Microsoft has just launched a new version of its famous office suite, Office 2024. It is now available for businesses and individuals. Unlike the Microsoft 365 version, which is based on a subscription model, Office 2024 is offered as a perpetual license, without a subscription. This product is the successor to Office 2021, launched in October 2021.
The Office 2024 suite is available in two editions: Office Home, available for $149.99, and Office Home and Small Business, available for $249.99. Both editions can be purchased through various channels, including online stores or an activation key, although the latter procedure may not comply with the law in some jurisdictions.
Both versions of Office 2024 include classic applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. However, the Office Home and Business edition stands out by offering, in addition, the Outlook email client.
What is the difference between Office 2024 and Microsoft 365?
Here is the list of the main differences in the form of a table/
| Office 2024 | Office Home & Business 2024 | Microsoft 365 Personal | Famille Microsoft 365 Family | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prix | 149,99 $ | 249,99 $ | $69.99 per year | $99.99 per year |
| Included | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Defender, Outlook, OneDrive, MS Editor, Clipchamp, | |
| Storage | none | none | 1 To | 1 TB for each user |
| Gens | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Devices | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Platforms | PC or Mac | PC or Mac | PC, Mac or Web | PC, Mac or Web |
| Improvements | Non | Non | Oui | Oui |
| Updates | Oui | Oui | Oui | Oui |
The main difference between Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 is how they are distributed and updated. Microsoft 365 is subscription-based that includes regular updates and cloud-based features.
On the other hand, Office 2024 does not offer these continuous updates. However, it has support for five years, until October 2029. After this date, Microsoft will stop publishing security and bug fixes.
In terms of compatibility, documents created with Office 2024 will be compatible with several earlier versions of the suite, including Microsoft 365, as well as Office versions 2021, 2019, 2016 and even Office 2007. To use it, an Internet connection is required. This is not necessary, except for initial activation which requires online access.
Microsoft has limited the number of licenses that can be associated with a single user account to 25 for Office Home and Office Home & Business 2024, as well as Office Professional 2021.
For those looking for a free alternative to Office 2024, LibreOffice, an open source office suite compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, is an interesting option.
Source : Microsoft via Ghacks
