Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365 in 2026: Which Is Cheaper Over 5 Years?

Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365 comes down to how many people need Office and for how long. For one person on one computer, a one-time Office 2024 licence costs far less over five years than a Microsoft 365 subscription. For a household of four to six, Microsoft 365 Family can work out cheaper per person. The figures below use Microsoft's US list prices at the time of writing (November 2026).

Subscription totals assume today's prices for all five years with no promotions. Microsoft has raised prices before, so treat them as a floor rather than a ceiling.

Is Office 2024 cheaper than Microsoft 365 over five years?

For a single user on one computer, yes, by a wide margin. Office Home 2024 is a $179.99 one-time purchase at US list price, while five years of Microsoft 365 Personal at $99.99 a year totals $499.95. Even Office Home & Business 2024 at $249.99 costs about half as much as five years of Personal.

The break-even point arrives quickly. Office Home 2024 costs less than two years of Microsoft 365 Personal, so anyone who keeps a PC beyond that saves money with the one-time licence.

Resellers often sell genuine one-time licences below Microsoft's list price, which widens the gap further. For Windows users who want Access too, Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows is the most complete one-time suite; see the current price on the product page.

When is Microsoft 365 cheaper than Office 2024?

Microsoft 365 becomes cheaper when you share it. A Microsoft 365 Family subscription covers up to six people for $129.99 a year at US list price, so with five or six users the five-year cost per person drops to roughly $108 to $130, below the $179.99 price of a single Office Home 2024 licence.

It also wins on value when each person uses several devices. A Family member can install the apps on multiple PCs, Macs, tablets and phones, while a one-time licence covers one PC or Mac.

Cause and effect: the more people and devices you count, the more a subscription's per-person cost falls, while one-time licences scale linearly. Three people sit near the crossover; six people tip it clearly towards Family.

What do you get with Microsoft 365 that Office 2024 lacks?

Microsoft 365 adds 1 TB of OneDrive storage per person, Copilot AI features in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, continuous feature updates, installation on multiple devices and premium mobile app features. Office 2024 provides only the classic desktop apps, which receive security updates but no new features, on one PC or Mac.

Microsoft's Office 2024 FAQ states that Office 2024 does not include any of the services that come with a Microsoft 365 subscription. If you already pay for cloud storage elsewhere, that difference matters less.

• Storage value: 1 TB of cloud storage has its own market price; if you would otherwise buy it, subtract that from the subscription cost.
• Copilot: only relevant if you will actually use AI drafting and summarising inside the apps.
• Updates: subscription apps never reach end of support while you keep paying.

How long will Office 2024 be supported?

Microsoft's Office 2024 lifecycle page lists retirement in October 2029, and the FAQ gives 9 October 2029 for Office LTSC 2024 and Office 2024 for Mac. Bought in November 2026, that is about three years of security updates, not five, which changes the five-year comparison.

After October 2029 Office 2024 keeps working, but without security fixes. Users then face the same choice that Office 2021 owners faced in 2026, which our Office 2021 end of support guide explains.

Advanced nuance: a fairer five-year sum for a cautious user is one Office 2024 licence now plus a replacement in late 2029. Even then, two Office Home purchases at today's list price ($359.98) cost less than five years of Microsoft 365 Personal ($499.95).

Which is cheaper for a small business: Office 2024 or Microsoft 365?

For the apps alone, Office 2024 is cheaper: Office Home & Business 2024 costs $249.99 once, while Microsoft 365 Business Standard costs $14.00 per user per month at US list price, or $840 over five years. But Business Standard also includes Exchange email, Teams and SharePoint, which a one-time licence does not.

Business Basic was $7.00 and Apps for business $10.00 per user per month at the time of writing, after Microsoft's July 2026 changes. Our Microsoft 365 price increase guide lists the before-and-after prices for every business plan.

Firms with several staff can request a business volume quote for one-time licences.

Does Office 2024 work on a Mac, and does Microsoft 365?

Both do, depending on the edition. Office Home 2024 and Office Home & Business 2024 install on one PC or one Mac, and Microsoft 365 Personal and Family run on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Office 2024 Professional Plus and the LTSC editions are Windows only, so Mac users choose between Home, Home & Business and a subscription.

For a Mac, Office 2024 Home & Business for PC and Mac is the one-time route that includes Outlook. Our Office 2024 for Mac install guide covers download and activation.

Can I move Office 2024 or Microsoft 365 to a new computer?

Yes, in both cases, but differently. A retail Office 2024 licence can be moved to a new PC or Mac once you remove it from the old one, because it covers one device at a time. Microsoft 365 is tied to your Microsoft account, so you sign out on the old device and sign in on the new one.

This matters for the five-year sum. If you replace your computer during that period, a transferable one-time licence moves with you at no extra cost, while an OEM or device-bound licence does not. Check the licence type before buying; our OEM vs retail vs volume licence guide explains the differences.

Microsoft 365 Personal and Family let each person stay signed in on up to five devices at once, which is why subscriptions suit people who switch between a desktop, laptop and tablet.

Which should you buy: Office 2024 or Microsoft 365?

Buy Office 2024 if one or two people need the desktop apps on one computer each and do not need large cloud storage or Copilot. Choose Microsoft 365 if four or more people will share a Family plan, you use several devices each, you want Copilot, or your business needs hosted email and Teams.

1. Count the people who need Office in your home or office.
2. Count devices per person, including tablets and phones where you edit documents.
3. List the services you would otherwise pay for, such as cloud storage or email hosting.
4. Multiply by five years using current prices, then compare.

What we commonly see: single users pick Microsoft 365 for the 1 TB of storage, then keep only a few gigabytes in it. Check your OneDrive usage first; if it is small, a one-time licence plus free storage is usually the cheaper pairing.

If you are buying around the sales, our Black Friday 2026 software guide covers the checks to make before paying.

Frequently asked questions

Is it better to buy Office or subscribe to Microsoft 365?

It depends on users and devices. Buying Office 2024 once is usually better for one person on one computer, because it costs less than two years of a subscription. Subscribing is better for households sharing a Family plan, for people using several devices, and for businesses that need email, Teams and SharePoint.

Is Office 2024 a lifetime licence?

Office 2024 is a perpetual licence: you can use it for as long as it runs on your computer, with no renewal fee. However, Microsoft only provides security updates until October 2029. After that it keeps working without new fixes, so "perpetual" means no expiry, not unlimited support.

How much does Microsoft 365 cost per year in 2026?

At the time of writing (November 2026), Microsoft's US list prices are $99.99 a year for Personal, $129.99 for Family and $199.99 for Premium. Business Standard is $14.00 per user per month on an annual commitment. Microsoft's plan comparison page shows prices for your region.

Can I switch from Microsoft 365 to Office 2024?

Yes. Let your subscription lapse or cancel auto-renewal, then install Office 2024 with its own product key. Download any files you need from OneDrive first if they exceed the free storage allowance, because the 1 TB quota ends with the subscription and the account drops to the free storage level.

Does Office 2024 get new features?

No. Office 2024 receives security and quality updates until October 2029 but no new features after release. New capabilities, including Copilot features, arrive only in the Microsoft 365 subscription apps, which is one reason subscriptions cost more over time.

Related guides

• Office 365 lifetime licence: what it really means
• Office 2024 Home & Business vs Professional Plus
• Install Microsoft 365 apps on up to five devices
• Is there an Office 2025? The latest version explained

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