Office 2021 Standard vs Professional Plus: Which Edition Do You Need?

Microsoft Office 2021 comes in two main editions — Standard and Professional Plus. Both include the core apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), but Professional Plus adds Access and Publisher plus advanced enterprise features. This guide breaks down every difference so you can choose the right edition — and save up to 93% on either.

Quick answer: If you only need Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, Office 2021 Standard is the better value. If you need Access (databases), Publisher (desktop publishing) or enterprise features like email archiving, choose Office 2021 Professional Plus.

Office 2021 Standard vs Professional Plus: Feature Comparison

Key takeaway: The price difference between Standard and Professional Plus at Licendi is just €2. For that small premium, Professional Plus adds Access, Teams and enterprise email features.

Apps Included in Each Edition

Office 2021 Standard Includes:

• Word — Document creation and editing
• Excel — Spreadsheets, formulas, charts and data analysis
• PowerPoint — Presentations with animations and transitions
• Outlook — Email, calendar and contact management
• OneNote — Digital notebooks for note-taking
• Publisher — Desktop publishing for flyers, brochures and newsletters

Office 2021 Professional Plus Adds:

• Access — Relational database management for custom business applications
• Teams (classic) — Video calls, chat and collaboration platform
• Power Pivot — Advanced data modelling in Excel for large datasets
• Power View — Interactive data visualisation in Excel
• In-Place Archive — Automatic email archiving policies in Outlook

Who Should Choose Office 2021 Standard

Office 2021 Standard is ideal if you:

• Need the core productivity suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) for everyday use
• Work as an individual or in a small team that does not require Access databases
• Already use a separate communication tool (Slack, Zoom) and do not need Teams
• Want a perpetual licence at the lowest possible price
• Use Publisher for basic design work but do not need advanced data tools

Who Should Choose Office 2021 Professional Plus

Office 2021 Professional Plus is the better choice if you:

• Use databases — Access lets you create custom business applications, inventory trackers, CRM tools and reporting systems without coding
• Need Teams — Built-in video conferencing, chat and file sharing without a separate Microsoft 365 subscription
• Work with large datasets — Power Pivot handles millions of rows in Excel, far beyond standard pivot table limits
• Manage compliance — Data Loss Prevention and Information Rights Management protect sensitive documents
• Run a business — Email archiving policies help meet regulatory retention requirements

Pricing Comparison

Both editions are one-time purchase, perpetual licences — no monthly subscription fees. They work offline and never expire. All Licendi licences are 100% genuine and EU-legal under the UsedSoft ruling, with instant delivery, lifetime warranty and personal support.

Office 2021 vs Office 2024: Should You Wait?

Office 2024 is now available and brings updated features, a refreshed interface and improved performance. If you are buying fresh, consider Office 2024 — especially Professional Plus, which starts at €62.99 at Licendi.

However, Office 2021 at €31.99 is still excellent value if:

• Budget is your top priority
• You do not need the latest features (the core apps function identically)
• You are setting up multiple PCs and want to minimise cost per seat

Both versions receive security updates until their end-of-support date (Office 2021: October 2026). Read our full Office 2021 vs Microsoft 365 comparison for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions