Office 2021 vs Microsoft 365 in 2026: Which Should You Buy?

Quick answer: If you need Word, Excel and PowerPoint for one computer and want to pay once, Office 2021 Professional Plus costs just €62.99 at Licendi — and you own it forever. If you need cloud storage, the latest AI features and multi-device access, Microsoft 365 is the better fit. But there is a catch: Office 2021 support ends in October 2026, so timing matters.

This guide breaks down every difference — features, pricing, total cost over time, and who each option suits best — so you can make the right choice.

What Is Office 2021?

Office 2021 is the perpetual (one-time purchase) version of Microsoft Office. You pay once, install it on one PC or Mac, and use it indefinitely — no subscription, no recurring fees.

Microsoft released Office 2021 in October 2021 with mainstream support running until 13 October 2026. After that date, you can still use it, but you will no longer receive security updates.

Office 2021 Editions Available at Licendi

Key fact: Professional Plus includes every Office application — including Access and Publisher — yet costs less than Home & Student at Licendi. That price inversion happens because Licendi sells EU-legal pre-owned licences, which the European Court of Justice confirmed as fully legal in its landmark UsedSoft ruling.

What Is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a subscription service. You pay monthly or annually and get access to the latest Office apps, 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage, and ongoing feature updates — including AI-powered Copilot on higher-tier plans.

Microsoft 365 Plans at Licendi

The subscription gives you always-updated apps: when Microsoft releases new features, you get them automatically. You also get generous cloud storage and can install on multiple devices.

Office 2021 vs Microsoft 365: Side-by-Side Comparison

Total Cost of Ownership: The Real Maths

The subscription feels affordable at €72/year, but the numbers tell a different story over time. Here is what you actually pay for a single user comparing Office 2021 Pro Plus at Licendi vs Microsoft 365 Personal:

Break-even point: Office 2021 pays for itself in less than 11 months. After that, every month of Microsoft 365 is money you would not have spent.

Even if you upgrade to Office 2024 Professional Plus (€60.32) when Office 2021 reaches end of life, your total cost for 10 years would be €123.31 — still 83% less than a decade of Microsoft 365.

Office 2021 End of Life: What It Means for You

Microsoft ends mainstream support for Office 2021 on 13 October 2026. Here is what that actually means:

• Your software keeps working. Nothing breaks. You can still open, edit and save files.
• No more security patches. New vulnerabilities will not be fixed.
• No feature updates. But Office 2021 never had feature updates anyway — only security fixes.
• Compatibility continues. Your .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files remain fully compatible with newer versions.

What should you do? If you buy Office 2021 today at €62.99, you get 7 months of supported use. That is still excellent value. And when October arrives, you can upgrade to Office 2024 for just €60.32 — a total of €123 for years of use across both versions.

Should You Get Office 2024 Instead?

If you are buying new today, Office 2024 is the better perpetual choice. It has the same one-time purchase model as 2021 but with support until 2029 and newer features. Here is how all three options compare:

Our recommendation: For most users buying in 2026, Office 2024 Professional Plus at €60.32 offers the best value — three more years of support than 2021, and it is actually cheaper. If you already own Office 2021 and are happy with it, there is no rush to switch until October 2026.

Who Should Buy What? A Guide by Use Case

Choose Office 2021 (or 2024) if you…

• Work on a single computer and do not need multi-device access
• Prefer to pay once and never think about it again
• Work offline frequently — no internet-check requirement
• Need Access or Publisher — included in Pro Plus at no extra cost
• Are a student or freelancer on a tight budget
• Run a small business with 5–50 PCs (volume discounts available at Licendi)

Choose Microsoft 365 if you…

• Use multiple devices (laptop, tablet, phone) and need Office on all of them
• Need cloud storage — 1 TB OneDrive is valuable if you collaborate heavily
• Want the latest features as soon as Microsoft releases them
• Plan to use Copilot AI for drafting, summarising and analysing documents
• Need Teams, SharePoint or Exchange for your business
• Share a subscription with family — M365 Family covers 6 users for €100/year

What About Copilot AI?

Microsoft Copilot is an AI assistant built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. It can draft emails, summarise documents, create presentations from prompts and analyse spreadsheets with natural language.

Copilot is only available with Microsoft 365. It is not included in any perpetual Office version (2021 or 2024). If AI-powered productivity is important to your workflow, this is the strongest argument for the subscription model.

However, Copilot requires an additional €22/month per user on business plans. For personal plans, some Copilot features are included, but the full experience is an add-on. Factor this cost into your decision.

Why Buy from Licendi?

Whether you choose Office 2021, Office 2024 or Microsoft 365, buying from Licendi gives you:

• Savings up to 86% vs Microsoft retail prices
• 100% EU-legal licences — backed by the European Court of Justice UsedSoft ruling
• Lifetime activation warranty — if it does not activate, we replace it
• Instant digital delivery — your licence key arrives in minutes
• Trustpilot 4.8☆ rating from 220+ verified reviews
• Microsoft Partner — officially listed on Microsoft AppSource
• Personal support via chat, email, phone and WhatsApp

→ Browse Office 2021 at Licendi  |  Browse Office 2024  |  Browse Microsoft 365