Office without a subscription: how to buy Office once, and at what price
Quick answer
Yes, Office exists without a subscription. At Microsoft, Microsoft Home 2024 costs €149 for one PC or Mac, and Home & Business 2024 €299. At Licenciel, pre-owned Office 2024 Professional Plus costs €29.90 for one PC. You pay once, with no renewal, with security updates until 9 October 2029, but no online storage and no new features.
- Without a subscription: Office 2024, as a one-time purchase, for one device.
- Price: from €29.90 (pre-owned Office 2024 Professional Plus, Licenciel) to €299 (Home & Business 2024, Microsoft).
- Free: Word, Excel and PowerPoint online with a Microsoft account, or a free suite such as LibreOffice.
- To avoid: “Office 365 for life” (it does not exist) and Office 2021, which has had no security updates since 13 October 2026.
One-off Office: what it is
A perpetual licence gives you the right to use the version purchased with no time limit. There is no renewal to pay, and the apps work offline after activation.
Versions of Office without a subscription and their prices
| Version | Apps | Device | Price (7 November 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Home 2024 | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote | 1 PC or 1 Mac | €149 on the Microsoft Store |
| Microsoft Home and Business 2024 | The same, plus Outlook; business use | 1 PC or 1 Mac | €299 on the Microsoft Store |
| Office 2024 Professional Plus | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access | 1 Windows PC | €29.90 at Licenciel (pre-owned licence) |
| Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote | 1 Mac | €69.90 at Licenciel (pre-owned licence) |
| Office 2021 | Depends on the edition | 1 PC or 1 Mac | No security updates since 13 October 2026: not recommended |
Office 2024 or Microsoft 365
| Office 2024 (one-off purchase) | Microsoft 365 (subscription) | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | Once | Every year or every month |
| Price | €149 at Microsoft, €29.90 pre-owned at Licenciel | Personal €99 per year, Family €129 per year (up to 6 people), Premium €219 per year |
| New features | Fixed at release | Added continuously, with Copilot |
| Online storage | Not included | 1 TB for Personal, more for Family and Premium |
| Installation | 1 device | Several devices per person |
| Offline | Yes | Yes, with periodic connection |
| If you stop paying | Nothing changes | The apps switch to read-only |
What does it cost over 3 years?
| Option | 1 year | 3 years | For how many people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office 2024 Professional Plus (Licenciel) | €29.90 | €29.90 | 1 PC |
| Microsoft Home 2024 | 149 € | 149 € | 1 PC or Mac |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | 99 € | 297 € | 1 person |
| Microsoft 365 Family | 129 € | 387 € | Up to 6 people, i.e. €64.50 per person over 3 years if there are 6 of you |
Prices including VAT checked on the Microsoft Store (France) on 7 November 2026, with no future increase. For a large family that wants online storage, Microsoft 365 Family can work out cheaper per person. For a single computer, a one-time purchase costs less from the first year. The detailed calculation is in Office 2024 or Microsoft 365.
Free options
- Office on the web: Word, Excel and PowerPoint online, free with a Microsoft account, with 5 GB of OneDrive storage. You need an internet connection, and some advanced features are missing.
- LibreOffice: a free, open-source office suite that opens and saves Word and Excel files. The layout of complex documents may differ.
Who it suits
- A workstation or family PC that uses Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- A very small business that wants a predictable cost, with no renewal.
- A PC without a regular connection.
Pitfalls to avoid
- “Office 365 for life” or “Microsoft 365 for life”: Microsoft 365 is a subscription, with no lifetime plan. These offers usually rely on shared accounts.
- Cut-price Office 2021 or 2019: it works, but without security updates. For a computer that is online every day, choose Office 2024.
- An edition that does not match your computer: Office 2024 Professional Plus only installs on Windows; on a Mac, you need the Mac edition.
- A seller with no invoice or guarantee: see cheap key: legal or scam?
To install and activate Office 2024: the activation guide. To choose in three questions: the Office version picker.
Frequently asked questions
Does Office exist without a subscription?
Yes. Office 2024 is sold as a one-off purchase, for one PC, with no renewal.
Does Office 2024 receive updates?
It receives security updates during its support period, but not the new features added to Microsoft 365.
Can I install it on several PCs?
One licence covers one PC. For several workstations, you need several licences.
What does a lifetime Office package cost?
At Microsoft, Microsoft Home 2024 costs €149 and Home & Business 2024 €299, for one PC or Mac. At Licenciel, pre-owned Office 2024 Professional Plus costs €29.90 for one Windows PC.
Which version of Office is free?
Office on the web: Word, Excel and PowerPoint online, free with a Microsoft account. You need an internet connection and some advanced features are missing.
Can Office 365 be used without a subscription?
No: Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a subscription. Without one, you need a one-time purchase version such as Office 2024, or the free Office on the web.
Is there Office without a subscription for Mac?
Yes: Microsoft Home 2024 and Home & Business 2024 install on Mac, and Licenciel offers Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac.
Going further
- Office 2024 or Microsoft 365
- Which version of Office to choose
- Office 2021 end of support
- Office licence for a business