with the 2019 version, you won't find cloud and AI features, along with benefits such as 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage and free monthly credits to make calls to landlines using Skype.
Who should buy Office 2019
Although anyone can purchase Office 2019, this version has been designed for commercial customers with volume licenses in mind who aren't yet ready to transition to a cloud-based version of Office and happen to have specific requirements to use the suite of apps on-premise.
Although anyone can purchase Office 2019, this version has been designed for certain commercial customers.
If you're a regular consumer, this is still (somewhat) a good option if you prefer a more traditional approach. If you plan to install the suite on a single device, don't depend on new features, or are not ready to start using cloud-based applications, then it's also a solid choice.
Additionally, while you're getting a license for one PC or Mac going with the one-time purchase option, you can install the Office apps on all your mobile devices, but you'll only get some basic features.
Office 2019 comes in two flavors, including 'Office Home & Student 2019' and 'Office Home & Business 2019,' and they're typically priced at $150 and $250 per device, respectively. Office Home & Student 2019 comes with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, while Office Home & Business 2019 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
Also, consider that unlike previous perpetual versions, Office 2019 is only supported on devices running Windows 10 or the three most recent versions of macOS. If you must use the most up-to-date version of Office and still on Windows 8.1 or Windows 7, you have to purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Microsoft 365 features
Source: Windows Central
Microsoft 365 is the new name of the subscription service that replaces Office 365. However, it offers the same benefits, the same apps available with Office 2019, plus additional apps, features, and perks.
Using this option, you'll be paying a monthly or yearly subscription fee giving you access to apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, and others across your devices (PC, Mac, tablet, and phone) as long as only six devices are accessing the account at a time. Also, depending on your subscription plan, you can share the account with up to five additional people for a total of six people with one subscription.
Perhaps one of the best parts about getting a subscription plan is that you never have to worry about new versions. When you're using Microsoft 365 (Office 365), you'll always be running the most up-to-date version of Microsoft's apps. This unlocks regular security updates, improvements, and, more importantly, access to the latest features and tools as soon as they become available.
You also get cloud features (such as real-time collaboration and AI features) to help boost your productivity when working from home, school, work, and across devices. Also, as part of the bundle, everyone gets 1TB of OneDrive storage (up to 6TB in total when using the Family subscription), Skype minutes to make calls to landlines, and you can contact the support line with any question you may have.
If you need even more storage, in addition to the already 1TB of cloud storage, subscribers can also purchase up to an additional 1TB of OneDrive storage on 200GB increments for an extra $1.99 per month, doubling the total storage up to 2TB (1TB already included with bundled and 1TB additional subscription) in their account for $9.99. This option is only available for Microsoft 365 'Personal' and 'Family' subscribers. However, if you're sharing the account using a Personal subscription with other people, only the primary account holder can access the separate full terabyte.
Similar to Office 2019, you can install Office with Microsoft 365 on your mobile devices, but unlike the perpetual version, you'll get access to the complete array of features.
Who should buy Microsoft 365
If you need access to the suite of apps, Microsoft 365 (Office 365) is perhaps your best choice, as it's the only option that ensures continuity of updates and upgrades at a low cost. Also, you get access to all the apps, which you can install on all your devices, including Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and macOS. (Office 2019 only allows you to use apps on a single computer running Windows 10.)
If you need access to the suite of apps, Office 365 is perhaps your best choice.
The subscription service comes with different plans. If you're the only person using the apps and services, you can purchase the 'Microsoft 365 Personal' (formerly 'Office 365 Personal') plan for $70 a year, which gives you access to the software suite, alongside 1TB of OneDrive storage and Skype minutes.
However, if you're planning to share the account with family members or roommates, you should select the 'Microsoft 365 Family' (formerly 'Office 365 Home') plan for $100 a year, which allows you to share the apps and benefits with up to six people. Plus, everyone gets their Skype minutes and 1TB of OneDrive storage.
If you choose to buy into a subscription plan, you should purchase the yearly subscription as you'll be spending more money paying the monthly fee.
Microsoft even has a free subscription plan for students and teachers using a valid school email address. Using this service, you'll get access to Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, and other school tools for free.
Important: Although the name has changed on April 21, 2020, the new subscription plans are meant to improve service at the same price with more apps, such as Microsoft Teams (consumer), Microsoft Family Safety, and feature like Microsoft Editor, PowerPoint Presenter Coach, and Money in Excel. (Some features and apps mentioned in this article, such as the consumer version of Teams and 'Money in Excel,' are not yet available.)
Windows 7 has reached the end of support, but Microsoft will continue to offer security updates for Office apps until January 2023, but you won't receive new features. Once you upgrade to Windows 10, support will resume with regular security patches, new features, and improvements.
So, which should you buy?
Ultimately, it'll depend on your requirements. However, if you'll be using the apps for a long time, purchasing a Microsoft 365 subscription is perhaps your best option, because you get full access to all the apps and perks with low cost of ownership.
Subscription-based
Microsoft 365
Stay productive with the latest features
Microsoft 365 (Office 365) gives you full access to all the apps and perks, such as 1TB OneDrive and Skype minutes. You can also install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other apps on up to six devices, and depending on the subscription, you can share the account with up to six people.
One-time purchase
Office 2019
Pay once and forget it.
Office 2019 comes with all the popular apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, with enough features to get the work done.
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Are you trying to decide if you should buy Office for Mac as part of a Microsoft 365 subscription or as a stand-alone product? [Note: Microsoft 365 used to be called Office 365, but Microsoft re-branded in in early 2020.] While cost is one important consideration it is not the only one. I’d like to point out a few other considerations that I think you should keep in mind as you make your decision. It is important to know that regardless of whether you buy Office as a stand-alone product or as part of Microsoft 365, you get the ability to download and install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc on your Mac. Microsoft offers a web-based version of these applications.The online versions are only available if you have an Microsoft 365 subscription. The online versions are cleverly named Word Online, Excel Online, etc. Frankly, I don’t believe I’ve ever used them so I can’t comment on how similar or dissimilar they are from the full desktop versions. Microsoft 365 subscribers get access to new versions of Office when they are released, which is typically about every 3 or 4 years. For example, Microsoft made the following Mac versions of Office: Office 2011, Office 2016 and they released Office 2019 in September 2018.
Home and Student vs Home and Business
First you need to determine if you want to buy the Home and Student version or the Home and Business version. While these names may be slightly confusing, the primary difference for Mac users is that the Home and Business version includes Microsoft’s email application, Outlook. If you’re a business customer or if you use Outlook then you should buy the Home and Business version. Both versions include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.
I Want To Buy Office For Mac As Software 2017
Office on iPad or iPhone
Do you want to use Office apps on your iPhone or iPad to edit documents? Microsoft lets you download and install Word, Excel and Powerpoint, for free, on your iOS device. However, this free version only lets you open and view Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. If you want to edit files then you need to have an Office 365 subscription.
I Want To Buy Office For Mac As Software Free
OneDrive
Do you use Microsoft’s OneDrive to store and/or share documents with others? If so, it probably makes more sense to get an Office 365 subscription since Microsoft provides 1TB of storage space per user as part of the subscription. Microsoft does offer stand-alone OneDrive accounts. As of the end of 2018, a free OneDrive account comes with 5 GB of storage and a paid account comes with 50 GB of storage space.
Price
Prices vary over time. I plan to update the prices in this article from time to time, but please always check exact prices in case the prices listed below aren’t current.
If you want to buy Office outright, you can get competitive pricing from Amazon for Office for Mac. When you purchase from Amazon make sure you buy one of the digital download versions which let you download the installer from Microsoft’s web site (which requires you to use a Microsoft account or create one.) For example, current prices for the Home and Student version of Office 2019 for Mac is about $120. This lets you install it on one Mac. It’s not currently possible to buy a multi-user license, such as the 3-packs that Microsoft previously offered.
If you want a Microsoft 365 subscription, buy it directly from Microsoft’s web site. For home use, you will likely pick between Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Home. The Personal plan currently costs $70 per year and lets you install Office on 1 Mac or PC. The Home plan costs $100 per year and lets you install Office on up to 6 Macs or PC.
Currently, Microsoft offers 3 plans for small business customers.
Microsoft 365 Business Essentials for $5/user/month. This plan only provides email accounts for your business. It does not include Word, Excel or Powerpoint.
Microsoft 365 Business for $8.25/user/month. This is the most commonly purchased plan. It includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Office 365 Business Premium for $12.50/user/month. This plan includes Word, Excel and Powerpoint as well as email hosting for your business.
Microsoft 365 subscriptions also include Microsoft’s Intelligent Services
In general, I think that if you need more than 3 licenses for your home or business and you look at the cost of ownership over about 5-6 years then it typically more affordable to buy Microsoft 365 subscriptions.