Microsoft Office would easily take home the award for the most widely used, most innovative, and best productivity tools for both business and home users. It’s not easy for a newbie to pick the right tool because of the variety of types and options available.
Microsoft Office and Office 365 are two of the most popular Microsoft Office suites, and they are available on a wide range of devices. As far as we know, the former has been around for a long time, while the latter came out of Microsoft in 2011. As a result, you might wonder: what are the differences between these two Microsoft Office editions?
Microsoft’s Office productivity solutions are sold in a variety of ways. As a result, each new version causes a great deal of uncertainty among its users. When it comes to Microsoft 365, many customers are unaware of the fundamental differences between Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365. (Formerly Office 365). We’ve done our best to resolve this discrepancy.
Microsoft Office
Microsoft’s Office is a desktop office suite that includes a wide range of applications and tools that can be installed on a single PC or workstation without the need for future licensing fees. There are two types of Office bundles: “Home & Business” and “Professional.” Each bundle or package contains a specific set of apps, and if you purchase the license for that bundle or package, you’ll be able to use those apps for the rest of your life.
If you plan to use many Office’s tools on a daily basis and for a long period of time, the software is ideal. Stand-alone office suites, such as Office 2013, Office 2016, and Office 2019, are all versions of these suites.
A one-time payment entitles you to unlimited access to the product. It appears to be a safe bet for customers who are unwilling to use the cloud service. You can buy it as many times as you want. You get security updates, but you don’t get any major feature updates. Unlike Microsoft 365, which receives regular updates, Microsoft OneDrive does not. Office 2019 is the latest version of Microsoft’s Office productivity suite, which is available as a standalone product.
Microsoft Office 365
However, Microsoft has made it possible for individuals and businesses to access all of Office 365’s most up-to-date features through a subscription-based service. Small businesses, schools, large corporations, start-ups, and non-profits will all benefit from this service. Office 365 plans for individual or personal use are also available.
Microsoft Office can be purchased as part of the Office 365 cloud-based service. A standalone license for MS Office can be purchased, or you can use the software as part of an Office 365 subscription. Office 365 (Home) subscriptions can be paid monthly or annually, and unlike MS Office, you can share a subscription with up to four members of your household.
With this option, you have the option of either paying monthly or purchasing a yearly subscription all at once. With the additional storage and cloud-connected features, you’re able to work on files with other people in real-time.
| Microsoft Office | Microsoft Office 365 |
| It can be installed once on either a PC or a Mac because it is a one-time purchase. | You can use up to five devices with the Microsoft 365 subscription plan (including Smartphones and tablets). |
| Only during the installation process is technical assistance available. | Throughout the duration of your subscription, you will have access to technical support, subscription assistance, and billing assistance. |
| No cloud support here. | For up to six users, including yourself, you get 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage. |
| A single, one-time payment is required. | Pay a small monthly fee or save money by signing up for a year’s worth of service. |
Is Office 365 up to Office’s standards?
In some cases, Office 365 or Microsoft 365 is a better alternative to Microsoft Office than Microsoft Office itself. Let’s assume that you don’t want to worry about any updates or must pay every month or year for Word, Excel, etc. Microsoft Office is better than Microsoft 365 in these situations. Nevertheless, Microsoft 365 is your only option if you want the latest updates, the most recent versions of Office apps, and OneDrive storage.
Is there a difference between the Office suite and Office 365?
As far as I know, they aren’t the same. Even though they may offer a similar set of tools, Microsoft Office does not include the same features as the Microsoft 365 suite. In addition to the price, there are numerous distinctions in the available options’ specifications.
Is Office 365 part of the Microsoft 365 package?
It is a collection of Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Microsoft 365, on the other hand, includes all of those apps as well as a few others. Microsoft 365, on the other hand, includes Office.
Microsoft Support
Office 365 subscribers generally have access to more apps than MS Office users do, depending on their subscription plan. In contrast to Office users, Office 365 subscribers have access to Skype, which isn’t available to Office users but is included in all plans.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing between the two versions of the Windows Office suite. Look at what each suite has to offer in terms of programmes and apps, and then choose the one that checks all your boxes. For example, if you only need Word, Excel, and Powerful, you should buy a standalone MS Office suite with a perpetual licence. A low-level Office 365 subscription is also acceptable.
The other option is a full-fledged Office 365 plan if you’re going to use advanced apps like Yammer, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and Outlook inbox space for personal, home or business use.
In the end, Microsoft Office is a one-time payment for a licence that works on both Macs and Windows PCs; it can only be used on a single device and is compatible with both. As long as you have an internet connection and are subscribed to a monthly or annual plan, you can access Office 365 on multiple devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.).
Conclusion
The world in which we now live is one in which change is constant. Subscription-based cloud services are now the norm rather than the exception. Vendors face new challenges as a result of this business model. Given the ease with which customers can switch from one service to another if they are dissatisfied, vendors must remain innovative and educate their customers on how to effectively use their products.
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