Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 give you access to the programs you need to work, play, and stay connected. From the power to create documents and presentations, to the ability to design database apps and stay in touch via email, Office simplifies the way you work online, and off.

What you might not realize, is that Office comes in a variety of versions designed for different needs, uses and computers. But before you buy, let’s compare Microsoft Office versions so you can choose the right software for all the things you do.

Microsoft 365 Family: Designed for use on up to 5 PCs or Macs, as well as 5 tablets – including iPad, Android, or Windows, and 5 phones. In the package, you’ll receive access to Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher and Access. In addition, you’ll automatically receive the latest Office updates (including Office 2019), and get 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage, free Microsoft Answer Desk support and 60 minutes of Skype calling per month.

Microsoft 365 Personal: When you compare Office versions, Microsoft 365 Personal gives you all the same great features you’ll find in Microsoft 365 Business, but on just one PC or Mac and one tablet device, instead of up to five of each.

Office 2021 Home & Student: Microsoft Office 2021 features new, modern versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote that are designed to help maximize your productivity and give you rich authoring features, design controls for pixel-perfect layouts and intuitive tools to help you make the most of your data. Plus, because you’ll have access to your docs in the cloud whenever you need them, you can work when, how and where it suits you best. And for those times when collaboration is critical, you can even share documents and get your team on the same page. (Designed for use on one PC.)

Office 2021 Home & Business: With the same great features as Office 2021 Home & Student, as well as Outlook, Office 2019 Home & Business gives you everything you need to get more done — and stay connected with friends, family and colleagues around the globe.

Office 2021 Professional: Now you can do your best work – anywhere, anytime and with anyone. In addition to the 2021 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, Office 2021 Professional includes new iterations of Publisher and Access, which can help increase your productivity so you can do more in less time. Best of all, with your documents stored online, collaborating with teams around the world is easy.

In general, when you compare Office vs. Microsoft 365, the most important thing to note is that Microsoft 365 is always up to date, so you’ll never have to purchase upgrades or wonder if you’re using the most recent version.