Office 2024 or Office 2021? For a new purchase, Office 2024 is the right choice. Support for Office 2021 ended on October 13, 2026; since then there have been no more security updates. Office 2024 is supported until October 9, 2029 and brings new features in Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Word. Office 2021 only makes sense now if you need Publisher or a piece of software requires exactly this version.
Quick decision
- New purchase for a current PC or Mac: Office 2024.
- You already use Office 2021: the programs continue to run. Because of the missing security updates you should plan the switch, especially if you open attachments from emails.
- You need Publisher: Publisher is available for the last time in Office 2021. Microsoft has discontinued the program; support also ended on October 13, 2026.
- Server with Windows Server 2019: Office LTSC 2021 supports this system, Office LTSC 2024 no longer does.
The differences at a glance
| Feature | Office 2021 | Office 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| End of support | October 13, 2026 (ended) | October 9, 2029 |
| Editions for consumers and small businesses | Home & Student, Home & Business, Professional | Home, Home & Business |
| Edition for businesses | Office LTSC Standard 2021, Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021 | Office LTSC Standard 2024, Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 |
| Publisher | in Professional and Professional Plus | no longer included |
| Access | in Professional and Professional Plus | in Professional Plus |
| Microsoft Teams | was part of the installation; since removed from Office LTSC 2021 | not preinstalled, separate download |
| Devices | one PC or Mac | one PC or Mac |
| Installation | Click-to-Run | Click-to-Run |
Both versions are one-time purchases for one device. The structure of the editions has remained almost the same: “Home & Student” became “Home”, and the consumer edition “Professional” has been dropped. The editions of the older version are shown in detail in
Office 2021 editions compared.
What is new in Office 2024
Among others, Microsoft names these new features for Office 2024:
| Program | New in Office 2024 |
|---|---|
| All | new default theme, improved accessibility tools, support for ODF 1.4, insert pictures directly from your smartphone |
| Excel | 14 new text and array functions, IMAGE function for pictures in cells, charts with dynamic arrays, faster workbooks |
| PowerPoint | camera feed on the slide (cameo), recording studio for videos of the presentation, captions for video and audio |
| Outlook | improved search in email, calendar and contacts; more options when creating meetings |
| Word | open documents are recovered after a crash |
| Access | connection to Dataverse |
| OneNote | revised drawing and ink tools |
Microsoft lists some of these features for Office LTSC 2024 only. So if you are happy with Office 2021, Office 2024 does not give you a completely different interface, but a well-maintained continuation with individual additions. The most important reason to switch is support.
System requirements compared
| Feature | Office 2021 | Office 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 11 | Windows 11 |
| Additionally with LTSC | Windows 11 LTSC 2024, Windows 10 LTSC 2021 and 2019, Windows Server 2025, 2022 and 2019 | Windows 11 LTSC 2024, Windows 10 LTSC 2021 and 2019, Windows Server 2025 and 2022 |
| macOS | the three most recent versions | the three most recent versions |
| Processor | 1.1 GHz, 2 cores | 1.1 GHz, 2 cores |
| Memory | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Free disk space | 4 GB (Mac: 10 GB) | 4 GB (Mac: 10 GB) |
| Graphics | DirectX 9 or later | Direct3D 9.1 with WDDM 1.3 driver |
On a computer that runs Office 2021, Office 2024 will as a rule run too. The exception is Windows Server 2019.
Typical cases
New laptop with Windows 11. Buy Office 2024. You get updates three years longer than with any older version.
Office 2021 has been running for years without problems. You do not have to switch immediately; the programs remain usable. But bear in mind: Microsoft no longer fixes newly discovered security vulnerabilities. The more files from others you open, the more the switch is worth it.
Club newsletter with Publisher. Publisher 2021 continues to work, but is no longer maintained. Microsoft recommends converting existing files to another format, for example PDF, and creating new templates in Word or PowerPoint.
Industry software requires Office 2021. Follow the vendor’s specification and ask when Office 2024 will be approved.
Office 2024 and 2021 at VivaKeys
Office 2024:
Office Home 2024,
Office Home & Business 2024 and
Office Professional Plus 2024.
Office 2021, if you specifically need this version:
Office Home & Student 2021,
Office Home & Business 2021,
Office Professional 2021 and
Office Professional Plus 2021.
All versions are in the
Microsoft Office category. The
comparison of the Office 2024 editions gives an overview of the current editions; all support dates are in the
overview of end of support.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still buy and use Office 2021? Yes, the programs can be installed and used. However, Microsoft’s support ended on October 13, 2026, and there are no more security updates. For a new purchase we therefore recommend Office 2024.
Do I have to renew my Office 2021 license? No. The license is a one-time purchase without a term and does not expire. Only a subscription can be renewed. Only the support has expired.
Can I move from Office 2021 to Office 2024 at a reduced price? No. Microsoft does not offer a discounted version upgrade for one-time purchases. You buy Office 2024 new.
Does Office 2024 run on the same computer as Office 2021? As a rule, yes. Processor, memory and disk space requirements have stayed the same. Only Windows Server 2019 is no longer supported by Office LTSC 2024.
Does Office 2024 Professional Plus still include Publisher? No. Publisher is no longer included in Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024. Professional Plus 2024 comprises Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Access.
Sources
Checked on 2026-11-10 against the publisher’s information:
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-s-new-in-office-2024-and-office-ltsc-2024
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/office-2024-and-office-ltsc-2024-faq-1c454a7d-3d0a-4139-b1bd-c61725ea436c
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/office-for-mac/office-2021-and-office-ltsc-for-windows-and-mac-faq
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/office-2024
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/office-2021
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/system-requirements/office-suites-for-enterprise-business-education-and-government
- support.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026