Microsoft Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365: Which Should You Buy in 2026?

Choosing between a one-time purchase and an annual subscription is one of the most common decisions facing anyone who needs Microsoft's productivity apps in 2026. Both options give you the core suite — Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook — but they differ significantly in pricing structure, included extras and long-term cost of ownership.

This guide is written for home users, freelancers and small-to-medium businesses. If you are comparing the enterprise LTSC channel with Microsoft 365 for large organisations, that is a different conversation. Here, we focus on the editions most people actually buy — and explain exactly when each one makes financial sense.

What Is Microsoft Office 2024?

Microsoft Office 2024 is a perpetual licence. You pay a single upfront fee and receive the right to use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook for as long as you like. There is no expiry date and no recurring charge.

OneNote is not included in the Office 2024 installer, but it is available as a free standalone download from Microsoft and works alongside the suite without any additional cost.

The suite is available in two main editions for consumers and small businesses:

• Office 2024 Home & Business — designed for freelancers, home offices and small teams. Includes commercial-use rights.
• Office 2024 Professional Plus — adds Access on top of the core apps, aimed at power users and larger small businesses.

Office 2024 does not include cloud storage, Teams, or ongoing feature updates. It receives security patches and critical fixes, but the feature set is locked at the version you purchase. That said, the 2024 release already includes meaningful improvements over Office 2021, such as enhanced data types in Excel, improved search in Outlook, and better accessibility features across all apps.

Because you own the licence outright, there is no risk of losing access if you miss a payment or decide to cancel. The software sits on your hard drive and works regardless of your internet connection or Microsoft account status.

What Is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a subscription service. You pay monthly or annually and receive the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more. As long as your subscription is active, you get:

• Continuous feature updates and new tools (including Copilot AI features as they roll out)
• 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user
• Microsoft Teams for chat, calls and video meetings
• Access on multiple devices — PC, Mac, tablet and phone
• Family plans that cover up to six users

The moment you cancel your subscription, you lose access to the desktop apps and your OneDrive storage is reduced to the free tier (5 GB). Your files remain in OneDrive for a grace period, but the full-featured editing tools disappear and you are limited to the free web-based versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Microsoft 365 is available in several tiers. Personal covers one user, Family covers up to six household members, and the Business plans (Basic, Standard, Premium) are tailored for organisations that need admin controls, shared mailboxes and compliance tools. The more users you add, the higher the ongoing cost — but you also get shared features like a company-wide SharePoint site and centralised user management.

Feature Comparison: Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365

Cost Comparison: One-Time Purchase vs Subscription Over Time

The real difference between Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 becomes clear when you project costs over several years. A perpetual Microsoft Office licence is a one-time investment, while a 365 subscription compounds year after year.

For a single user, the subscription typically costs more than the perpetual licence within the first two to three years. For a household or a small team with multiple users, the maths can shift depending on which plans you compare — but the one-time purchase almost always wins on pure software cost over a five-year horizon.

At Licendi, our perpetual Office licences are available at a fraction of the typical retail cost, which makes the break-even point even earlier. If you are looking to save on Microsoft licences, a perpetual key from a trusted reseller is one of the most effective strategies.

Microsoft occasionally raises 365 subscription prices. When that happens, your annual cost increases with no action required on your part — the new rate simply appears on your next billing cycle. A perpetual licence, by contrast, is immune to future price rises. The amount you pay today is the total you will ever pay for that version of Office.

For small businesses running five or more workstations, the savings compound quickly. Five perpetual licences represent a single capital expense, whereas five 365 subscriptions create an ongoing operational cost that grows every year. Many accountants and bookkeepers prefer the simplicity of a one-off purchase that can be depreciated as a fixed asset.

Who Should Buy Microsoft Office 2024?

Office 2024 is the right choice if you:

• Dislike recurring fees. You pay once and never think about it again. There are no surprise renewals and no risk of losing access if you forget to update your payment method.
• Work primarily offline. Office 2024 installs locally and works without an internet connection. This is ideal for users in areas with unreliable connectivity or for laptops used on the move.
• Need a predictable budget. Small businesses and freelancers often prefer a known, fixed cost. A one-time investment is easier to account for than a rolling subscription.
• Do not need Teams or 1 TB cloud storage. If you already use Zoom, Google Meet or another collaboration tool, and if you store files locally or on a Windows Server, the 365 extras may be redundant.
• Want a legitimate, legally compliant licence. Perpetual licences purchased within the EU from authorised resellers are fully legal and transferable, backed by EU court rulings on the resale of digital goods.

Who Should Buy Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 makes more sense if you:

• Rely on cloud collaboration. Real-time co-authoring in Word and Excel, combined with 1 TB of OneDrive storage, is essential for distributed teams.
• Need Microsoft Teams. If Teams is your primary communication platform for calls, chat and meetings, it comes bundled with most 365 plans.
• Want the latest features immediately. Microsoft adds new functions to 365 apps every month. If you need cutting-edge tools like Copilot AI, 365 is the only route.
• Use multiple devices. A single 365 licence covers up to five PCs or Macs plus mobile devices, which suits users who switch between a desktop at work and a laptop at home.
• Prefer a low upfront cost. Spreading payments monthly can be easier for cash flow, even if the total cost over time is higher.

Can You Switch Between Office 2024 and Microsoft 365?

Yes. The two products are not mutually exclusive, and switching is straightforward:

• From 365 to Office 2024: Let your subscription lapse, then install Office 2024 with a perpetual licence key. Your documents, spreadsheets and presentations will open in Office 2024 without issues. Files stored in OneDrive will still be accessible via the browser, though you will lose the desktop OneDrive integration and the 1 TB allowance.
• From Office 2024 to 365: Simply subscribe to a 365 plan and install the apps. The 365 installer will replace your Office 2024 installation. All your files remain intact.

Many users start with a 365 subscription, realise they rarely use the cloud extras, and move to a perpetual licence to stop the recurring cost. This is one of the most common reasons customers come to Licendi.

A hybrid approach is also possible. Some small businesses equip the majority of their staff with Office 2024 perpetual licences and reserve a handful of Microsoft 365 subscriptions for team members who genuinely need Teams, co-authoring and cloud storage. This blended model keeps costs low while ensuring that the people who need advanced collaboration tools still have them.

Whichever direction you move, your files are fully compatible. A .docx created in Office 2024 opens flawlessly in Microsoft 365 and vice versa. There are no format lock-ins or conversion steps to worry about.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Office 2024 still supported by Microsoft?

Yes. Microsoft provides five years of mainstream support for Office 2024, running until 2029. This includes security updates and bug fixes. You will not receive new features, but the software will remain secure and functional throughout the support period.

Can I use Office 2024 on a Mac?

Yes. The Home & Business edition supports both Windows and macOS. The Professional Plus edition is Windows-only. Check the product page for your specific edition before purchasing.

Do I need Windows 11 to run Office 2024?

Office 2024 runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11. If you are still on Windows 10, you can install and use Office 2024 without upgrading your operating system.

Will my Office 2024 licence work if I change computers?

Perpetual licences from Licendi are tied to one device at a time, but you can transfer the licence to a new PC by deactivating it on the old machine first. This makes it easy to upgrade your hardware without buying a new licence.

Is it safe to buy a discounted Office licence online?

It is, provided you purchase from a reputable reseller. Within the EU, the resale of used software licences is explicitly protected by law. Licendi supplies genuine licence keys with full legal compliance, and every order includes a perpetual usage right.

Should I also invest in antivirus software alongside Office?

Regardless of which edition you choose, protecting your device with a dedicated security solution is always advisable. Have a look at our guide to the best antivirus for small business for recommendations.

Security Considerations

Both Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 receive regular security patches from Microsoft, so neither option leaves you exposed. The key difference is that 365 also delivers feature updates alongside those patches, while Office 2024 receives only critical fixes. From a pure security standpoint, both are equally safe to use during the supported lifecycle.

Regardless of which Office version you choose, pairing it with a reliable antivirus and security solution is good practice. Macro-based attacks in Word and Excel remain one of the most common threat vectors for small businesses, and a solid endpoint security product adds an important extra layer of defence.

Make the Right Choice for Your Setup

For most home users and small businesses in 2026, Microsoft Office 2024 delivers everything you need at a predictable, one-time cost. If cloud collaboration and Teams are central to your workflow, Microsoft 365 earns its subscription. Either way, you are getting the same core apps — the question is simply how you prefer to pay for them.

Ready to invest in a perpetual Office licence? Browse our full Microsoft Office catalogue to find the right edition at a competitive price. If you have questions, our support team is happy to help you choose.

Best regards,
The Licendi Team