Office 2024 or Microsoft 365? You buy Office 2024 once and use it on one PC or Mac. You receive security updates until October 9, 2029, but no new features. Microsoft 365 is a subscription: the programs can be installed on several devices, are extended continuously and come with cloud storage. The one-time purchase fits if you work on one device and today’s feature set is enough for you.
Quick decision
Office 2024 is enough if …
- you use Office on exactly one PC or Mac,
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote (with Home & Business also Outlook) cover your needs,
- you store files locally or in your own storage,
- you do not want any recurring costs.
Microsoft 365 fits better if …
- you work on several devices, for example PC, laptop, tablet and smartphone,
- you need cloud storage and real-time collaboration on documents,
- you want to receive new features as soon as Microsoft releases them,
- you want chat and phone support from Microsoft.
The differences at a glance
| Feature | Office 2024 (one-time purchase) | Microsoft 365 (subscription) |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | once | recurring, for as long as the subscription exists |
| Programs | classic versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote; Outlook with Home & Business | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Access (Access on PC only) |
| Devices | one PC or Mac | several devices: PCs, Macs, iPads, iPhones, Android tablets and smartphones |
| New features | No, as at release | Yes, continuously |
| Security updates | until October 9, 2029 | for as long as the subscription runs |
| Cloud storage | not included | 1 TB; for new subscriptions to the Family and Premium plans, 2 TB of shared storage since October 8, 2026 |
| Microsoft support by chat and phone | not included | included |
| Moving to the next version | new purchase at full price | included in the subscription |
| Internet | for redeeming, activation and updates | for redeeming, activation, updates and services |
The information comes from Microsoft’s frequently asked questions about Office 2024. Microsoft changed the storage sizes in the subscription in October 2026; before you subscribe, check the current plan overview at Microsoft.
What the one-time purchase lacks
Microsoft describes Office 2024 as a selection of the features of Microsoft 365. Features that build on cloud services are not included. As examples, Microsoft names PowerPoint Designer and the data types in Excel. The services themselves are missing too: OneDrive storage, Exchange Online and SharePoint Online belong to a subscription, not to Office 2024.
Office 2024 continues to support VBA macros. The desktop version of OneNote is also included.
What is different with the subscription
A subscription is tied to the recurring payment. What happens to programs and storage after a subscription ends is set out by Microsoft in the terms of the respective plan; read them before you subscribe. A one-time purchase, by contrast, continues to run after the end of support, but then no longer receives security updates. If you use Office unchanged for many years, the one-time purchase often works out cheaper. If you need cloud storage for several people anyway, you get it with the subscription. Calculate both options for your period of use; the current prices are on the product pages.
On the operating system: Microsoft 365 and Office 2024 require Windows 11 or one of the three most recent versions of macOS. Support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. For Microsoft 365 on Windows 10, Microsoft still delivers security updates until October 10, 2028, but no new features.
Typical cases
One PC in the study. You write letters, keep a household budget and manage email. Office Home & Business 2024 covers that. Without Outlook, Office Home 2024 is enough.
Family with four devices. Two laptops, a tablet and a PC are to use Office. With one-time purchases you would need a separate license for each device. Here a subscription for several people is usually the simpler solution.
Small office with fixed workstations. Every workstation has a PC, and the data is on your own server. A one-time purchase per workstation is common here. Which edition fits is shown in the
comparison of the Office 2024 editions.
Team working from home. Several people edit the same documents at the same time and meet online. That is the strength of the subscription.
Office 2024 at VivaKeys
We carry Office as a one-time purchase, not as a subscription:
- Microsoft Office Home 2024 with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote
- Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 additionally with Outlook
- Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac
All editions are in the
Microsoft Office 2024 category. How to redeem the key is shown in
Install Office: redeem the key and download.
This page compares one-time purchase and subscription. Which ways there are to use Office without any recurring costs at all is covered in
Buy Office once instead of subscribing. The general trade-off for any software is covered under
One-time purchase or subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Office 2024 without a subscription? Yes. Office 2024 is a one-time purchase without a term. You pay once and use the programs on one PC or Mac.
Does the Office 2024 license expire at some point? No, the license has no term. However, Microsoft’s support ends on October 9, 2029. After that there are no more security updates.
Do I need a Microsoft account for Office 2024? For Home and Home & Business, yes. You redeem the key once with the account and download Office from the account. You do not take out a subscription by doing so.
If I have Microsoft 365: do I also need Office 2024? No. According to Microsoft, Microsoft 365 already includes all features of Office 2024 and more.
Can I move from Office 2024 to the next version later? Yes, but only through a new purchase. Microsoft does not provide a discounted version upgrade for one-time purchases.
Sources
Checked on 2026-11-10 against the publisher’s information:
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/office-2024-and-office-ltsc-2024-faq-1c454a7d-3d0a-4139-b1bd-c61725ea436c
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/system-requirements/office-suites-for-individuals-and-families
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/office-2024
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/officeinstall/what-windows-end-of-support-means-for-office-and-microsoft-365