Office 2019 vs 2021: Which Should You Buy?

When Microsoft released Office 2021, it confirmed that a new perpetual-licence version of Office was still available for purchase. This makes it worth comparing Office 2021 with its predecessor, Office 2019, to see whether upgrading is worthwhile.

Office 2021: the latest purchase version of Microsoft Office

Before comparing the two versions, it is worth clarifying what a perpetual-licence (one-time purchase) version means.
Microsoft offers another alternative, Microsoft 365, but this is a subscription version. This means that these two alternatives are based on completely different business models. In the case of Microsoft 365, there are monthly or annual fees. If you opt for this version, you can use the software for the corresponding period (1 year). This way you always have access to the latest version. This is practical and convenient. However, after the period has expired, you have to pay the corresponding fee again.

If, on the other hand, you opt for a purchase version, there are no restrictions on use. You will be able to use the software forever. It is worth noting, however, that support ends after a few years, meaning you will no longer receive security updates. That said, you can still continue using the software, which is especially common among home users. A small disadvantage of the purchase version is that you cannot update to the latest version. You also do not have access to the OneDrive cloud storage that is included in the subscription versions. However, you benefit from significant savings. Even if you only use the software until the end of support, the costs are significantly lower than those of a subscription for the corresponding period. If you continue to use the Office software after this period, the savings are even greater. For this reason, many users prefer the purchase version.

Microsoft had considered discontinuing perpetual-licence versions in favour of Microsoft 365. However, many users were unwilling to commit to a subscription and considered switching to competing products. In response to this demand, Microsoft decided to release Office 2021 as a perpetual-licence edition.

Comparison between Office 2019 and Office 2021: the new functions

Now it's time to compare the latest version of Office with its predecessor, Microsoft Office 2019. Microsoft has published numerous details about what users can use in the new version. These are presented in the following sections.

Dark mode

Working on a computer in dim lighting can cause eye strain due to the contrast between a bright screen and dark surroundings. Office 2021 introduces Dark Mode, which switches the interface to a dark background with light text. This reduces glare and makes the latest Office version more comfortable to use in low-light conditions.

Dynamic arrays

Dynamic arrays were first introduced in Office 365 and have since expanded what is possible in Excel. Microsoft has now integrated this feature into the perpetual-licence version as well. While arrays have existed in Excel for some time, dynamic arrays allow formulas to automatically generate and populate arrays with the values you specify. This is particularly useful in combination with filter and sort functions, making it much easier to process large data sets from external sources and arrange them in the desired format.
New function XLOOKUP()

The next improvement is also related to Excel. The XLOOKUP() function, which was not available in the previous version, has been integrated. This is a practical search function. Especially with larger data sets, it is often necessary to find a specific value. For this purpose, only the VLOOKUP() and HLOOKUP() functions were available in the 2019 version of Microsoft Office. However, these offered comparatively few application options and were associated with numerous limitations. XLOOKUP(), on the other hand, offers numerous new options for searching large data sets for values. For example, you can search tables in all directions. With the previous functions, you always had to decide between a vertical or horizontal search. Another practical detail is that with XLOOKUP() you can determine the column for the return values yourself.

Lines Focus

Sometimes you need to focus on a specific part of a document, but with the entire page visible it can be difficult to concentrate. Microsoft has addressed this with Line Focus in Word. This allows you to highlight a specific area. All other text areas are greyed out. This reduces distractions. You can choose whether one, three or five lines should be displayed.

Recording presentations with soundtrack with PowerPoint

Slide presentations are an effective way to structure a talk and hold the audience’s attention, and diagrams and infographics can make complicated topics easier to understand. PowerPoint offers many tools for building presentations, but speakers previously had to deliver any additional explanations live. This can complicate the presentation and lead to errors. For this reason, PowerPoint 2021 now offers a new recording feature. You can create slide presentations entirely in advance, complete with narration. The audio track is easily recorded and embedded directly in the slide show.

The support period

An important aspect of using software is the support period. During this time, you receive security updates that protect you from attacks. Especially for commercial users, this is very important to protect themselves from threats. Private users, on the other hand, often use the software beyond the support period. However, it is important to take a quick look at this detail. Microsoft has shortened the support period of the 2021 version to five years. This is two years less than the 2019 version, where the support period was seven years. If a long support period is important to you, bear this difference in mind. The support period begins from the software’s release date, not from the date of purchase. Since Office 2019 was released several years ago, its remaining support window is shorter.

Conclusion: Office 2021 Pro Plus brings with it many exciting innovations

Comparing Office 2019 and Office 2021 shows that the latest version brings many practical improvements. The most notable addition is Dark Mode, which makes working in low-light conditions more comfortable. Excel in particular benefits from new functions such as dynamic arrays and XLOOKUP(). Word and PowerPoint have also gained useful enhancements, making the upgrade worthwhile for most users.

We have several versions of Office 2019 and 2021 available. If you have any questions, you can contact us here. If you are not sure which version you need, click on our blog: Which Microsoft Office program do I need?
Here you will find product descriptions, additional information and configuration options directly from the manufacturer. Software support is also guaranteed by the manufacturer. You can find more information and details about Office 2021 Professional Plus here.