Microsoft 365 is a subscription service that ensures you always have the latest modern productivity tools from Microsoft. There are Microsoft 365 plans for home and personal use, as well as for small and medium-sized businesses, large enterprises, schools, and nonprofit organizations.
Microsoft 365 plans for individuals or businesses include the robust Office desktop applications you already know, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. You also get additional storage space and cloud-connected features that allow you to collaborate on files in real time. With a subscription, you’ll always have the latest features, fixes, and security updates, as well as ongoing technical support at no additional cost. You can choose to pay for your subscription on a monthly or annual basis. The Microsoft 365 Family plan also allows you to share these subscription benefits with up to five additional people.
Most Microsoft 365 offerings for businesses, educational institutions and associations include fully installed applications, but Microsoft also offers basic offerings with online versions of Office, file storage and a mailbox. You decide what’s best for you: Small Business, Enterprise, School or Association.
Office 2021 is also sold as a permanent license. This means you have to make a one-time initial payment to get the Office applications on one computer. Definitive licenses are available for both PCs and Macs. There are no upgrade options, however, so if you want to upgrade to the next major version, you’ll have to buy it at full price.
Office for the Web is a free version of Office that you can use in a web browser. All you have to do is sign up for a Microsoft account with a new or existing email address.