Which Microsoft Office Should You Buy?
Office 2016, 2019 and 2021 compared — one-time purchase, no subscription. Every version on this page is a lifetime licence for one Windows PC. You pay once and keep it. There is no monthly or annual fee, and no Microsoft 365 renewal.
The short answer
- Most people: Office 2021 Professional Plus — the newest version and the complete suite, currently $48.00.
- Just Word, Excel and PowerPoint: Office Home & Student 2021 — $25.50. No Outlook.
- You need Outlook for email: Home & Business or Professional Plus. Home & Student does not include it.
Which edition: Home & Student, Home & Business, or Professional Plus?
The edition decides which applications you get. This is the choice that matters most — pick the edition first, then the year.
| Application | Home & Student | Home & Business | Professional Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Excel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PowerPoint | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OneNote | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outlook | No | Yes | Yes |
| Access | No | No | Yes |
| Publisher | No | No | Yes |
In plain terms. Home & Student covers documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Home & Business adds Outlook, so you can run your email in a desktop client. Professional Plus adds Access for databases and Publisher for layout work — the full seven-application suite. If you are not sure whether you need Access or Publisher, you almost certainly do not, and Home & Business will do.
Which year: 2016, 2019 or 2021?
The interface and the core work are much the same across all three. Newer versions add features and have longer support ahead of them; older versions cost less. All of them are one-time purchases.
| Edition | Office 2016 | Office 2019 | Office 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home & Student | $35.40 | $34.50 | $25.50 |
| Home & Business | $39.60 | $46.80 | not stocked |
| Professional Plus | $40.20 | $49.20 | $48.00 |
Worth knowing: Office 2021 Professional Plus currently costs about the same as the 2019 edition of the same suite. If you were choosing between them on price, take the newer one.
Want Outlook with Office 2021? We do not stock a Home & Business edition of Office 2021 for Windows. If you want Outlook on the 2021 version, Professional Plus is the one — and at $48.00 it costs barely more than Office 2019 Home & Business. If the year does not matter to you, Office 2019 Home & Business at $46.80 does the same job.
One-time purchase or Microsoft 365?
This is the real decision behind most searches for Office, so it is worth being direct about it.
| One-time licence (what we sell) | Microsoft 365 subscription | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Paid once | Monthly or yearly, forever |
| If you stop paying | Nothing happens — it keeps working | The applications stop working |
| Feature updates | Security updates; features stay as bought | New features as they ship |
| Cloud storage | Not included | Included |
| Installed on | One Windows PC | Several devices, depending on plan |
A one-time licence suits you if you work on one computer, want the applications to keep running without further payments, and do not need cloud storage bundled in. A subscription suits you if you want the newest features continuously and work across several devices. We sell one-time licences only — we do not sell Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
What you receive
- A genuine licence key for the product you chose
- Download links for the installation files
- A step-by-step installation and activation guide
- Your licence stored permanently in your PCSalesOnline account
- Activation support from real people, seven days a week
Delivery is digital and usually arrives within seconds of payment. Some orders need a short security review before the key is released.
Before you buy
- Windows only. These licences require Windows 10 or later. They do not work on macOS or ChromeOS.
- One PC per licence. Each key activates the suite on a single computer.
- A Microsoft account is needed only to download the installation files, not to keep using the software.
Activation Guarantee
If your key does not activate, we fix it, replace it, or issue an eligible refund. See our Refund Policy.
Common questions
Is this the same software as buying from Microsoft?
Yes — these are genuine licence keys for the Microsoft Office products listed. The applications are identical; only where you bought the licence differs.
Will it stop working after a year?
No. A one-time licence has no expiry date and no renewal.
Does Office 2021 Professional Plus include Outlook?
Yes. Professional Plus includes Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher and OneNote.
Which one is best value right now?
Office 2021 Professional Plus at $48.00 — the newest version and the complete suite, for roughly what older Professional editions cost.
What if I buy the wrong edition?
Contact support before activating the key and we will sort it out. Our Refund Policy covers change of mind on keys that have not been activated.
How fast is delivery?
Usually within seconds of payment, by email and in your account. A small number of orders are held briefly for a security check.
Still not sure?
Call us on +1 888-505-4255, use the live chat in the corner of this page, or email support@pcsalesonline.com. We are here seven days a week and we will tell you honestly which edition you need — including when the cheaper one is enough.
Browse all Microsoft Office licences
Sold by PCSalesOnline, an independent online software retailer owned and operated by Key Supplier LLC, 24 A Trolley Square 1189, Wilmington, DE 19806. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft, Office, Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Prices shown were current at the time of publication.