What Office 2021 offers
Office 2021 includes the familiar Office programs as a perpetual license, depending on the edition Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more. Functionally it covers everyday Office work in full. The file formats are fully compatible with Office 2024 and older versions.
The difference from Office 2024 lies mainly in the update period: Office 2021 receives security updates until 09.10.2026, Office 2024 until 2029. Functionally, the differences are manageable for most users. Office 2024 introduces a few new features, but the core of the programs is very similar in both versions.
When Office 2021 is the right choice
- Tighter budget. Office 2021 is cheaper than the current 2024 version.
- Medium usage period planned. If you want to use Office for another two to three years, you are well served with 2021 and updates until the end of 2026.
- Slightly older hardware. Office 2021 also runs on devices that are not the very latest.
- If you plan for the long term. you are better off with Office 2024 and updates until 2029.