Office 2021: Prices and scope

5 October 2021: The time has come – Microsoft Office 2021 is available in two versions. In addition to the recently released Office LTSC 2021, Office 2021 is now also available for private users and small businesses. In our blog post you can find out all about the prices, the scope and the functions of the new office software.

Office 2021 as a one-off purchase

Let’s get one thing straight: just like Office 2019, Office 2021 will also be available as a one-off purchase.

With Microsoft 365, the American company has been relying on a subscription system for several years, in which users are confronted with ongoing costs but benefit from regular function updates and a cloud model. Those who would like to avoid such costs will be pleased to hear that they can purchase Office 2021 with a one-off payment.

The new office software is available for Windows 10 and 11 as well as for macOS in two versions – Home & Student and Home & Business, which contain the essential new features just like those included in Office LTSC 2021.

Office 2021 Home & Student contains the following software:

• Word
• Excel
• PowerPoint
• OneNote
• Teams

Office 2021 Home & Business also includes the Outlook e-mail service and legal use for business purposes.

The purchase version of Office 2021 Home & Student costs a one-off charge of 149.00€, while Home & Business costs a one-off charge of 299.00€. As part of the Microsoft 365 subscription, the costs for individuals are 7.00€ per month or 69.00€ per year. Family or household subscriptions cost 10.00€ or 99.00€ respectively (official Microsoft retail prices as of October 2021).

Also launching the Windows 11 Update

Simultaneously with Office 2021, Windows 11 was also launched on 5 October. The new Windows update is completely free of charge for the user and comes with several innovations.

Windows 11: New features in a fresh design

Windows 11 will have a nostalgic touch to its design. With the new Windows update, Microsoft is primarily focusing on a rounder design, strongly reminiscent of predecessors such as Windows XP or Windows 7 due to windows with rounded corners.

In addition to the striking changes in design, such as the innovations in the Start menu, the taskbar and the now more modern-looking icons, Windows 11 also promises technical progress. For example, there will be smaller Windows updates, support for Android apps and additional multi-touch gestures in the future.

Conclusion

With Office 2021 and Office LTSC 2021, Microsoft has optimised its office package in many respects and, in particular, offered many users a promising alternative to the paid subscription by providing a purchase model.

While Office 2021 is already available as a one-off purchase or as a subscription, it may still take a while until the long-awaited Windows 11 arrives on all compatible devices.