Microsoft Office 2024 is now available as a standalone product for PC and Mac

If you want Microsoft Office but don’t want to commit to an ongoing subscription, there’s a new option available.

Usually, access to the Office suite of products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook, requires a subscription to Microsoft 365. Starting Oct. 1 however, Office is available as a standalone, one-time purchase. 

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A one-time Office Home 2024 purchase is $149.99 and includes everything except Outlook. Home & Business 2024, with Outlook and commercial use rights, is $249.99.

These are locked-in versions, meaning you won’t get feature updates as the 365 versions do, but if you’re happy with the current feature set and plan to use it for several years, it’s a decent option. The last time Microsoft offered a standalone version of Office was 2021. If you don’t mind using an older version, you can scoop up a lifetime license to Office 2021 for under $40.

What’s new in Office 2024 compared to Office 2021? 

• Excel has faster performance, especially if you have multiple workbooks open at the same time. Mac users can now customize swipe left and swipe right gestures in Outlook for Mac with a multi-touch trackpad or magic mouse.

• Excel has access to new functions to help you more easily use text and arrays in worksheets, meaning you can easily paste pictures directly or use the IMAGE function to add images without changing the formatting. You can also visualize different datasets with dynamic arrays in charts that will automatically update to capture all data when the arrays recalculate.

• Outlook adds an accessibility checker to automatically check your emails for accessibility issues.

• PowerPoint now lets you seamlessly embed a live camera feed directly into your slides with the Cameo feature and lets you record your own narration, animations, transitions, and inking with Recording Studio.

• OneNote has added an enhanced inking experience including a full-screen pen-focused view to use the entire screen for inking.

Microsoft 365 costs $69.99 a year (or $6.99 a month) for an individual plan and $99.99 a year (or $9.99 a month) for a family plan for up to six people.

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Office 2024 runs on Windows 10 and 11, plus the three most recent versions of macOS. You’ll need a Microsoft account and an internet connection to use the product.