Microsoft 365

Office 2024 is sold as a one-time purchase, which means you pay a single, up-front cost to get Office apps for use on one computer. One-time purchases are available for both PCs and Macs. However, there are no upgrade options, which means if you plan to upgrade to the next major release, you'll have to buy it at full price.  

Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Family are subscriptions that include powerful productivity apps and creativity tools with AI-powered features. In addition to premium desktop versions of popular Microsoft 365 apps like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook, you also get spacious cloud storage and cloud-connected features that let you collaborate on files in real time. With a subscription, you'll always have the latest features, fixes, and security updates along with ongoing tech support at no extra cost. You can choose to pay for your subscription on a monthly or yearly basis, and use your apps on multiple PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones. Additionally, the Microsoft 365 Family plan lets you share your subscription with up to five more people. Everyone gets their own apps and storage. (AI features are only available to the subscription owner; usage limits apply.)  

If your school is not eligible for Office 365 Education, you can choose among these other options https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products?rtc=1 to find the Office version that fits your budget and needs.

To see if your computer, mobile device, and/or browser can run Office, please visit the Office system requirements page https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-and-office-resources?rtc=1

Internet access is required to install and activate Office, but not to use Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint once you have these fully installed on your computer.

Once you have purchased Office, you can install it from the Services & subscriptions section of your Microsoft Account page https://account.microsoft.com/account/Account

For further assistance with downloading, installing, reinstalling, or activating Office, and/or more guidance on Office updates, this article https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/download-and-install-or-reinstall-microsoft-365-or-office-2019-on-a-pc-or-mac-4414eaaf-0478-48be-9c42-23adc4716658 in Office Support.

You can share Microsoft 365 Family with five other people, for a total of six users. Microsoft 365 Personal can be used by one person.

Yes, the Microsoft 365 Training Center https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/training has quick start guides, cheat sheets, tips and tricks, and training courses on how you can make the best use of Office.