Microsoft Office 2024 Review

The Microsoft Office 2024 office suite lets you use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote without paying for a Microsoft 365 subscription. All of these programs are the best at what they do, so it’s a great value for Windows and macOS users who only work on one machine. The Home edition offers independent professionals and students everything they need to be productive, while the Home and Business tiers are ideal for corporations that want stable apps that will continue to receive security patches. Just don’t expect any cloud storage space or major feature updates. Microsoft Office 2024 earns our Editors’ Choice award alongside Microsoft 365 because it makes the company’s flagship Office apps more affordable in the long run.

How much does Microsoft Office 2024 cost?

If you just want Microsoft Office on a PC or Mac, you can choose between the Home ($149.99) and Home and Business ($249.99) tiers. The former gets you the “classic 2024 desktop version” of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote on Windows 10 or 11 or any of the last three versions of macOS, while the latter (which I tested) adds Outlook and is suitable for commercial use. . Microsoft promises security updates for these applications, but not much else. Note that there is no upgrade path from either level; If a new standalone version comes out, you’ll have to pay full price to upgrade.

Corporate users can order a volume license of the Office Long Term Service Channel (LTSC), which is designed for systems not connected to the Internet. The only significant difference with LTSC versions of Office apps is that they include an accessibility ribbon that keeps them in line with government and corporate accessibility requirements (such as compatibility with screen-reading software).

Alternatively, individuals can pay $69.99 per year for a Microsoft 365 Personal subscription. These include the ability to install Office apps on multiple devices, 1TB of OneDrive storage, continuous feature updates, and Microsoft Access database software for desktop.

I like to keep up to date with a Microsoft 365 subscription, but there are plenty of reasons for a one-time purchase. For example, you don’t have to worry about losing access to your apps if your subscription expires unexpectedly You also don’t have to deal with Microsoft’s potentially volatile changes to the app’s interface and features. For example, in recent years, the company has replaced the old Find dialog with a navigation pane and the spell-check dialog with a proofing pane.

Alternative to Office 2024

Of course, Microsoft Office isn’t the only office suite available. The online-only Google Workspace (not to be confused with Google Docs Editors) has advantages for collaboration. Google’s apps are easy to navigate and work seamlessly with Gmail and web forms, but they don’t handle large files or run as smoothly as Microsoft’s apps. Otherwise, LibreOffice carries the torch for the open-source and government compliance crowd, and Apple’s streamlined iWork suite is available at no cost to Apple device users. Additionally, you can look into Corel WordPerfect Office if your law office or business uses it, or are tempted to save some money with SoftMaker Office.

However, most people are still better off with an Office 2024 license or a Microsoft 365 subscription. Yes, Microsoft Word can be very annoying when it unexpectedly formats your documents in a way that you can’t figure out how to undo. But its document format is ubiquitous, and no other competitor is nearly as capable. Using regular expressions (advanced wildcards) in search and replace functions or relying on style management to easily create and maintain consistent documents can, for example, save hours of work. All other Office apps have the same benefits.

How to get Office 2024

It took me a few minutes to realize that I had to go to the Services and Subscriptions section of my Microsoft account page and scroll two full screens to the list of product purchases to download the software. There, you will find an install button. Alternatively, you can go back to where you purchased the license to download via an Install button.

For installation, you can choose the default option (this installed 32-bit Office on my 64-bit Windows 11 system), specify a 32- or 64-bit installer, or choose a 5GB disk image for offline installation. I tried the offline installer out of curiosity but found that it didn’t actually use the software on the desktop image since my system was online. However you install it, Microsoft Teams will appear on your system if it isn’t already there.

What is it like to use Office 2024?

If you’re using Office 2021, the previous standalone version, then Office 2024 won’t present any big surprises. The new apps have a more consistent interface that better complements Windows 11. They default to the “Use System Settings” option, which means they will match the light or dark theme for your operating system. If you want, you can switch to colorful choices to add a splash of style.

If you’re happy with the 2021 version, the 2024’s new features probably won’t convince you to upgrade. And, as far as I can tell, all the new features in Office 2024 are already available to Microsoft 365 subscribers.

Updates include support for the latest OpenDocument format (ODF 1.4), a change that adds compatibility with LibreOffice and other non-Microsoft apps. In terms of collaboration, you can now use a Like button to show approval of other people’s comments across the app. Excel adds dynamic charts that automatically update when an array changes size and recalculates, unlike traditional charts that are only linked to data points that existed when you created the chart. Excel lets you add images to worksheets via copy/paste or a new image function, as well as new text manipulation functions. Word leverages existing Office 365 features that automatically reopen documents after Windows or Word closes unexpectedly. However, not all Office 365 features are part of the LTSC version; You need to drill down to Microsoft’s documentation for more details.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint are fine

As mentioned, the apps you get with an Office 2024 license are the same as with a Microsoft 365 subscription. We cover all of those apps more fully in our next review, but highlight a few findings about the main ones here.

Word is the most powerful word processor in the world. It doesn’t have the same graphic razzle-dazzle as Apple’s Pages, but it does come with drawing tools and well-designed, color-coordinated themes. You can insert images directly into Word (and Excel and PowerPoint) from an Android phone, just as iPhone users can insert photos directly into Apple’s Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps.

Excel has always been the colossus of spreadsheet apps, and it continues to increase its lead over rivals. Apple’s Number Spreadsheet has a unique design that allows you to create the most helpful and attractive interface for entering multiple tables and data on a single sheet, but it only works on Apple hardware and isn’t nearly as powerful. Note that the Windows version of Excel offers features that are not available in the macOS version For example, you cannot create a full name column by typing a name from the first name column and a name from the last name column, then moving down one cell and starting to type the next name.

PowerPoint is basically the same as previous versions, but you can now use the Insert Cameo feature to add a live camera feed to a slide and record a presentation or slide with a feature called Recording Studio. PowerPoint’s only competitor is Apple’s Keynote, but anyone who uses Word or Excel will love PowerPoint’s familiar interface, just as anyone who uses Apple’s Pages or Numbers will love Keynote.

Verdict: Permanent access to premium Office apps

Microsoft’s Office apps are still the standard for everything from writing long-form documents to crunching numbers, and Office 2024 gives you the latest version for a reasonable one-time price. You’ll lose cloud storage and future feature updates compared to a Microsoft 365 subscription, but it’s a fair trade-off for the ability to use these apps to their full extent forever. Both Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 are Editors’ Choice winners because they provide the same great apps for students, office workers, and other professionals. The only real question is how you want to pay for them.

About Edward Mendelssohn

Edward Mendelson has been a contributing editor to PC Magazine since 1988 and has written extensively on Windows and Mac software, particularly about Office, Internet, and utility applications.

Read Edward’s full biography

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