If you are buying today, choose Office 2024 Professional Plus. Office 2021 reaches the end of Microsoft support on 13 October 2026, after which it receives no security updates, while Office 2024 is supported until 9 October 2029. Office 2024 also adds new Excel functions, dynamic charts, PowerPoint recording tools and better recovery in Word.
If you already own Office 2021, it will keep working after October. The question is how long you are comfortable running software that is no longer patched. The table shows where the two differ.
| Area | Office 2021 Pro Plus | Office 2024 Pro Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Released | October 2021 | September to October 2024 |
| Microsoft support ends | 13 October 2026 | 9 October 2029 |
| Licence type | One-time purchase | One-time purchase |
| Core apps | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access |
| Excel | XLOOKUP, LET, dynamic arrays | Adds 14 text and array functions, IMAGE, dynamic charts |
| PowerPoint | Record slide show, ink replay | Adds Cameo, Recording Studio, captions for audio and video |
| Word | Line Focus, dark mode | Adds session recovery after a crash |
| OpenDocument support | ODF 1.3 | ODF 1.4 |
| Copilot | Not included | Not included |
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 10 and 11 |
Is Office 2021 Pro Plus still worth buying?
Only in narrow cases. With support ending on 13 October 2026, a new Office 2021 licence bought now is patched for a matter of weeks. It can still make sense if you must match the exact version used across an existing office, or if you depend on Publisher, which the newer release drops. For everyone else, Office 2024 is the sensible purchase.
End of support does not switch the apps off. Word and Excel will open as before. What stops is the monthly security update, and Office is a common route for attacks because people open documents from email every day. That risk grows over time, not overnight.
What does Office 2024 Pro Plus add over Office 2021?
The biggest gains are in Excel and PowerPoint. Office 2024 brings the text and array functions that Microsoft 365 users have had for a while, charts that resize themselves as data changes, and presentation recording tools that remove the need for separate software. Word and Outlook receive smaller but useful improvements.
- New Excel functions. Fourteen additions including TEXTSPLIT, TEXTBEFORE, TEXTAFTER, VSTACK, HSTACK, TAKE and DROP. Tasks that once needed nested LEFT, MID and FIND formulas become one short function.
- Dynamic charts. A chart built on a dynamic array grows and shrinks with the results, so you stop redefining chart ranges when the data changes.
- Faster workbooks. Microsoft reports improved speed and stability when several workbooks are open and recalculating at once.
- Cameo and Recording Studio. Place your live camera feed inside a slide and record narration, ink and animations into a finished video.
- Session recovery in Word. If Word closes unexpectedly, it reopens every document you had open, not only the last one saved.
- Accessibility ribbon. One place to check contrast, alt text and reading order across Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Microsoft lists the full set on its page about what is new in Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024.
What did Office 2024 remove?
Publisher is the notable loss. Microsoft is retiring Publisher in October 2026 and its documentation confirms that Office LTSC 2024 does not include it. Teams is no longer pre-installed either, though it remains a free separate download. ActiveX controls are also disabled by default, which can affect very old spreadsheets and forms.
If you still rely on .pub files, export them to PDF or Word while you have a working copy of Publisher. App line-ups can vary between licence types, so check the app list on the product page before you buy.
Are the system requirements different?
Barely. Both versions run on Windows 10 and Windows 11 and need roughly 4 GB of memory and 4 GB of disk space. Neither installs on Windows 7 or 8.1. If your PC runs Office 2021 comfortably, it will run Office 2024.
One thing worth planning together: Windows 10 has also left free support. If that PC is staying in service, see our comparison of Windows 11 Pro vs Windows 10 Home before you decide what to install Office on.
Can you upgrade from Office 2021 to Office 2024?
Yes, but it is a new licence and a fresh install, not a discounted upgrade. Microsoft does not sell upgrade pricing for one-time purchase Office. Your documents, templates and Outlook data files stay on the PC and open in the new version.
- Note your Outlook account settings and confirm your files are backed up.
- Uninstall Office 2021 from Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Running two versions side by side causes file association and activation problems.
- Install Office 2024 and activate it with your new key. Our guide on how to download and install Office Professional Plus 2024 covers each step.
A common issue we see is the new key being refused because the old version is still installed and Office tries to apply the key to it. Removing the old version first avoids that.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Office 2024 Pro Plus for any new purchase, for PCs you expect to keep beyond this year, and if you work heavily in Excel or present often. Stay on Office 2021 only if you already own it, the PC handles low-risk work, and you have a date in mind for replacing it.
You can find the Office 2024 Professional Plus licence in our store. If you need to match an existing Office 2021 deployment for a short period, the Office 2021 Professional Plus key is still available too.
Frequently asked questions
Will Office 2021 stop working after 13 October 2026?
No. The apps continue to open and your licence remains valid. Microsoft stops releasing security updates, bug fixes and technical support for it. You can keep using it, but the risk from unpatched vulnerabilities increases the longer you do.
Is Office 2024 Pro Plus a subscription?
No. It is a one-time purchase with no renewal. You receive security updates until 9 October 2029 but no new features. Ongoing features and Copilot are part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions instead.
Can Office 2024 open files made in Office 2021?
Yes, in both directions. The file formats are the same. The only gap is that a workbook using functions new to Office 2024, such as TEXTSPLIT, will show errors in those cells when opened in Office 2021.
Does Office 2024 Pro Plus include Copilot?
No. Neither Office 2021 nor Office 2024 includes Copilot. Microsoft offers Copilot through Microsoft 365 subscriptions only.
How do you check which Office version you have now?
Open Word, go to File, then Account, and read the Product Information section. It shows the product name and the version and build. Our post on the latest Office 2024 update explains how to read those numbers.
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