Buying guides
Office 2024 vs Office 2021: which perpetual license should you buy?
Both are one-time purchases, both get security updates for years — here is how to decide in five minutes.
Microsoft now sells two perpetual versions of Office side by side. The marketing makes 2024 sound essential; the price difference makes 2021 look tempting. Here is the honest comparison.
What is actually new in 2024
- Excel gains dynamic-array improvements, new text functions and faster recalculation on large workbooks.
- Outlook includes the refreshed search and calendar experience.
- Accessibility checker and Fluent visuals across every app, with dark mode everywhere.
- Support runs to October 2029 — three years longer than Office 2021.
What has not changed
Word, PowerPoint and OneNote are functionally very close between the two versions. If your work is documents and presentations, you will struggle to spot a difference.
Our recommendation
Buy Office 2024 if you live in Excel or need the longest support window. Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus if you want the full suite, including Access and Publisher, at the lowest price — it is supported until October 2026 and runs beautifully on older PCs.
Questions?
