Buy & Download
Download immediately after your purchase
QUESTIONs? Help With The Setup
support@msofficestore.uk
Live Chat
- Windows For Personal Use
- Office For Windows
- Antivirus
Download immediately after your purchase
support@msofficestore.uk
Choosing between Microsoft Office 2021 and Office 2024? Both are one-time purchase lifetime licenses — meaning you pay once and own them permanently with no subscription fees. But they differ in features, included apps, pricing, and support lifecycle. This guide breaks down exactly what each version includes, how they compare side by side, and which is the right choice for your situation in 2026.
Quick answer: If you need the most complete suite including Access and Publisher, choose Office 2021 Professional Plus. If you want the latest features and the longest support lifecycle with the core apps, choose Office Home and Business 2024.
Before comparing the two versions, it is worth clarifying what a lifetime license means — because many buyers confuse Office 2021/2024 with Microsoft 365.
Both Office 2021 and Office 2024 are lifetime licenses. Neither requires a subscription. This guide focuses on comparing these two one-time-purchase versions.
| App | Office 2021 Professional Plus | Office Home & Business 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Word | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Excel | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| PowerPoint | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Outlook | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| OneNote | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Teams | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Access (database) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Publisher (desktop publishing) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Key takeaway: Office 2021 Professional Plus is the more complete suite — it includes Access, Publisher, and Teams on top of the core apps. Office Home and Business 2024 covers the core five apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote) with the newest 2024 feature updates but without the additional tools.
| Feature Area | Office 2021 Professional Plus | Office Home & Business 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Excel new functions | XLOOKUP, LET, dynamic arrays | All 2021 functions + new 2024 additions |
| Word co-authoring | Basic real-time co-authoring | Improved collaboration and auto-save |
| PowerPoint recording | Standard recording tools | Updated Cameo feature for video in slides |
| Outlook interface | Classic Outlook interface | New Outlook interface (modernised) |
| Dark mode | Yes | Yes — improved |
| Offline use | Full offline capability | Full offline capability |
| Access (database app) | ✅ Included | ❌ Not included |
| Support until | Oct 2026 (mainstream) / Oct 2031 (extended) | Oct 2028 (mainstream) / Oct 2033 (extended) |
Microsoft provides two phases of support for each Office version:
| Version | Mainstream Support Ends | Extended Support Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Office 2021 Professional Plus | October 2026 | October 2031 |
| Office Home & Business 2024 | October 2028 | October 2033 |
What this means in practice: Office 2021 is already in the final stretch of its mainstream support window — you will still receive security updates until 2031, but new features have stopped. Office 2024 gives you two additional years of active development and a longer overall support lifecycle.
Choose Office 2021 Professional Plus if:
Choose Office Home and Business 2024 if:
For most home users and small businesses who just need Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook — Office Home and Business 2024 is the better long-term investment. For users who specifically need Access or Publisher, Office 2021 Professional Plus is the right choice.
If you are deciding between a lifetime license and Microsoft 365, here is the short version:
| Factor | Office 2021 / 2024 (Lifetime) | Microsoft 365 (Subscription) |
|---|---|---|
| Payment model | One-time — own it forever | Monthly or annual recurring fee |
| Always up to date | No — fixed version | Yes — continuously updated |
| OneDrive storage | 5GB (basic only) | 1TB per user |
| Long-term cost | Lower — one payment | Higher — adds up over years |
| Best for | Users who want to pay once and be done | Users who need cloud storage and always-current apps |
MSOfficeStore.us sells genuine lifetime license keys for both Office versions, delivered instantly by email with no subscription required:
Every purchase includes:
Both are lifetime licenses. Office 2021 Professional Plus includes Access and Publisher on top of the core apps. Office Home and Business 2024 covers the core five apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote) with newer features and a longer support lifecycle through 2033.
For most users, yes — if you want the latest features and the longest support lifecycle. Office 2021 still works well and is supported until 2031, but Office 2024 provides updated Excel functions, an improved Outlook interface, and support through 2033. If you specifically need Access or Publisher, stay with Office 2021 Professional Plus.
No. Both are lifetime licenses — you pay once and own them permanently. No monthly or annual fees. This is different from Microsoft 365, which is a subscription service.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Teams, Access, and Publisher — the most complete Office suite available as a one-time purchase.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Access and Publisher are not included in this edition.
Office 2021 has extended support until October 2031. Office 2024 has extended support until October 2033 — providing two extra years of security updates compared to Office 2021.
MSOfficeStore.us sells genuine lifetime license keys for both Office 2021 Professional Plus and Office Home and Business 2024, delivered instantly by email with live activation support and a money-back guarantee.
We specialise in the sale of download software by prominent manufacturers. Our aim is to always offer our customers a good-value purchase price and comprehensive service.
