Compare Office 365 subscription with Office 2019 (one-time purchase)

One-time purchase
(Example: Office Home & Student 2019)

Office 365 subscription
(Example: Office 365 Home*)

Cost
Pay a single, one-time cost
Pay a small monthly fee, or save by paying for a full year
Office applications
Get Office apps like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Get the latest version of Office apps like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook. You'll always get the latest features, new tools, security updates, and bug fixes. PC users also get Access and Publisher.
Feature updates
Security updates are included, but you won’t get any new features. Upgrades to major releases aren't included.
Your version of Office will always be improving. You'll get all the latest features and updates, as well as security updates and bug fixes.
Install Office on more than one computer (Mac or PC)
One-time purchases can be installed once on either a PC or Mac.

With Office 365 Home, you can install Office 365 on all your devices and sign in to five at the same time―that means you can use Office no matter where you are or what device you’re on. This includes PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones. You can also share you subscription with up to five other people.

Advanced features on tablets and phones
Install the mobile apps for free and get basic editing features on tablets or phones under 10.1'

Install the mobile apps for free and get extra features when you sign in to Office apps on your device.

Extra online storage
Not included.

Securely store your files in the cloud and access them from anywhere. Get 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user, for up to 6 users including yourself. (Office 365 Home).

Technical support is included
Initial technical support is included for installing only.
Contact us throughout your subscription at no extra cost for help with technical issues, or for subscription and billing support.

* This Office 365 subscription is for home or personal use only.

F.A.Q.

Choose an option below to get pricing info.
Office 365 subscriptions
For home or personal use:

Office 365 Home (share with up to 5 friends or family members)

Office 365 Personal (for one individual)

For business use:
Compare Office 365 small and midsized business plans (up to 300 users)
For non-profits:
One-time purchases of Office

Can I buy just one app, like PowerPoint? What about Project or Visio?

Yes. You can buy standalone versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for Mac or PC. Go to the Microsoft Store and search for the app you want.
You can also get a one-time purchase or a subscription version of Visio or Project, available for PCs only. Buy Visio or buy Project.

I have a Mac. What should I buy?

Office 365 subscriptions and Office 2019 can be installed on either Mac or PC.

Do I need to be connected to the Internet to use Office 365?

You don't need to be online to use Office after it is installed and activated on your devices. However, you will need internet access initially to install and activate Office, to install any updates, and to manage your billing. Internet access is also required to access documents stored on OneDrive, unless you install the OneDrive desktop app. However, after your Office applications (like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) are installed, you can use them offline.
You should connect to the Internet regularly to keep your version of Office up to date and benefit from automatic upgrades. If you don’t connect to the Internet at least every 39 days, your applications will go into reduced functionality mode, and you might see an unlicensed product error. To reactivate your Office applications, simply reconnect to the Internet and sign in to Office 365. Learn how to sign in.

I have more questions. Is there someone I can talk to?

Use Contact us at the bottom of this page. Thanks!

See Also