You’ll be able to run Microsoft Workplace, together with Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook on a Mac (and in your iPad or iPhone). However it’s not a easy case of putting in the appliance you want and beginning to sort. You might want to select whether or not to enroll to a subscription or purchase the complete model outright. You might want to determine whether or not you want only one software or all of them. And, in case you are selecting a subscription package deal, it is advisable to decide what sort of subscription applies to you.
There are a number of methods by which you may get the Workplace apps in your Mac. We’ll assist you determine which model of Workplace for Mac is the suitable one for you in our full information to purchasing Microsoft Workplace for Mac.
In case you aren’t positive whether or not to decide on the Microsoft Workplace apps or some free, or cheaper options check out our Best Word Processors for Mac and Best Email apps for Mac articles.
Tips on how to purchase Microsoft Workplace for Mac: Subscription vs outright
There’s a couple of approach to purchase Microsoft Workplace for Mac. You’ll be able to subscribe to Microsoft 365 on a month-to-month or yearly foundation, or you should buy the software program outright.
The most recent model of Workplace for Mac is on the market by way of a Microsoft 365 subscription which prices from $69.99/£59.99 per 12 months or $6.99/£5.99 per thirty days). In case you subscribe you profit from the truth that you all the time obtain the newest updates to the software program, repeatedly, with out the necessity of getting to purchase the entire program or suite once more. The service, beforehand known as Workplace 365, rebranded as Microsoft 365 in April 2020. Regardless of the identify change and a bunch of upgrades at the moment, the costs stay the identical.
In case you don’t need to enroll in a subscription and would relatively personal the software program outright, you can be glad to listen to that Microsoft continues to promote and replace the Workplace 2021 suite. The most recent model of Workplace for Mac for residence customers is Office Home & Student 2021 ($149.99/£119.99). It consists of Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint. Outlook isn’t included on this model, however since March 2023 Microsoft has started offering Outlook for free, and you may download that on the Mac App Store.
There’s additionally Office Home & Business 2021 ($249.99/£249.99) which is designed for households and small companies who need the workplace apps Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Examine Microsoft Office for Mac 2021 in our information to the newest model of Workplace.
Microsoft additionally provides Workplace LTSC (Lengthy Time period Servicing Channel). Particulars of easy methods to improve to which are on Microsoft’s site here. Microsoft 365 subscribers get updates each month (although organizational subscriptions can choose to improve consumer accounts both semi-annually, each January and July).
What’s the newest model of Workplace for Mac?
In case you purchase the software program outright the newest model is Workplace 2021.
In case you subscribe your model of Microsoft 365 your model of Workplace might be recurrently up to date with new options. You’ll be able to test which model is probably the most present and the newest options on Microsoft’s website here.
Each variations obtain safety and efficiency updates. Yow will discover particulars of the newest model on Microsoft’s web site:
Worth Comparability: Microsoft 365 vs Workplace 2021 for Mac
With so many choices round, the pricing varies relying on the kind of license you need and the way you wish to pay. We’ve damaged all of it down in our desk beneath.
Microsoft 365 costs: subscribe here
|
Subscription sort |
Annual price |
Month-to-month price |
Max variety of customers |
|
Microsoft 365 Private |
$69.99/12 months (£59.99/12 months) |
$6.99/month (£5.99/month) |
One particular person |
|
Microsoft 365 Household |
$99.99/12 months (£79.99/12 months) |
$9.99/month (£7.99/month) |
As much as six folks |
|
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Fundamental |
– |
$5 per consumer month (£3.80 per consumer per thirty days) for a 12 months |
Per consumer |
|
Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise |
– |
$8.25 per consumer per thirty days (£7.90 per consumer per thirty days) for a 12 months) |
Per consumer |
|
Workplace 365 Enterprise Commonplace |
– |
$12.50 per consumer per thirty days (£9.40 per consumer per thirty days) for a 12 months |
Per consumer |
|
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Premium |
|
$20 per consumer per thirty days (£15.10 per consumer month) for a 12 months) |
Per consumer |
Workplace 2021 costs
If you’re a PC consumer there’s additionally Workplace Skilled 2021 for $439/£419, however there isn’t a Mac model of this suite. Extra data here.
What’s the distinction between Microsoft 365 and Workplace 2021?
Workplace 2021 for Mac was launched in September 2021 (three years after Workplace 2019 launched). Nevertheless, a few of the new options had already been accessible as a part of the Microsoft 365 (beforehand Workplace 365) subscription.
With Microsoft 365, clients pay month-to-month or yearly to all the time have the freshest model of the software program. There are numerous packages relying on whether or not you can be the one particular person utilizing the software program, if you can be sharing the subscription with family and friends, or in case you are a small enterprise or a bigger enterprise.
The subscription system fits some customers, however others choose to pay for software program outright and know that they’ll personal it for eternity. Therefore, Microsoft additionally lets you purchase the complete Workplace 2021 suite for a one-off cost. That licence won’t ever run out, though Microsoft would possibly ultimately cease help for that model.
So far as stand-alone software program go, you possibly can both choose up Office Home & Student 2021 ($149.99/£119.99), Office Home & Business 2021 ($249.99/£249.99) or go for the Workplace LTSC in case you are shopping for for a enterprise or to make use of commercially (by which case you will see particulars on Microsoft’s site here.
You can too purchase the apps individually, extra on that beneath.
There’s additionally a free cloud-based version of Office you could entry on-line by way of an online browser. Consider it as a Lite model of the paid variations of the app. You continue to must sign up for a Microsoft Account.
Dwelling/small enterprise use: Workplace 2021 vs Microsoft 365
|
Workplace Dwelling & Pupil 2021 and Workplace Dwelling & Enterprise 2021 |
Microsoft 365 (Household or Private) |
|
| Fee plan |
Pay as soon as |
Pay month-to-month or yearly. Cease paying and also you lose the license. |
| Included | Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint. (Works with Microsoft Groups). Workplace Dwelling & Enterprise 2021 additionally embody Outlook. | Hottest model of Excel, Phrase, PowerPoint, and Outlook. |
| Further companies | No companies included. | Skype and One Drive included. Household: 6TB (1TB for every particular person); Private: 1TB. OneDrive Private Vault safety. |
| Updates | Consists of safety updates, however no characteristic updates. | Microsoft will replace the apps with new options. |
| Units | Runs on one Mac or one PC. Set up on one Mac or PC. | Runs on Mac, PC, iOS & Android. Set up on all of your gadgets (iPad, iPhone, Mac). Relying in your subscription package deal you might be able to share your subscription with 5 others. |
| Customers | One particular person. | Private: One particular person; Household: Six folks. |
| Cell | You get fundamental variations of the cellular apps that can be utilized on iPhones and iPads (so long as the iPad is underneath 10.1in – so iPad mini solely). | You get free variations of the cellular apps with further options that aren’t accessible within the fundamental variations. |
| Storage | No on-line storage. | 1TB of cloud storage in OneDrive, for use by as much as 6 customers relying in your subscription package deal. |
| Assist | Set up assist. Assist for first 60 days at no further price. | Ongoing technical assist. |
Enterprise use: Microsoft 365 for Enterprise vs Workplace LTSC
If you’re a enterprise consumer it is advisable to take into account a model designed for deploying to companies. With the 2021 model of Workplace Microsoft has added Workplace LTSC as an choice.
Workplace LTSC
This model of Workplace 2021 is on the market to quantity licence clients who simply wish to make a one-time buy, relatively than subscribing to Microsoft 365. It consists of the identical apps because the Dwelling & Enterprise model of Workplace Dwelling & Enterprise 2021, however, Mac customers additionally get Outlook LTSC (PC customers additionally get Entry and Writer LTSC variations).
The value is 10% greater than the Workplace Dwelling & Enterprise 2021 model, and can rely upon what number of Macs or PCs are being deployed to.
Microsoft 365 for Enterprise
There are additionally Microsoft 365 subscription packages for businesses and enterprises. Every is charged per consumer/per thirty days and there are decrease month-to-month costs when you join an annual dedication.
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Fundamental (previously Workplace 365 Enterprise Necessities) is the most cost effective choice at £3.80/$5 per consumer per thirty days. It consists of solely internet and cellular variations of the Workplace apps. Subscribers additionally get entry to OneDrive, Alternate, SharePoint and Groups.
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise offers app entry solely and entry to OneDrive. You get the desktop variations as effectively however not the added companies across the software program equivalent to Groups or risk safety. It prices $8.25/£7.90 per consumer per thirty days.
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Commonplace (previously Workplace 365 Enterprise Premium) consists of Excel, Phrase, PowerPoint, and Outlook (plus Entry on a PC), together with enterprise e-mail, Microsoft Groups entry and cloud storage by way of OneDrive. This tier prices $12.50/£9.40 per consumer per thirty days.
Workplace 365 Enterprise Premium (previously Microsoft 365 Enterprise) consists of all the things you get within the Enterprise Commonplace choice plus cyber-threat safety. That is the most costly at $20/£15.10 per consumer per thirty days.
Head to Microsoft now to compare its plans for business.
Microsoft
Least expensive option to get Microsoft Workplace
As you possibly can see from the above, there are numerous methods to get Workplace, or single applications from the Workplace suite, in your Mac. You may subscribe for the time you want entry to the software program after which cancel your subscription. That approach you possibly can get the essential model of Workplace for Mac for $6.99/£5.99 a month and cancel after 30 days. Beware that you could be lose entry to your knowledge although. After you cancel, you possibly can nonetheless use Workplace in View Solely mode.
Talking of View Solely mode, this mode is useful when you simply need to have the ability to learn Phrase paperwork or PowerPoint slides. On this mode you possibly can view, however not edit. That could be all it is advisable to do, by which case that is the most cost effective choice – as a result of it’s free.
In case you do want to have the ability to edit paperwork another choice is to open them in Apple’s iWork apps. Apple has a phrase processor known as Pages that may open Phrase paperwork, Keynote for PowerPoint displays, and Numbers for Excel. These choices will allow you to open and edit the Workplace paperwork and save them within the Workplace format, with out ever having to open Workplace. Generally the formatting will be out barely, however it’s an excellent answer. And crucially it gained’t price you something as a result of these apps are free for Mac customers.
If all you want is Phrase, for instance, you don’t have to purchase all of the Workplace apps. As you possibly can see from the desk above, it’s attainable to purchase Phrase, Excel and PowerPoint individually. At round $150/£150 every, it might be a great answer when you don’t wish to pay extra to get the opposite apps which are included within the suite.
We even have this text about how to get Microsoft Word for free.
Foundry
Compatibility: Will my Mac run Microsoft 365 or Workplace 2021 for Mac?
When it comes to system necessities, each Microsoft 365 and Workplace 2021 will function on macOS Monterey, Massive Sur, Catalina, Mojave and Excessive Sierra (Microsoft will all the time endeavour to help the present and two earlier variations of macOS). Mac customers will want no less than 10GB of disk house.
One factor to notice is that older, 32-bit variations of Workplace, equivalent to Workplace 2011, won’t work on Macs working Catalina or later. To search out out whether or not your model is 64 bit click on on the Apple icon in your menu and select About This Mac, then System Report. Scroll all the way down to Software program and select Purposes. If any of your apps are 32-bit you will notice that data right here.
One other compatibility challenge is with M-series Macs. Quickly after the arrival of the M1 Macs in November 2020 Microsoft made positive that Workplace labored natively on the M1 Chip. Phrase, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote all work on the M1 Macs. Microsoft 365 customers would have had the brand new model of the software program replace mechanically. Ought to compatibility points come up once more sooner or later you could have to attend longer for an replace when you aren’t a Microsoft subscriber. See all Microsoft Office and Office 2019 system requirements.
Verdict: Ought to I purchase Workplace 365 or Workplace 2021?
In case you subscribe to Microsoft 365 Private for 2 years you’d spend $139.98/£119.98. That’s primarily the identical outlay as shopping for the software program outright.
After all, there are many disadvantages on this situation too. Workplace 365 subscribers will profit from new characteristic updates all through these two years, that means that you’ll miss out on some nice new instruments. You could profit from technical help that you simply get with a 365 subscription. Maybe it is advisable to have entry to the iOS and Android variations of the software program. We’ve got this text about getting Office apps for free on iPad.
One other issue which will sway your resolution is that Microsoft will cease mainstream help for Mac variations of Workplace Dwelling & Pupil 2021 in addition to Dwelling & Enterprise 2021 in October 2026 (which implies Microsoft is just supporting it for 5 years, relatively than the standard ten). Which means that it’ll now not obtain safety or non-security updates, equivalent to modifications to options or design. If that’s a priority for you, you would possibly choose a subscription.
