If you don’t want to pay for an ongoing Microsoft 365 subscription but still need the full desktop versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you can still buy Microsoft Office for Mac as a one-time purchase in 2026.
The latest standalone version is Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac, which does not require a monthly or annual subscription – there is no 2025 or 2026 version.
However, there are some important differences between Office 2024 and Microsoft 365 – especially now that Microsoft includes Copilot with its main subscription plans.
Here’s everything you need to know before buying it.
Office vs Microsoft 365 vs Copilot
Microsoft’s Office lineup has become increasingly confusing following several rebrandings and the integration of Copilot into Microsoft 365.
The simplest way to understand the current options is:
- Office 2024 is a one-time purchase for one Mac or PC.
- Microsoft 365 is a subscription that includes the latest desktop apps, cloud storage, feature updates and Copilot.
- Microsoft 365 Premium is a more expensive consumer subscription with higher Copilot usage limits and advanced AI features.
- Microsoft 365 Copilot for businesses is a separate business-focused AI product with different pricing and licensing.
The biggest recent change is that Microsoft 365 Personal and Family now include Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote.
Copilot is not unlimited, however, and usage limits apply. On Microsoft 365 Family plans, the AI features are only available to the subscription owner and cannot be shared with the other five members.
If you don’t want Copilot, you can disable it in apps such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, but this does not reduce the cost of your Microsoft 365 subscription.
Microsoft briefly offered some existing subscribers the option to switch to Personal Classic or Family Classic plans without Copilot. However, these were limited transition plans and are not generally available to new customers.
The clearest way to avoid paying for Copilot is therefore to buy Office 2024 as a one-time purchase.
Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac
Microsoft released Office 2024 on October 1st 2024.
Although we’re now in 2026, it remains the latest version of Office for Mac that you can buy with a perpetual license.
A perpetual license means you pay once and can continue using that version for as long as it remains compatible with your Mac. However, it does not entitle you to future versions of Office.
There are two editions available.
| Edition | Price | Included Apps | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Home 2024 | $179.99/£119.99 | Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote | Non-commercial use on one Mac or PC |
| Office Home & Business 2024 | $249.99/£249.99 | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook | Home or commercial use on one Mac or PC |
Microsoft previously used the name “Home & Student,” but the current entry-level edition is officially called Office Home 2024.
Discounts are often available from Amazon and other retailers, so you may be able to find both editions for less than Microsoft’s standard price.
Key Features:
- One-time payment with no recurring subscription
- Full desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote
- Outlook included with Office Home & Business
- Native support for Apple Silicon Macs
- Support for compatible Intel Macs
- Security and reliability updates
- Ability to work offline after activation
Office 2024 supports the three most recent major versions of macOS.
Microsoft drops support for the oldest version when Apple releases a new major version of macOS. This is more useful than relying on a fixed compatibility list, which quickly becomes outdated.
You will also need a Microsoft account and an internet connection to download and activate Office. Microsoft may require a periodic internet connection to keep the apps activated, although you can use the desktop apps offline between these checks.
What Isn’t Included With Office 2024?
The one-time purchase versions do not include:
- Copilot integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook or OneNote
- New features released after Office 2024
- Upgrades to future major versions of Office
- 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage
- Microsoft Defender subscription features
- Microsoft 365 collaboration and cloud services
- Installation on multiple computers
- Access, Project or Visio for Mac
You can still use the free standalone or web version of Microsoft Copilot separately, but it will not be integrated into the Office 2024 desktop apps.
Office 2024 does not include a paid OneDrive storage allowance either. However, you will still receive the standard 5GB of free OneDrive storage associated with a Microsoft account.
Microsoft Access does not have a Mac version. The desktop versions of Project and Visio are also Windows-only and are sold separately, although some web-based functionality may be available with certain Microsoft subscriptions (Visio for the web for example).
Microsoft Publisher is also Windows-only and is being retired by Microsoft in October 2026 – check out our guide to the best Publisher for Mac alternatives for other options.
If you later decide you want full Copilot integration or cloud syncing, you’d need to move to a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Where to Buy It
- Microsoft Store – Full retail pricing but you know exactly what you’re getting
- Amazon / Trusted Retailers – Often 10–20% cheaper for digital downloads (instant license key) although you may find these are frequently out of stock.
- Authorized Deal Sites (e.g., StackCommerce) – Periodic “lifetime license” offers for Office 2024 or older versions (although we recommend closely checking the small print as to what this includes).
You may also see extremely cheap Office “lifetime licenses” advertised by deal sites.
Be careful with these offers because they may be for an older version, Windows rather than Mac, a different region or a license that isn’t intended for individual resale.
A lifetime or perpetual license also does not mean lifetime updates. Office 2024 support still ends in October 2029 (see below for more).
Do You Need Office Home & Business for Outlook?
Office Home & Business 2024 includes Outlook, whereas Office Home 2024 does not.
However, Outlook for Mac can now be downloaded and used for free with personal Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo and IMAP accounts.
The free version may display ads and does not include all the benefits of a paid Outlook license.
Office Home & Business 2024 provides a licensed, ad-free version of Outlook and, more importantly, gives you the right to use Office for commercial purposes.
If you only need Outlook for personal email, you may therefore be able to buy the cheaper Office Home 2024 edition and download Outlook separately.
If you’re using Office for work or business, you should buy Office Home & Business 2024 or an appropriate Microsoft 365 business subscription.
How Long Will Office 2024 Be Supported?
Microsoft will support Office 2024 for Mac until October 9th 2029.
The license itself will not suddenly expire on this date, so you should still be able to use the software.
However, Microsoft will stop providing security updates and technical support. Future versions of macOS may also eventually become incompatible with Office 2024.
This is important when comparing the cost with Microsoft 365, which continues receiving new features, compatibility updates and security fixes for as long as your subscription remains active.
Copilot in Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium now include Copilot.
Copilot can help you:
- Draft, summarize and rewrite documents in Word
- Analyze data and create formulas in Excel
- Generate presentations and slides in PowerPoint
- Summarize email threads in Outlook
- Organize and rewrite notes in OneNote
- Generate and edit images with Microsoft Designer
Usage limits apply and can change as Microsoft updates its plans.
Copilot in Excel also requires AutoSave to be enabled, which means the workbook must be saved to OneDrive. Copilot features in the consumer version of Outlook are currently limited to supported Microsoft email accounts such as Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and MSN.
Microsoft’s consumer subscriptions currently cost:
| Plan | Annual Price | Users | Storage | Copilot |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $99.99/£84.99 | 1 | 1TB | Included with usage limits |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $129.99/£104.99 | Up to 6 | Up to 6TB | Subscription owner only |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | $199.99/£189.99 | Up to 6 | Up to 6TB | Subscription owner only, with higher limits and advanced AI features |
Tip: If you share a Microsoft 365 Family plan ($129.99/year for up to 6 people), it works out to about $21.66 per person per year – cheaper long-term than buying Office 2024 if you have a full group.
Microsoft 365 Premium is aimed at users who make frequent use of Copilot. It includes higher usage limits, advanced Copilot features and access to AI agents that can perform more complex research and data-analysis tasks.
Microsoft 365 vs Office 2024
| Feature | Microsoft 365 | Office 2024 |
| Payment | Monthly or annual subscription | One-time purchase |
| Price | From $99.99/£84.99 per year | From $179.99/£119.99 |
| Devices | Install on multiple devices and use on up to five simultaneously | One Mac or PC |
| Word, Excel and PowerPoint | Included | Included |
| Outlook | Included | Home & Business only |
| Copilot | Included for the subscription owner, with usage limits | Not integrated |
| Feature updates | Continuous | No major new features |
| Security updates | Included while subscribed | Until October 9th 2029 |
| OneDrive storage | 1TB per user | No paid storage included |
| Future Office versions | Included while subscribed | Must be purchased separately |
| Commercial use | Requires an appropriate business plan | Home & Business edition only |
Which Version Should You Buy?
The best option depends on how you use Office.
Buy Office Home 2024 If:
- You only need Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote
- You use Office on one Mac
- You don’t need Copilot
- You don’t need 1TB of cloud storage
- You don’t use Office for commercial purposes
- You want to avoid an ongoing subscription
Buy Office Home & Business 2024 If:
- You need a licensed, ad-free version of Outlook
- You use Office for work or commercial purposes
- You only need Office on one Mac
- You don’t need Copilot or continuous feature updates
Subscribe to Microsoft 365 Personal If:
- You use Office on several devices
- You want 1TB of OneDrive storage
- You want regular feature updates
- You want Copilot integrated into the Office apps
- You want ongoing compatibility with new versions of macOS
Subscribe to Microsoft 365 Family If:
- Several people in your household need Office
- You want up to 6TB of OneDrive storage
- You want each person to use Office on multiple devices
- You understand that Copilot is only available to the subscription owner
If all six places are used, Microsoft 365 Family works out at approximately $21.66/£17.50 per person per year.
That makes it excellent value for a household, even though the Copilot benefits cannot be shared.
Subscribe to Microsoft 365 Premium If:
- You use Copilot frequently
- The standard AI limits are too restrictive
- You want advanced Copilot features or AI agents
- You’re prepared to pay substantially more for the AI functionality
Summary
You can still buy Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac as a one-time purchase in 2026.
Office Home 2024 is the best choice if you need Word, Excel and PowerPoint on one Mac for personal use and don’t want a subscription.
Office Home & Business 2024 adds Outlook and commercial-use rights.
Microsoft 365 is better suited to anyone who needs Office on several devices, 1TB of cloud storage, ongoing updates or Copilot.
The important recent change is that Copilot is now included with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family rather than being a separate optional extra. However, on Family plans, only the subscription owner receives the AI features.
Alternatives to Microsoft Office for Mac
If you don’t want to buy Office 2024 or subscribe to Microsoft 365, there are several alternatives.
We’ve looked at the best Microsoft Office alternatives for Mac, many of which can open and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.
Popular free alternatives include:
- Apple Pages, Numbers and Keynote
- Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
- LibreOffice
However, these alternatives may not always preserve complex formatting, macros or advanced spreadsheet features accurately.
If you regularly exchange Office documents with colleagues or clients, Microsoft Office remains the safest option for compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Still Buy Microsoft Office for Mac as a One-Time Purchase?
Yes. Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac is available as a one-time purchase with no monthly or annual subscription.
Office Home 2024 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Office Home & Business 2024 also includes Outlook and commercial-use rights.
What’s the Difference Between Office 2024 and Microsoft 365?
Office 2024 is a one-time purchase for one computer. It receives security updates but does not receive major new features or upgrades to future Office releases.
Microsoft 365 is a subscription that includes ongoing feature updates, OneDrive storage, installation on multiple devices and Copilot.
Does Office 2024 for Mac Include Copilot?
No. Office 2024 does not include Copilot integrated into Word, Excel, PowerPoint or the other desktop Office apps.
You can still use the free standalone or web version of Microsoft Copilot separately.
Does Microsoft 365 Personal Include Copilot?
Yes. Microsoft 365 Personal now includes Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, although usage limits apply.
Does Everyone on Microsoft 365 Family Get Copilot?
No. The Office apps and OneDrive storage can be shared with up to five other people, but Copilot and the associated AI benefits are only available to the subscription owner.
Can Copilot Be Disabled in Microsoft 365?
Yes. Microsoft allows Copilot to be disabled in apps including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
However, disabling it does not reduce the price of the subscription.
Does Office 2024 for Mac Include Outlook?
Outlook is included only with Office Home & Business 2024.
However, Outlook for Mac can be downloaded separately and used free with personal email accounts, although the free version may display ads.
Is Microsoft Teams Included With Office 2024?
No. Teams is not included as part of the Office 2024 license.
However, Microsoft offers a separate free version of Teams, and Office 2024 documents can still be shared and used with it.
Does Office 2024 Include OneDrive Storage?
Office 2024 does not include a paid OneDrive storage allowance.
You will still receive the standard 5GB of free OneDrive storage that comes with a Microsoft account.
Does Office 2024 Work on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. Office 2024 runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs and also supports compatible Intel Macs.
Microsoft supports the three most recent major versions of macOS.
Can Office 2024 Be Used Without an Internet Connection?
You need an internet connection and Microsoft account to download and activate Office 2024. Microsoft may also require periodic online license verification.
After activation, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the other desktop apps can be used offline.
Can I Use Microsoft Office in a Web Browser for Free?
Yes. Microsoft offers free web versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint to anyone with a Microsoft account.
These browser-based apps have fewer features than the paid desktop versions and are separate from your Office 2024 license.
Can I Upgrade Office 2024 to a Future Version?
There is no free upgrade path from Office 2024 to the next perpetual version.
If Microsoft releases a newer one-time-purchase edition, you will need to buy it separately.
When Does Office 2024 Support End?
Microsoft support for Office 2024 for Mac ends on October 9th 2029.
The software should continue working afterwards, but it will no longer receive security updates or official support.
Are Access, Visio, Project or Publisher Available for Mac?
Microsoft Access does not have a Mac version.
The desktop versions of Visio and Project are Windows-only and sold separately, although some web functionality may be available through certain Microsoft plans.
Publisher is Windows-only and is being retired by Microsoft in October 2026.
Should Businesses Use Office 2024 or Microsoft 365?
Office Home & Business 2024 can be suitable for an individual or small business that needs Office on one Mac and prefers a fixed, one-time cost.
Businesses that require multiple users, cloud collaboration, centralized administration, business email or advanced security will generally be better served by Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Business Premium.
Is Microsoft Office 2026 Available for Mac?
No. There is currently no product called Microsoft Office 2026 for Mac.
Microsoft Office 2024 remains the latest version available as a one-time purchase.