All three give you Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The real choice is between paying once and paying for a subscription, and how long you want the product to receive updates.
| Office 2021 | Office 2024 | Microsoft 365 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payment | One-time | One-time | 12-month subscription |
| License | Lifetime, 1 PC | Lifetime, 1 PC | Renews yearly |
| Microsoft support ends | 2026-10-14 | 2029-10-10 | While subscribed |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes | Mostly, with periodic sign-in |
| OneDrive storage | None included | None included | 1 TB per user |
| New features | No | No | Added regularly |
| Best for | Lowest price, basic office work | One purchase with the longest support | Several devices, cloud storage |
Which one should you choose?
Choose Office 2024 if you want to pay once and keep using it for years. Choose Microsoft 365 if you work across devices and want cloud storage. Office 2021 costs less, but Microsoft support for it has ended, so it no longer receives security updates.