Microsoft Releases Office 2024: A One-Time Purchase Option Amidst Subscription Push

Microsoft Office 2024 is now available for $149, keeping the non-subscription option alive

In brief: Microsoft really wants Office users to pay for a 365 subscription, but the company still releases new one-time-purchase editions every three years. The latest update offers performance improvements and new functionality for Excel, Outlook, and OneNote. However, previous versions are available at a substantial discount. The latest major update to the non-subscription version of Microsoft's iconic productivity suite is available starting Tuesday for a $149 one-time purchase. Office Home & Business 2024, which adds Outlook to the package, retails for $249. Microsoft Office Home 2024 customers receive access to the latest versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. By going without a subscription to Microsoft 365, users miss out on a suite of generative AI features the company recently introduced. The standalone version of Excel allows users to insert text, arrays, and images more easily. Pictures can be directly pasted into spreadsheets, and the "Image" function ensures they don't lose their original formatting. Meanwhile, with dynamic arrays, charts automatically update to visualize newly added data. In Outlook, a new checking function can proofread emails for accessibility. Furthermore, improved search functionality ensures better results when users look for files, emails, or events. The Mac version now supports left and right swipe gestures. Improved inking functionality in OneNote includes a full-screen pen-focused view. The new cameo feature enables users to insert live video feeds into PowerPoint. Recording Studio introduces tools to record narration, animations, transitions, and inking for PowerPoint presentations. Additionally, all applications have received performance optimizations. Microsoft aims to make Excel run more smoothly when users open multiple workbooks simultaneously. Microsoft Office 2024 supports 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 11, Windows 10, macOS Sequoia, macOS Sonoma, and macOS Ventura. Microsoft has promised five years of feature updates, followed by an extended security support period. Office 2024 won't be the last non-subscription edition, as the company confirmed plans to release at least one more, possibly in 2027. Those wishing to acquire a standalone version of Office who don't mind missing out on the latest features can purchase the 2019 and 2021 editions for over $100 less than the new release. The latest deal for Professional Plus 2019 is only $25 for the Windows or macOS packages. However, security updates for Office 2016 and 2019 will end in October 2025. Meanwhile, paying just $10 more grants lifetime access to Office Pro 2021.

Microsoft releases Office 2024, the latest buy-once-own-forever version of Office

Microsoft's push to get Windows and Office users to buy Microsoft 365 subscriptions can be irritating, but to the company's credit, it's one of the few that has continued to sell buy-once, use-forever versions of its flagship software after launching a subscription model. This week the company has officially launched Microsoft Office 2024, a new "locked-in-time" update to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other apps for people who don't want the continuously developed Microsoft 365 versions. For end users, Office Home 2024 gets you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for $149.99. Office Home & Business 2024 costs $249.99, which adds Outlook "and the rights to use the apps for commercial purposes." Both licenses cover a single PC or Mac. New Office Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) products are also being released for businesses and other organizations; Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 for Windows also includes the Access database management app. Project 2024 and Visio 2024 are also still being offered as standalone products. The new apps include most changes made since Office 2021 was released three years ago; Microsoft details those updates here and on its Learn documentation site. Unlike the Microsoft 365 versions, the perpetually licensed versions of the apps won't get ongoing feature updates, they're missing some real-time collaboration capabilities, and they also won't get any features related to the Copilot AI assistant.

Microsoft's No-Subscription Office 2024 and Windows 11 Update Are Out Now

Microsoft has released two versions of Office 2024 for Windows PCs and Macs, the latest edition of its productivity suite that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and (in the Home & Business version) Outlook. These are the so-called "Locked-in" versions of the software, in that they don't require an annual subscription to Microsoft 365 and are priced at $149.99 for Office Home 2024 and $249.99 for Office Home & Business. In addition to adding Outlook, the Home & Business version also is licensed to allow the apps to be used for commercial purposes, Microsoft says. The company says Office 2024 is compatible with Windows 10 and 11 and the last three versions of MacOS. The new Office arrives just as Microsoft released a significant Windows 11 update, 24H2, that adds support for Wi-Fi 7, new features for Phone Link, visualizations in File Explorer, support for advanced hearing aids, a new energy saver mode and new Copilot AI features. Settings now allows Windows 11 users to reverse the scroll direction on their mouse and the update includes Sudo, a tool for developers. The update also removes a few apps from Windows 11 including Windows Mixed Reality, Tips and WordPad. While 365 subscribers have been getting regular improvements and updates to Office, some of the features Microsoft is touting for the Office 2024 release will be new to those who have been using the last edition, Office 2021. Some of the major upgrades include: Both the Home and Home & Office editions are meant to be installed on only one Mac or PC and don't include Publisher and Access, which are available for PC with a Microsoft 365 subscription. 365 costs $69.99 a year for its Personal edition and $99.99 a year for Microsoft 365 Family. Both versions of 365 work with up to five devices at once, with Family extending its use for up to six people. Both include cloud storage, unlike the stand-alone Office 2024.