Office 2024 vs Office 2021 Professional Plus: what's the difference?
Both are one-time purchases with no subscription. The biggest differences are the security update period and the newer features in Office 2024.
Updated 7 October 202601At a glance
| Office 2024 Pro Plus | Office 2021 Pro Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Security updates until | October 9, 2029 | October 13, 2026 |
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook | Yes | Yes |
| OneNote, Access | Yes | Yes |
| Publisher | No (Microsoft retired it) | Yes |
| License | 1 PC, one-time purchase | 1 PC, one-time purchase |
| Windows | Windows 11 and 10 | Windows 11 and 10 |
02What's new in Office 2024
- Newer Excel functions, such as IMAGE and text and array functions like TEXTSPLIT, VSTACK and HSTACK.
- Faster, more reliable search in Outlook.
- Updated look and accessibility improvements across the apps.
03Which one should you buy?
Office 2024 is the better choice for most people: it gets security updates for three more years. Office 2024 Professional Plus.
Office 2021 makes sense if you need Publisher or want the lowest price for an offline PC. It keeps working after October 13, 2026, but without new security updates (see what Office 2021 end of support means). Office 2021 Professional Plus.
Not sure about one-time Office at all? Compare Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365.
04Installing either version
Both install from the download link in your key email. Follow how to install and activate Office.
Products in this guide
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