Office Home and Student 2019: The Licence Detail Businesses Must Know

If you are running your business on Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019, there is an important detail in the licence you may have missed: you could be using the software outside of its permitted terms without realising it. Here is what you need to know.

Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019, 2016 and all earlier versions are not licensed for work activities. If that is how you are using them today, it is worth reviewing your setup and switching to a business-appropriate edition from our Microsoft Office licences catalogue.

Microsoft states that Office Home and Student "may not be used for commercial, non-profit or revenue-generating activities". As Eric Ligman of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Group put it, "this edition is for HOME and STUDENT use, NOT for business use".

Despite this, many people still use Microsoft Office Home and Student for commercial work or charitable activities. Doing so breaches the terms and conditions of Office Home and Student 2019, 2016 and every previous version.

If you are a company and you continue to use the software this way, Microsoft can fine you or, in more serious cases, ban your organisation from its programmes altogether. If you want a quick comparison of editions before deciding, our guide on the differences between Office 2019 Standard, Professional and Professional Plus is a good starting point.

How does this happen when installing Office Home and Student 2019?

There are two common reasons:

1. Most people never read the terms and conditions of a software licence in full (we rarely read the small print on anything we buy).
2. The terms are tucked away inside the application and are easy to overlook.

The good news is that finding them is straightforward. You can open the Terms and Conditions as follows:

Office Home and Student 2010

Open any Office app, such as Microsoft Word >> File >> Help >> Microsoft Software Licence Terms.

Office Home and Student 2019, 2016 and 2013

Open Microsoft Word >> File >> Account >> About Word >> View Microsoft Software Licence Terms. Once the licence terms are open, scroll down until you see a clause similar to the ones below.

In Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010

MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENCE TERMS — MICROSOFT OFFICE 2010 DESKTOP APPLICATION SOFTWARE — HOME AND STUDENT SOFTWARE.

"The software may not be used for commercial, non-profit or revenue-generating activities."

In Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013

MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENCE AGREEMENT — MICROSOFT OFFICE 2013 DESKTOP APPLICATION SOFTWARE — HOME AND STUDENT SOFTWARE. "Home and Student edition software may not be used for commercial, non-profit or revenue-generating activities."

In Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019 and 2016

Microsoft Licensing Terms: OFFICE DESKTOP 2019 (or 2016), under the section "Versions with limited rights":

"You may not use the following versions of the software for commercial, non-profit or revenue-generating activities."

What should a business use instead?

If you run a company, the right path is to move to an edition that Microsoft actually licenses for commercial use. A perpetual licence such as Office 2019 Professional Plus covers business scenarios without the restrictions of Home and Student, and is a one-off purchase rather than a subscription.

If your budget is tighter, Office 2019 Standard or a current 2021 edition can be a better fit. For a direct comparison, see our breakdown of Office 2019 vs Office 2021, and if you are weighing perpetual licences against a subscription, our article on Office 2019 vs Office 365 walks through the trade-offs.

The upfront investment may be slightly higher (or, in some cases, lower) than Home and Student, but it will save you from licensing headaches in the long run. Now that you know the rule, there is no reason to leave your business exposed.

If you still have questions, browse our full range of Microsoft Office licences or get in touch and we will help you pick the right edition.

Best regards,
The Licendi Team