If you're planning to upgrade,
or you're new to Microsoft Office, you probably noticed that now you
have two options: Office 2019 and Office 365. If you're a little
confused on which one to get, you're not alone.
Although both versions offer the same apps, including Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, and Outlook with the latest core features, there are some
significant differences that come down to the cost of ownership and list
of features. (And to be clear, Office 2019 isn't a replacement for
Office 365.)
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the information you need to know to decide between getting Office 2019 or Office 365.
Office 2019 features
Office 2019 is the name that Microsoft is using for the standalone
version of the popular suite of office apps, which doesn't require a
monthly subscription, meaning that once you go through the one-time
purchase, you own the copy forever.
Using this option (also known as "perpetual" or "on-premises" version
of Office), you can only install the apps on a single computer, you'll
get security updates, but you won't be able to upgrade to a follow-up
version. This means that you can keep using the version that you
purchased for its lifecycle and beyond (without updates), but if you
want to access the new features and tools, you'll need to pay full price
again.
Also, even though Office 2019 comes with apps like Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, and Outlook with more improvements than its predecessor, it
only ships with a subset of features and without many of the perks
available with an Office 365 subscription.
For example, with the 2019 version, you won't find cloud and AI
features, and benefits, such as 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage, and free
monthly credit to make calls to landlines using Skype.
Who should buy Office 2019
Although anyone can purchase Office 2019, this version has been
designed for commercial customers with volume licenses, which also
happen to have specific requirements to use the suite of apps
on-premises, and they're not ready to transition to a cloud-based
version of Office.
If you're a regular consumer, this is still (somewhat) a good option,
but only if you plan to install the suite on a single device, you don't
depend on new features, or you're not ready to start using cloud-based
applications, and you prefer a more traditional experience.
Additionally, while you're getting a license for one PC or Mac going
down the one-time purchase route, you can install the Office apps on all
your mobile devices, but you'll only get some basic features.
Office 2019 comes in two flavors, including Office Home & Student 2019 and Office Home & Business 2019, and they're typically priced at $149.99 and $249.99 per device respectively.
Office Home & Student 2019 comes with Word, Excel, and
PowerPoint, while Office Home & Business 2019 includes Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.
Also, consider that unlike previous perpetual versions, Office 2019 is only supported on devices running Windows 10
or the three most recent versions of macOS. If you must use the most
up-to-date version of Office, and you're still on Windows 8.1 or Windows
7, you have to purchase an Office 365 subscription.
See at Microsoft
Office 365 features
Office 365 is the name that Microsoft uses for its subscription plan
service that offers the same apps available with Office 2019, but with
even more apps, more features, tools, and other benefits.
Using this option, you'll be paying a monthly or yearly subscription
feed giving you access to apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook,
Publisher, Access, and others on all your devices as long as only five
devices are accessing the account at a time. Also, depending on your
subscription plan, you can share the account with up to five additional
people, for a total of six people with one subscription.
Perhaps one of the best features getting a subscription plan is that
you never have to worry about new versions. When you're using Office
365, you'll always be running the most up-to-date version of the apps
that Microsoft can offer. This unlocks regular security updates,
improvements, and more importantly, access to the latest features and
tools as soon as they become available.
Quick Tip: Although Office 365 applications should update automatically, you can always check for updates on
File >
Account, clicking
Update Options, and selecting the
Update Now button.
You also get cloud features, such as real-time collaboration, and AI
features to help boost your productivity at home, school, work, and
across devices. In addition, as part of the bundle, you get 1TB of
OneDrive storage, Skype minutes to make calls to landlines, and you can
contact the support line with any questions you may have.
Similar to Office 2019, you can install Office 365 on your mobile
devices, but unlike the perpetual version, you'll get access to the
complete array of features.
Who should buy Office 365
If you need access to the suite of apps, Office 365 is perhaps your
best choice, as it's the only option that ensures continuity of updates
and upgrades at a low cost. Also, you get access to all the apps, which
you can install on all your devices, including on devices running
Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and macOS. (Office 2019 only allows
you to use apps on a single computer running Windows 10.)
The subscription service comes with different plans. If you are the
only person using the apps and services, you can purchase the "Office
365 Personal" plan for $69.99/year, which gives you access to the
software suite, in addition to 1TB of OneDrive storage, and Skype
minutes.
However, if you're planning to share the plan with family members or
roommates, you should select the "Office 365 Home" plan for $99.99/year,
which allows you to share the apps and the benefits with up to five
additional people, and everyone gets their Skype minutes and 1TB of
OneDrive storage. Amazon even has a deal on it right now offering one year of Office 365 Home for $54.99.
If you choose to buy into a subscription plan, you should purchase
the yearly subscription as you'll be spending more money paying the
monthly feed.
Microsoft even has a free subscription plan for students and teachers
using a valid school email address. Using this service, you'll get
access to Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, and other
school tools for free.
Alongside the consumer options, Microsoft also provides Office 365 small businesses and enterprises.
See at Microsoft
Office Online
If making the move to Office 2019 is too expensive, or you're not
willing to commit to a monthly subscription, you also have Office
Online. This option is free, and it allows you to access the web version
of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with all the essential features most
regular users will need to get the work done. The apps are available
through any web browser and from virtually anywhere, plus you get 5GB of
OneDrive to store your documents and photos.
You can sign up for Office Online in this website, but if you already have an Outlook.com account, then you're already signed up with Office Online.
More Windows 10 resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
- Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
- Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
- Windows 10 forums on Windows Central
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