Microsoft 365 vs Office 2024 — which to buy?
Last reviewed by the MSLicenseHub Licensing Desk.
It depends on whether you want a subscription or a one-time purchase, and whether you need the cloud services.
Microsoft 365 is a per-user subscription that gives you the latest Office desktop apps plus Exchange Online mail, OneDrive, Teams, and (on Business Standard and higher) SharePoint Online. New features arrive monthly. Cancel and the desktop apps go read-only after 30 days.
Office Home & Business 2024 (Retail) and Office LTSC 2024 (Volume) are one-time purchases — pay once, keep the apps forever, no cloud services included. Locked feature set: no new functionality, only security patches for 5 years. The fit is regulated, air-gapped, or kiosk environments — or anyone philosophically opposed to subscriptions.
Apply this to your deployment
- User or device
- Applications
- Plan or version
Separate perpetual desktop editions from subscription plans. Confirm included apps, operating system, commercial-use rights and shared-computer deployment rights; not every Microsoft 365 plan includes desktop apps or Teams.
Decision checklist
| Check | What to record |
|---|---|
| Product and version | Record the full name, edition, version and part number in the quote. |
| Scope of use | Identify the user, device or deployment; count only the metric applicable to this product. |
| Evidence and support | Retain the agreement, invoice and support lifecycle date; perpetual licensing does not mean perpetual support. |
Official Microsoft terms and licensing guidance · Product support lifecycle
Practical checklist
- Office 2024 is a one-time purchase for one PC or Mac, with security updates until 9 October 2029.
- Microsoft 365 Personal or Family includes the latest apps, 1 TB OneDrive storage per person and use on multiple devices.
- Business users usually need Microsoft 365 Business plans for Exchange, Teams and management.
- Pick Office 2024 for a single offline device; pick Microsoft 365 for cloud storage, sharing and continual updates.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Buying Office 2024 Home for commercial use without checking the licence terms.
- Ignoring the end-of-support date when comparing cost.
- Forgetting that Microsoft 365 apps stop editing when the subscription lapses.
Official source: Microsoft documentation. Licensing terms change; confirm against the current Product Terms before buying.
Still unsure?
Talk to a licensing specialist for a written, signed quote tailored to your environment.
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