Office Home & Student vs Home & Business 2019

The Microsoft Office productivity suite is available in several packages. Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019 and Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 both include core applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.

However, the key difference between the two lies in the applications included. Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019 does not include Microsoft Outlook, Access or Publisher - all three of which are part of Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019.

Below is a detailed comparison of both suites.

What Is Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office 2019 is a collection of desktop productivity applications, client and server software and services developed by Microsoft.

Office applications are used worldwide. They were originally designed to automate tedious manual tasks, but over the years, Office has grown into a comprehensive platform used in both professional and personal settings.

The various Office applications cover a wide range of needs, from writing essays and managing personal notes to organising complex databases.

This means it is important to understand what each Office edition can do and whether its features justify the purchase price.

Because Office is sold in many different editions, the applications you can access depend on the edition you have purchased.

For example, Microsoft Outlook, which lets you manage your email and personal schedule, is not available in all Office packages. If you want to use Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft Access, note that both are PC-only applications and cannot be used on a Mac.

Higher Office editions also provide access to services such as Skype for Business and additional OneDrive cloud storage.
The question to ask yourself is: do you actually need all of this? This article will help you decide whether paying more for extended services and additional applications is worthwhile.

Even if you run a business, it is worth analysing the differences between the various editions.
Microsoft offers many editions of its Office range. Take the time to find the one that meets your needs at the best price.

This matters if you do not want to overspend. Even small businesses can use Microsoft Office without breaking the bank.

Here are the key differences between Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019 and Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019.

Applications Included in Home & Business 2019 and Home & Student 2019

The applications form the core of each Microsoft Office package and are the most important factor when deciding which edition to buy.

All of these applications serve a variety of purposes, offering powerful features for both professional use and everyday tasks such as writing an essay for school or creating a personal photo album.

The difference between Home & Student 2019 and Home & Business 2019 is small in terms of core applications, but still important to understand. For a broader look at Office 2019 Professional Plus vs Office 2019 Standard, see our dedicated comparison.

Available in Both: Office Home & Student 2019 and Office Home & Business 2019

Microsoft Word 2019

Word 2019 is Microsoft's word processing software. It offers high-quality publishing features and remains one of the most widely used word processors available.

Word 2019's core function is word processing, and its tools have been steadily expanded and improved over the years.

Its many tools help you write documents professionally: autocorrect fixes grammatical and spelling errors on the fly, powerful formatting tools make your documents visually appealing, and you can embellish pages with images, vectors, symbols and 3D models.

You can share documents across different media and collaborate with others in real time using the latest version of Word.

A built-in translator lets you understand documents written in a foreign language without leaving Word. Simply highlight the text and select the target language.

The Learning Tools offer accessible functions that make reading easier. Column Width adjusts line length, Text Spacing increases the space between words, characters and lines.

Page Colour changes the background so that text is less straining on the eyes.

The Syllables tool displays pauses between syllables to improve word recognition and pronunciation. Read Aloud uses text-to-speech to read the document, highlighting each word as it goes.

The collaboration tools let you share documents in several ways. Select people from a drop-down menu or enter an email address to invite them to view or co-edit your work. Co-editors' changes appear in real time with their names attached, making teamwork straightforward.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2019

Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 is a presentation programme used to visualise and project information as a slide show.

Its three main features include an advanced text formatting editor, tools for inserting and editing graphics, videos, 3D models and animations, and a slideshow system with multiple display options for professional presentations.

PowerPoint 2019 is included in the Microsoft Office 2019 suite and can also be purchased as a standalone product.

PowerPoint was originally developed for Macintosh computers, but after Microsoft acquired the software, it became available for Windows as well.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2019 is a versatile programme that supports everything from presenting ideas to potential investors to sharing concepts with colleagues.

Communicate your message effectively with visual design, animation, cinematic transitions, 3D models, symbols and more.

One of the most popular features in PowerPoint 2019 is transitions, which provide smooth flow between slides and help with both visual impact and the communication of ideas.

These transitions are easy to apply, even for less experienced users. The application includes a large number of built-in transitions, with the option to install custom ones as well.

A new transition called "Morph" allows users to animate elements when moving from one slide to another.

With digital inking features, you can select and customise a personal pen set. Choose from pens, highlighters and pencils and adjust colour, thickness and ink effects.
A total of five pen thickness settings, colour options and various ink effects are available.

When using a compatible digital pen, you can tilt the pen to create a shading effect similar to a pencil on paper.

Microsoft Excel 2019

Excel 2019 is a spreadsheet programme that also handles calculations of all kinds, from simple sums to complex equations.

It also supports the creation of various chart types, including pivot tables, and offers a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications.

Thanks to its many useful and user-friendly features, Microsoft Excel 2019 is one of the leading spreadsheet applications in use today. In many companies, it has been an industry standard for years.
It is part of the Microsoft Office package and can be purchased with it or as a standalone product.

In the latest version, spreadsheets can contain one million rows and more than 16,000 columns; rows are labelled with numbers and columns with letters. Columns beyond 26 are identified by two or more letters.

Cells in Excel 2019 can contain numbers, text, dates, times, Boolean values and formulas.
Microsoft has enhanced Excel 2019 with six new features designed to boost productivity.

Some are enhanced versions of existing features, while others are entirely new tools to make Excel even more efficient.

Two new chart types have been added: Map Chart and Funnel Chart.

Map Charts display data across geographical regions such as countries, states, districts or postcodes.

Funnel Charts show values at several stages of a process. As the values change over time, the bars resemble a funnel shape.

You can insert symbols and scalable vector graphic (SVG) files into your projects. Symbols can be selected from Microsoft's library across over 25 categories.

Multiple symbols can be inserted at once. Once placed on your worksheet, you can resize, rotate, recolour and apply visual effects to them.

Microsoft OneNote

OneNote is a virtual notebook that keeps your notes organised and accessible.

You can create notebooks divided into sections and pages, and take notes by writing, underlining or annotating in ink.

The clear layout, navigation and quick search functions make it easy to find everything you need.

OneNote works across all your devices, giving you access to your notes anytime and anywhere, with the ability to share and collaborate in real time.

Only Available in Office Home & Business 2019

Microsoft Outlook

Outlook is an application for managing your personal data. While it is best known for its email functionality, it offers much more than just an email client.

Outlook also includes a calendar, personal diary, notes tool, contact manager and task manager.

It is available as part of the Microsoft Office suite and can also be used as a standalone programme. It integrates with Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft SharePoint Server, helping organisations share inboxes, calendars and other data quickly, securely and efficiently.

Licensing

Licensing is a crucial part of Microsoft Office and software in general. A licence ensures that a copy is genuine and used under the correct terms.

To keep the retail price of the Student edition affordable, the Microsoft licence covers non-commercial and private use only. Academic institutions and organisations cannot purchase and install Office Home & Student 2019 either.

In contrast, Office Home & Business can be used for any purpose, business or personal, and can be installed on any supported device. If you have questions about what a Home & Business licence covers, it is advisable to seek further information.

The Price

Perhaps the most significant practical difference between these two editions is the price. After understanding the feature differences, consider your budget, the features you need and then decide which suite is right for you.

At the time of publication, Office Home & Student 2019 was available for around 149 euros as a one-off purchase.

Office Home & Business 2019 cost around 299 euros at launch - more expensive than the Student edition, but it grants users more freedom and a broader range of applications. To explore which type of Microsoft Office licence is most economical for businesses, see our guide.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or give us a call.

If you are interested in Office 2019 Professional Plus or Office 2021 Professional Plus, just click on the links to learn more.

If you are still undecided about which Office product to buy, you can read our articles on this topic by clicking here.