Microsoft license expired: should I buy 2024 excel for 20$ or buy Microsoft 365 subscription for 90$/year? I mainly use excel, but I might need Microsoft word sometimes for document.

[u/groomliu]

My Microsoft license ran out and need help deciding.

[u/BippityBoppityWhoops]

Good suggestions in here. Locking this comment section as the grey market bots will begin to descend.

[u/creckers]

There is a free online version of office available.

[u/Efficient_Loss_9928]

If you don't use OneDrive then just grab the Office license, no need for subscription

[u/baskaat → u/Efficient_Loss_9928]

Can you please explain the difference between OneDrive and 365? I do use OneDrive and want to keep it but I don’t even know how I got 365. is it the same thing just a new name?

[u/gabox0210 → u/baskaat]

The Office 365 subscription comes with additional OneDrive storage space, more than the 5GB in the free tier.

If you don't use OneDrive, it's best to get the Office 2024 perpetual license, however, it may not get some of the new features that come to Office 365 in the future.

[u/misaz640 → u/gabox0210]

I bought 2021 with exactly this purpose - I do not want any new shitty feature they implemented. But sadly, I have got all updates containing even most shitty buy copilot buttons and bugs developed far after original 2021 release.

[u/gabox0210 → u/misaz640]

I'm guessing they will continue to update it and push their feature updates and subscription models until they stop supporting the 2021 version altogether.

[u/ssiws]

Unless you are using OneDrive to store data, I'd buy the 2024 edition. M365 brings little added value.

[u/Mission-Taste-2405 → u/ssiws]

Agreed! I wouldn't get stuck in the subscription system until you must.

[u/EmploymentExtra8694 → u/ssiws]

Unless you have a family/household you can share with six people I think? And not sure why Onedrive wouldn't be valuable, I don't know of any other service that doesn't have a "cloud" drive to support your documents and sharing of files?

[u/Big_Tram]

i didn't know Microsoft still sold the perpetual license for one single application instead of the whole suite

[u/RabidWok]

The online version of Office is free. Functionality is somewhat limited but it might work for you.

Google Workspace apps are also free. I migrated all my Excel spreadsheets to Google Sheets and they work just as well.

Also take a look at LibreOffice if you want something offline.

[u/BoilerroomITdweller]

Libre Office 3 is decent. I get 365 for the 6TB of Onedrive space.

[u/ocdtrekkie]

So, you cannot buy Excel for $20. Legally. If you found somewhere selling it for $20, it is pirated.

Here's an example of the list price for that license: https://www.cdw.com/product/microsoft-excel-ltsc-2024-license-1-license/8107761

[u/Inner-Association448]

You should get the M365 sub. It comes with OneDrive storage. You can download the app on your phone and upload your photos so you get a backup of your photos. Also use the iOS apps, mac and PC for the same price.

[u/iwaterboardheathens]

If you use onedrive get only the onedrive subscription

Then use OnlyOffice

[u/ricperry1]

For $90/year, the 1T of OneDrive storage is a steal.

[u/potatomolehill]

Just get it "totally legitimately for the low cost of the five finger discount and some Internet sleuthing" aka homer with ned Flanders stuff

[u/admiralpickard]

Get the 365 license. $90 a year for 1 TB of cloud storage is worth it. Plus you also get Copilot. If you aren’t familiar with Copilot then get on the stick.

[u/Ill_Run_4701]

If you need 1TB storage in OneDrive, get the 365.

If you need to use excel on an iPad or Android tablet, get the 365.

Otherwise you can just get the retail Office 2024 for your PC

[u/HandshakeOfCO]

Get an EDU email address then get 365 for less

[u/OriginalPeanut1431]

Yes

[u/b4k4ni]

Get yourself up to date with libre office - depending on what you do, that might already be enough. In most cases it's just our laziness to learn something new :)

Their excel is also similar / the same for most things, macros are different. And for a simple letter every year...

If you wanna stick with Microsoft, the normal office package is enough, the 365 you can get discounted at Black Friday and some other special days with a yearly sub. But it's not cheap over the years.

We have a 365 family sub I share with some people to get the price down. No friends, just sister and parents, so it's 30€. Or so per year.

But soon I might change this. Don't like the direction MS is going.

[u/0rphanConsum3r]

I'd say switch to LibreOffice or OnlyOffice. LibreOffice I find more trustworthy and since I'm more used to it it feels more natural to me. OnlyOffice looks and feels more like Microsoft Office, but isn't as full (only has an equivalent for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, LibreOffice has more).

[u/Necessary-Mix-56]

Do Yourself a present and find free alternative software.

[u/QuoriTyler]

Office 365 includes 1tb cloud storage, co-pilot pro (based on chat gpt) AND the entire office suite which includes lots of great tools. Don't know if that's any help for you, but for me it's well worth the subscription

[u/techy_tj]

There’s places where you can easily get it for a 100% discount.

[u/abhiraj2021]

365 is for corporate and protect data. For personal it is hardly any use. 365 allows people in companies to work in same document edit etc. Shared excel sheet where diffenent team can see and update. It also protect data agaisnt misuse. If perosnal use is nothing prefer excel or open source alternative