For everyday letters, household budgets and shared documents, our first free choice is Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. If you specifically want Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Microsoft’s free web apps are another option. For installed Office apps, compare a one-time Office 2024 purchase with Microsoft 365. We’ve also kept the older Office 2019 and 2021 options below, with a clear warning: they no longer receive Microsoft’s security updates.
Prices and support information checked on 14 October 2026.
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Our first free choice: Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
For straightforward personal use, we’d try Google Docs for letters, Google Sheets for budgets and Google Slides for presentations before paying for Office. They’re available with a free personal Google account and make it easy to share a file and work on it together. You don’t need a paid Google Workspace subscription for these everyday tasks; business plans add extra features.
Google can open and edit Microsoft Office files, but try a copy of an important document first. Check complex formatting and spreadsheet results rather than assuming they’ll be identical. If you depend on advanced Excel features or macros, the desktop version of Excel may be a better fit: Excel macros need to be recreated or converted for Sheets.
These apps work in your browser. Offline use is available, but set it up beforehand while you’re online, using Chrome or Edge and Google’s offline extension. Make the files you need available offline before travelling.
Prefer Microsoft’s familiar apps? Try its free web version
Microsoft 365 for the web gives you free browser-based Word, Excel and PowerPoint with a Microsoft account. It’s worth trying if you’re already comfortable with Microsoft or regularly exchange Office files. You’ll need an internet connection, and the web apps don’t include every feature of the paid desktop versions.
For one computer without a subscription: Office Home 2024
Office Home 2024 includes the installed versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for one PC or Mac. It’s for non-commercial use. It doesn’t include the paid desktop version of Outlook or an upgrade to the next major Office release.
Microsoft’s listed price when we checked was US$179.99 in the US or £119.99 in the UK, paid once. These are reference prices, not a claim that Microsoft is the cheapest seller. Compare the same edition at established retailers and check the final price before paying.
Check Office Home 2024 at Microsoft US · Check Office Home 2024 at Microsoft UK
Another offer to compare: StackSocial listed Office Home 2024 for PC or Mac at US$114.97 when checked on 14 October 2026. It covers one PC or Mac for non-commercial use. Redeem the code within seven days. Once redeemed, the licence is non-refundable; unredeemed licences can be returned for store credit within seven days. Check the current offer and terms before buying.
Check the current Office Home 2024 price at Amazon US (affiliate link). One-time purchase for one PC or Mac. This Amazon listing is for US customers; check the current seller, price and terms before paying. US prices shown here exclude any applicable sales tax.
Important: paying once doesn’t mean security updates forever. Microsoft lists 9 October 2029 as Office 2024’s retirement date.
If you need Outlook or a licence for work, compare Office Home & Business 2024 instead. Check the edition carefully; a cheaper Home licence isn’t the same product.
For several devices or people: compare Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is a subscription that includes the desktop Office apps and ongoing updates while your subscription and device remain supported. Personal covers one person; Family covers up to six people. Each person can use the apps on up to five devices at once.
- Microsoft 365 Personal: US$99.99 a year or £84.99 a year direct from Microsoft when checked.
- Microsoft 365 Family: US$129.99 a year or £104.99 a year direct from Microsoft when checked.
Compare Microsoft’s US plans or UK plans. These subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled. A retailer’s introductory offer may have a different renewal price, so check the length of the offer and what you’ll pay afterwards.
Check Microsoft 365 Personal at Amazon US (affiliate link) · Check Microsoft 365 Family at Amazon US (affiliate link)
These Amazon US listings are annual subscriptions that renew automatically unless cancelled. Check the current subscription price, renewal terms and any applicable tax before paying.
Before buying, check whether you already have access through a subscription shared by your family, your employer or your school.
Older Office options: understand the support warning
Older one-time Office licences can appeal if you want the familiar desktop apps without a subscription. The two editions below were previously featured here through StackSocial. They’re still worth explaining so you can understand what an older deal offers and what its low price may leave out.
Security warning: these editions are now unsupported. The apps may still run, but Microsoft no longer supplies security fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities. That matters even for everyday documents and email attachments. A “lifetime” licence describes the licence, not lifetime security updates.
Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows: unsupported
This older Windows edition includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. StackSocial lists a one-time licence for one Windows PC, for home or work. The seller says it’s tied to the device rather than your Microsoft account. It lists Windows 10 and 11 compatibility; that doesn’t mean Microsoft still supports Office 2019.
Support ended on 14 October 2025. Read Microsoft’s Office 2019 support notice before deciding whether an older licence suits you. It isn’t a supported alternative to Office 2024.
StackSocial price checked on 14 October 2026: US$14.97. Redeem within seven days of purchase. Once redeemed, all sales are final. Check the current price and full terms before paying.
View Office 2019 for Windows at StackSocial (unsupported; affiliate link)
Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac: unsupported
This older Mac edition includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. StackSocial lists a one-time licence for one Mac, for home or work. The seller says the one-use code is linked to your Microsoft account and isn’t for use with Parallels or a virtual machine.
Support ended on 13 October 2026. Read Microsoft’s Office 2021 support notice. A Mac that can run the apps doesn’t restore their security support, and compatibility with future macOS releases isn’t guaranteed.
StackSocial price checked on 14 October 2026: US$89.97. Redeem within seven days of purchase. Once redeemed, all sales are final. Check the current price and full terms before paying.
View Office 2021 for Mac at StackSocial (unsupported; affiliate link)
Check these things before paying
- Your computer: check Microsoft’s current system requirements. For supported Office 2024 use on a PC, plan on Windows 11. On a Mac, Microsoft supports the three most recent major versions of macOS. Being able to install an app isn’t the same as having a supported setup.
- The exact licence: confirm the edition, number of devices, country restrictions, activation deadline and whether it can be transferred to a replacement computer.
- The seller and refund terms: on a marketplace, check who actually sells the licence. Read the digital-download refund policy before revealing or redeeming a key. Microsoft warns about product keys sold separately; a key that activates isn’t, by itself, proof of a valid licence.
- Installation: use Microsoft’s official setup and download instructions. Don’t follow instructions that ask you to switch off security protection to activate Office.
Our recommendation: start with Google’s free apps for straightforward personal tasks and collaboration. Try Microsoft’s free web apps if you prefer them. If you need installed Office apps, compare Office Home 2024 for one supported computer with Microsoft 365 for several devices or people. If you’re considering an older edition, weigh the saving against the lack of security updates before paying.
Related reading: Windows 11 basics for seniors, Windows laptop buying guide, and Mac laptop buying guide.
How this update was prepared: AI assistance was used to research and draft this guide using Microsoft and Google’s published product, pricing and support information. This is buying guidance based on those sources; we haven’t bought or hands-on tested the licences described here. Prices and offers can change.