One of the best aspects of Office 365 is the ability to use it on multiple devices. However, if you want to always have the latest software with all the latest features - including OneDrive storage, Skype minutes, and multiple-device compatibility - Office 365 should be your first choice. For the same apps, 1TB of OneDrive storage, and the ability to install the apps on a PC, a tablet, and a phone, you only pay about $70 for a year (opens in new tab) with Office 365 Personal.īottom line? If you can't be bothered with subscriptions and you want to buy one version of Office and stick with it for years without receiving anything other than security and bug updates, go with a version of Office 2019 that suits you best. As you can see in the table above, buying an Office Professional 2019 plan, which has the same apps as Office 365 but doesn't have the same cloud storage or multiple device functionality, will set you back about $440 (opens in new tab). If you buy Office 2019 today and keep it until 2022, you'll still have the same old Office 2019 apps without any new features.Īs for access to apps, if you want the full suite, you have to go with either Office 365 or Office Professional 2019.
If you buy an Office 365 subscription today and keep it going until, say, 2022, you'll basically have Office 2022. Keep in mind, though, that Office 2019 only receives security and bug updates and does not get any of the major new features coming in the future. If you only want Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, Office Home & Student 2019 (opens in new tab) is worth look a look.
This is better for those of you who want to purchase an item once and have it forever. Office 2019 is more of a classic buy-once deal. If you choose to pay on a monthly basis you'll pay a bit more by the end of the year, but you'll also have the ability to back out of your subscription at the end of any month.Īn Office 365 plan ensures you'll always have the latest apps and some extra features, but you can pay once and own Office 2019 forever. If you choose to pay on a yearly basis, you essentially get a discount that works out to two free months per year. Office 365, whether Personal, Home, or University, is a subscription-based service. University: $80 (4 years) (opens in new tab) Home: $100/year or $10/month (opens in new tab) Personal: $70/year or $7/month (opens in new tab)