Microsoft Office for Mac: Productivity Package for Apple Users

Microsoft Office for Mac is the Microsoft package for Apple users: all those who use devices with macOS and, in some cases, also iOS. It is not an invention but software that really exists and Microsoft continues to develop updated versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, specifically optimised for Apple's operating systems.

If you are a Mac user who needs such tools for your work, study or simple home use, know that you can access all the features without particular limitations compared to the Windows version (with the exception of apps not included in the Mac package such as Publisher and Access).

Microsoft Office for Mac: subscription or perpetual licence?

When you decide to acquire Microsoft Office for Mac, you have two main paths you can take. The first is to subscribe to Microsoft 365, paying monthly or annually to maintain constant access to applications. The second is to purchase a version of Office with a perpetual licence, that is, a version that remains yours forever: editions such as Office 2021 and Office 2024, to cite the two most recent, are Office for Mac with lifetime licence.

The official price of Microsoft 365 starts from £84.99 per year for the Personal version, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook with 1 TB of OneDrive space and allows use on up to five different devices. There is also the Family plan at £104.99 annually, which includes six licences, up to 6 TB of cloud storage and allows multiple people to use the apps simultaneously.

If you prefer not to pay periodically, on the official website Microsoft Office Home 2024 costs £119.99 as a one-time payment and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Office Home & Business 2024, on the other hand, is priced at £249.99 and adds Outlook to the collection, with the option to use the software for commercial purposes as well. Both versions are installed on a single Mac.

The prices cited clearly refer to Microsoft's official store, however it is not necessarily the case that you must pay the full price: to save money you can opt to purchase from PrimeLicense, where the aforementioned software is available at a strong discount, whilst still being 100% original licences thanks to our status as a Microsoft Cloud Service Partner.

Differences between a subscription Office licence and a perpetual one

The main difference is the payment model: with a subscription if you stop paying you no longer have the ability to use the apps and access to files becomes limited to read-only. With a perpetual licence you pay once only and maintain access indefinitely, but you will not receive feature updates. However, this is not the only difference, here is a table that summarises the essential points:

An advantage of Microsoft 365 is automatic access to new features developed by the company in Redmond. If Microsoft adds innovative features to Excel or Word, you will get them immediately. With Office 2024 perpetual, you remain with the 2024 feature set until you decide to purchase a more recent version.

The subscription also includes 1 TB of cloud storage per person and the ability to collaborate in real time on documents with other users. If you work in a team or need to synchronise documents across multiple devices, Microsoft 365 is definitely more convenient. If you use Office occasionally and desire maximum independence, the perpetual licence offers peace of mind and no recurring costs.

Microsoft Office for Mac: which to choose?

It depends on your working style and how much you wish to spend: if you frequently change device and want to automatically synchronise documents in the cloud, then Microsoft 365 is the best solution. If you work on a single Mac, do not share documents in real time and are willing to accept that the software will not receive feature updates, Office Home 2024 or Office Standard 2024 represent the choices with the best value for money.

What happened to Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac?

You will certainly have heard about what happened with the Microsot Office 2019 for Mac version but let us analyse the issue more carefully. On the one hand, official support had already ended on 10 October 2023, which means that no further security updates would be released. On the other hand, the product continued to function normally, as happens with most software with a perpetual licence.

From 13 July 2026, however, Microsoft disabled almost all the features of Office 2019 for Mac for all users, regardless of the operating system in use. Office 2019 has been transformed into reduced-functionality mode, making it impossible to meaningfully interact with your documents. This means that you can only view and print them, without being able to apply or save changes or create new documents. A functional blockade imposed by Microsoft through an invalidation of the digital certificates that the software uses.

At present this is a change that does not affect other versions of Microsoft Office for Mac, not even those prior to 2019, a thorny situation that leads to necessarily having to update the software to a more stable and modern version such as Office 2021 or Office 2024.

How do users choose? Versions compared

PrimeLicense's statistics show that 38% of Mac users choose Office Home & Business 2021, followed by 27% who choose Home & Business 2024. The percentage drops for the Home 2021 and 2024 versions which, together, cover 18% of purchases.

The remaining 17% purchase Microsoft 365 on subscription, appreciated for its flexibility and cloud synchronisation. Those who purchase Microsoft Office for Mac with a perpetual licence tend to be a freelance professional with a stable Mac as a work hub, or a user who does not frequently change device. The data indicates that approximately 40% of these users repurchase a new version every 5 years, confirming that the effective cost over time is not so different from the annual subscription.

Conclusion

Microsoft Office for Mac remains the most powerful and universally compatible productivity suite available for Apple users. Whether you choose Microsoft 365 with its continuous update model and integrated cloud storage, or Office 2024 with a perpetual licence and no subscription constraints, both solutions are valid and mature.

Your decision should be based on how frequently you change device, whether you need real-time collaboration and whether you wish to receive updated features regularly. Remember that Office 2019 no longer receives security support and updates, so it is time to make the leap to a modern solution if you are still using that version.

Frequently asked questions