Office 2024 Versions Compared: Home, Home & Business, Standard, Professional Plus
Office 2024 comes in four editions: Home, Home & Business, Standard and Professional Plus. They differ in the programs included, in how they are activated and in whether you may use them for business. Find the right one here in just a few minutes.
All versions at a glance
| Home | Home & Business | Standard | Professional Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| OneNote | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outlook | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Access (database) | – | – | – | ✓ |
| Platform | PC or Mac | PC or Mac | PC (Standard for Mac available separately) | PC |
| Licence type | linked to a Microsoft account | linked to a Microsoft account | volume licence | volume licence |
| Business use | private use only | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
All four are perpetual licences without a subscription and receive security updates until October 2029. Publisher and Teams are not included in any Office 2024 edition.
Office Home 2024: for home use
Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote for one PC or one Mac. The licence is linked to your Microsoft account, so you can download Office again later via your account. Without Outlook and for private use only.
Office Home & Business 2024: with Outlook, also for work
Everything in Home plus Outlook – and explicitly licensed for freelancers and small businesses too. Also for PC or Mac and linked to your Microsoft account.
Office Standard 2024: the package for office and administration
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote as a volume licence for one PC. Activation is done directly with the product key, without a Microsoft account. For Mac, Office Standard 2024 is available as a separate edition.
Office Professional Plus 2024: the full package
The largest edition: everything in Standard plus the Access database. Ideal if you work with Access databases or simply want the full range. Also available as a pack for 3, 5 or 10 PCs and bundled with Windows 11 Pro.
Decide quickly
- Mac: Home, Home & Business or Standard for Mac.
- You need Outlook: anything except Home.
- You need Access: Professional Plus only.
- No Microsoft account wanted: Standard or Professional Plus.
- Several PCs: the packs for 3, 5 or 10 PCs.
Still not sure whether you want a one-time purchase at all? Read Microsoft 365 or Office 2024?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Standard and Professional Plus?
Professional Plus additionally includes the Access database. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote are the same in both.
Is Publisher included in Office 2024?
No. Microsoft removed Publisher from Office 2024 and is retiring the program completely in October 2026.
Can I keep using Office 2024 on a new PC?
With Home and Home & Business, simply download Office on the new device via your Microsoft account. How this works for the other licence types is explained in our guide to transferring your licence.
Is Office 2024 available in all languages?
Yes. You choose the language when downloading; you can also change the display language later.
