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What’s the difference between Office 365 subscription plans and Office as a one-time purchase?

With Office 365 subscription plans you get the fully installed Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access (Publisher and Access are available on PC only). You can install Office 365 across multiple devices, including PCs, Macs, Android tablets, Android phones, iPad, and iPhone. In addition, with Office 365 you get services like online storage with OneDrive for home use. When you have an active Office 365 subscription, you always have the most up-to-date version of the Office applications. Learn more about Office 365.

Office as a one-time purchase includes applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for use on a single PC or Mac. The applications are not automatically updated; to get the latest version, you must purchase Office again when the new version becomes available. Current Office application versions available for one-time purchase are Office 2016 for Windows and Mac. Previous versions include Office 2013, Office 2011 for Mac, Office 2010, Office 2007, Office 2008 for Mac, and Office 2004 for Mac. Office 2010 and Office 2007 are compatible with Windows 8.1 and earlier. Office as a one-time purchase does not include any of the services included in Office 365. Learn more about the difference between Office 365 and Office 2016.

How do I know my PC or Mac can run Office?

The current version of Office supports PCs running Windows 7 or later and Macs running Mac OS X 10.10 or later for Office 2016 for Mac. For more information, including requirements for iPad® and Android™ tablets, view full system requirements.

Will Office be identical on a PC, a Mac, and a mobile device?

No. Office applications are tailored to work best on each platform and device. The Office applications available for Mac users and the version numbers may be different from those available for PC users.

Can people with an earlier version of Office open documents I created using Office 365 or Office 2016?

Office 2007, Office for Mac 2008, Office 2010, Office for Mac 2011, Office 365, Office 2013, and Office 2016 applications can open your documents without any additional action. Customers using earlier versions of Office may need to download and install a compatibility pack.

Do I keep control of my documents with an Office 365 subscription?

Yes. Documents that you have created belong fully to you. You can choose to store them online on OneDrive or locally on your PC or Mac. Learn what happens if you cancel your subscription.

Is Internet access required for Office?

Internet access is required to install and activate all the latest releases of Office suites and all Office 365 subscription plans. For Office 365 plans, Internet access is also needed to manage your subscription account, for example to install Office on other PCs or to change billing options. Internet access is also required to access documents stored on OneDrive, unless you install the OneDrive desktop app. You should also connect to the Internet regularly to keep your version of Office up to date and benefit from automatic upgrades. If you do not connect to the Internet at least every 39 days, your applications will go into reduced functionality mode, which means that you can view or print your documents, but cannot edit the documents or create new ones. To reactivate your Office applications, simply reconnect to the Internet.

You do not need to be connected to the Internet to use the Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, because the applications are fully installed on your computer.

What is a Microsoft account and why do I need it to try or buy Office?

Your Microsoft account is the combination of an email address and password that you use to sign in to services like Hotmail, OneDrive, Windows Phone, Xbox LIVE, and Outlook.com. If you use any of these services, you already have a Microsoft account that you can use, or you can create a new account. Learn more about a Microsoft account. As part of signing up for a trial or purchasing Office, you will be prompted to sign in with a Microsoft account. You must be signed in with this account to install and manage your Office software, or to use some subscription benefits, including OneDrive storage and Skype minutes.

What is the maximum number of Office licenses I can activate using the same Microsoft account?

Users can activate 1 subscription for Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal and up to 25 licenses for Office Home & Student 2016, Office Home & Business 2016, and Office Professional 2016.