Microsoft does everything it can to shunt people towards its pricey Microsoft 365 Office subscriptions, enticing would-be buyers with ongoing goodies like multi-device support, “free” OneDrive storage, and the ability to share an account with your whole family. Discounts on the one-time purchase versions of the software are also rare—but if you don’t need those fancy cloud perks and hate the idea of a monthly subscription for spreadsheets, we’ve spotted the standalone version of Microsoft Office 2021 on sale during Amazon Prime Day.
Both the Home & Student as well as the Home & Business versions are on sale, with the ability to install the software on a single PC or Mac.
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 normally goes for $150, but you can snag it for $125 during Prime Day. This version of Office sticks to the basics: You only get Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but that’s plenty for most people.
Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 ups the ante by including the legendary Outlook, but you pay for the privilege, as it bumps up the cost. It’s currently on sale for $220, down from its usual $250 price tag.
Both standalone suites come with 60 days of Microsoft support as opposed to ongoing support for Microsoft 365 subscribers. These versions also won’t be updated to add new features as Microsoft rolls them out—another perk locked to the subscription model.
But a lot of people (including yours truly) would rather pay once for a standalone piece of software rather than forking out cash month-in and month-out, especially if all you need is the basics. The Personal version of Microsoft 365 costs $70 per year, so buying the standalone Home & Student 2021 for $125 means you’ll be saving money if you stick with it for longer than a year and a half.
That’s a bargain, so long as you can live with what you’re missing out on in the subscription offerings. If you can’t bear the thought of missing out on new features, here’s how to get Office 365 for cheap with a little legwork. For even more juicy discounts, be sure to check out all of PCWorld’s best Prime Day deal selections.
[ Today’s deal: Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 for $125, Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for $220 ]
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