Which Microsoft Office to choose: subscription, purchase or free
The most common question after a Windows install: “Can you put Word and Excel on too?” Yes — but first you need to pick your Office option. There are three, each with its own strengths.
Microsoft 365 — subscription
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneDrive cloud storage, paid monthly or yearly. Always the latest version, several devices, and a family plan for several people. Ideal if you want the cloud and phone access.
Office 2024 — one-time purchase
Pay once, no cloud and no subscription. Good if you only need Word and Excel on one computer. Office 2024 is supported until October 2029.
Free options
- Office on the web — free with a Microsoft account: Word, Excel and PowerPoint online, enough for simple documents.
- LibreOffice — a free office suite that opens Word and Excel files; complex spreadsheets and macros may differ.
- On a MacBook — free Pages, Numbers and Keynote.
Support dates for older versions
- Office 2016 and 2019 — support ended on 14 October 2025.
- Office 2021 — support ends on 13 October 2026.
- Office 2024 — until 9 October 2029; Microsoft 365 is updated continuously.
What I recommend
Home and study — Microsoft 365 Family or free Office on the web. A small office — Microsoft 365 for business (email, cloud, shared documents) or Office 2024 on PCs that only need documents. You buy the licence yourself from Microsoft or a reseller; I help you choose, then install and activate it on your account.