

Microsoft officials are giving Office 2021 the same visual update that they're providing for Microsoft 365. Both of these variants are limited to use on a single PC or Mac and will be supported for five years. Home and Business includes everything in Home and Student, plus Outlook for PC and Mac and the rights to use the apps for business purposes, officials said. The Home and Student version includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Teams for PC and Mac. Office Home and Student 2021 will cost $150 Office Home and Business 2021 will cost $250. Office 2021, which is aimed at consumers and students, not business users, will be available in two versions. Today, October 1, Microsoft officials shared details about the other Office 2021, which will begin shipping on October 5, the same day that Windows 11 starts rolling out. Microsoft already made available last month one of two of its non-subscription, perpetual Office products: Office LTSC. It would take at least nine years for the cost of your Microsoft 365 to equal the price of an equal number of Office 2021 licenses.Microsoft watcher Mary Jo Foley's blog covers the products, people and strategies that make Microsoft tick. But if you pick the Microsoft 365 Family plan and have six users sharing it, you would have only paid $16.67 per head. In just two years, you would have already spent more if you chose Microsoft 365 Personal over Office Home & Student 2021.

On the other hand, you will have to pay the $69.99 fee annually if you're going for Microsoft 365 Personal.

However, since it's a one-time purchase, you only need to spend on the app once. The initial cash outlay for both versions of Office 2021 is significantly higher than Microsoft 365's offerings.

The Personal plan costs $69.99 per year (or $6.99 a month), while the Family plan costs $99.99 per year (or $9.99 a month). Microsoft 365, the subscription-based office suite, also comes in two options: Personal and Family. Related: What to Expect With Microsoft Office 2021? The Home & Business 2021 license also lets you use the apps for corporate use. The former, which costs $149.99, includes the desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, while the latter, at $249.99, adds Outlook to the mix. It comes in two flavors: Home & Student 2021 and Home & Business 2021. Office 2021 is the single-purchase version of Microsoft's office suite.
