At first glance, Microsoft 365 and Office 2024 appear very similar to each other, as they both give you access to Microsoft’s well-known and well-used apps. However, once you delve deeper, it doesn’t take long to notice that they’re actually very different.
Office 2024—the successor toOffice 2021—is Microsoft’s one-time-purchase alternative to Microsoft 365. In this article, we’ll break the two packages down, helping you choose the one that’s right for you. Since Office 2024 includes bothOffice Home 2024andOffice Home & Business 2024, we’ll compare these toMicrosoft 365’s Personal and Business subscriptions.
All prices and details in this article are correct as of October 2024.
What is the Difference in Cost and Payments?
In short, Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based service, while Office 2024 requires a one-off purchase. Here are some more specific details.
Business
What Apps Are Included?
Whether you go for Microsoft 365 or Office 2024 primarily depends on which apps you want to use.
Personal
The availability of the Microsoft 365 mobile apps varies by country and region.
Office 2024 Doesn’t Come with Cloud Storage
If you use Microsoft’s cloud storage a lot, Office 2024 is a tough sell.
Which Has Better Updates and Support?
Both sets of software receive security updates, but that is the extent of the similarity.
Can You Use Them on Multiple Devices?
Both Microsoft 365 Personal and Business are compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, and, given its cloud-supported accessibility, you can easily jump between devices for on-the-go use.
On the other hand, Office 2024 can only be installed on one PC or Mac, regardless of whether you’re a Home or a Home & Business customer.
Monthly or annually for 365 Personal, and annually for Business
One-off, upfront
Cost
$6.99 a month or $69.99 a year for 365 Personal, or $6 per user per month to $22 per user per month for 365 Business
$149.99 for Office Home 2024, or $249.99 for Office Home & Business 2024
Apps
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Defender, OneDrive, Outlook, Clipchamp, and OneNote for 365 Personal, with Teams, SharePoint, Exchange, Extra ID, Intune, Defender, and Purview available for 365 Business, depending on subscription level
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for Office Home 2024, with Outlook added for Business accounts
Cloud storage
1TB with a 365 Personal account, or 1TB per employee with 365 Business accounts
Not available
Continuous app and security updates
Security updates and bug fixes only
Sign in on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android simultaneously
One PC or Mac only
Office 2021 vs. Office 2024
If you already purchased Office 2021, you might be considering whether it’s worth upgrading to Office 2024.
If you’re looking to upgrade, while going from Office to 2021 to Office 2024 might seem the obvious jump, it’s certainly worth considering the benefits of subscribing to Microsoft 365 instead.
Both Microsoft 365 and Office 2024 give you access to Microsoft’s comprehensive productivity tools. Despite this, the packages differ significantly. Microsoft 365 is better if you prefer a subscription-based payment structure, want to access the apps on the go through the cloud, and need more than Microsoft’s core apps. On the other hand, Office 2024 is ideal if you want to make a one-off purchase, don’t require multi-device access, and need only the traditional programs.
