Why pay for Microsoft 365 every month when you can pay $30 once and get Microsoft Office forever?
by Boing Boing's Shop · Boing BoingTL;DR: Stop paying monthly for Microsoft apps you use every day. Get a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for $29.97 (reg. $219.99) through May 18.
Microsoft 365 now costs $99.99 a year, which means you're essentially renting Word, Excel, and PowerPoint indefinitely. If that math bothers you, there's a straightforward fix. Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is a one-time purchase that gets you the same core apps without any recurring fees, and it's on sale for $29.97 right now (reg. $219.99)
What apps are included with Office Pro 2021?
This license covers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Teams (free version), Publisher, and Access, all installed on one Windows PC. It connects to the device rather than your Microsoft account, so it's yours as long as you're using that machine. No subscription, no renewal reminders, no price hikes.
These are the fully updated 2021 versions of each app, with the ribbon interface and all the formatting, layout, and data tools you'd expect. Worth noting: Publisher will stop receiving support after October 2026, so factor that in if Publisher is part of your regular workflow.
One thing to be clear about: this is not Microsoft 365. You're buying the 2021 version outright. For most people who use Word and Excel every day and don't need cloud collaboration features, that's actually the better deal. Why keep paying every year for something you can just own? These versions also don't have the new AI integrations, but if you've seen how intrusive those can be, you may recognize this is good news.
Until May 18 at 11:59 p.m. PT, it's only $30 to get a Microsoft Office lifetime license.
Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License
StackSocial prices subject to change.