Skip to main content

Not into subscriptions? Get Office 2021 as a standalone

Microsoft has announced that next year, you’ll be able to get Office 2021 with a perpetual license. But what does this mean, and is it the right option for you, or you and your business? We’ve found out everything you need to know about Microsoft’s latest Office offering. 

What is Office 2021?

Office 2021 is the latest Office suite from Microsoft, which will launch on October 5th, alongside Windows 11. There are a few new features to get excited about; XLOOKUP is being introduced, alongside Dynamic Arrays, LET function and XMATCH function for Excel.

Powerpoint also has some new updates, such as the new and improved Record Slide Show. This feature allows you to record an audio over the top of your powerpoints, as well as ink recording and laser pointer recording. Ink Replay is another great feature, allowing you to replay your ink strokes as they were drawn. 

Excel and Powerpoint seem to have received the majority of the updates, although Outlook has received a translator function, as well as some additional Draw functionality, so you can annotate and highlight emails with a pen, stylus or your finger. Find out what else is new in Office 2021 here.

You’ll be able to use Office 2021 with Windows 11 and Windows 10.

What is a standalone, and a perpetual license?

A standalone is a product that you can purchase for a one-off fee. That means once you’ve purchased the product, you don’t need to pay any subscription fees. Having a perpetual license also means that you have the ability to run the application as long as you want, regardless of whether it is still a supported service and receives security updates.

What’s the difference between Microsoft 365 and the standalone version of  Office 2021?

There are two standalone versions of Office 2021, one for personal users (Office 2021) and one for businesses (Office LTSC). 

The big difference is that the standalone version of Office 2021 will receive security updates for five years. After that time, the standalone version will not receive any updates. Microsoft 365 users, as a subscription service, will continually receive security and feature updates, so they’ll always be running the latest version of the Office suite.

For Office LTSC, there’s a slightly longer period of support, as it is designed to be used on systems which probably won’t change for the next decade. Microsoft will offer security updates for 10 years.

Office 2021 and Office LTSC also won’t come with any cloud-connected features. That means you don’t receive Skype as standard, or OneDrive and it’s associated storage capacities. 

Which is right for me, and my business?

Office 2021 is a great option for home users and students who don’t want to subscribe to Microsoft 365, and aren’t fussed about the cloud-connected features that they’ll be missing out on. 

Office LTSC, by comparison, is only a good option for businesses who are using closed systems. It isn’t a good option for most businesses, who are more likely to use the cloud. 

Except for a few specific situations, Microsoft 365 is always going to be a better option for businesses, due to the additional collaboration tools, email service and OneDrive. 

Not sure what version of Office to go for? Give us a call on 0191 482 0444


The Transcendit Way

Transcendit understand that when you choose to work with us, whether we're taking care of your IT, app or web development, you're trusting us with part of your business. So whether we're looking after your computers, phone systems or servers we always do things 'the Transcendit way'.

The whole of our team adhere to the same values, beliefs and policies - the principles that were written when Transcendit first formed in 2000. Whether you come to us for cloud services or recovery backup you can be confident that you'll always receive the same excellent service.

The Transcendit way outlines how we do business; following the same straightforward principles with every client and customer, regardless of how big or small they may be.

That means we get to know you and your business. We offer you a friendly, professional and efficient service, and we'll always be honest with you.
We understand that not everybody speaks fluent IT, so we try to explain things in a way that is simple and clear. We always spend as much time as is necessary explaining things to you.
If you need to talk to us about something, no matter how insignificant, we are only ever a phone call away – and we’re never too busy to make you a cup of tea and have a sit down with you in person.
We understand how frustrating it can be when things are late. When we schedule an appointment with you, we are there when you’re expecting us. If something prevents us from getting there, we always call you in advance to let you know.
Sometimes things can go wrong, but we never lie to you or try to cover something up. If things go askew we tell you what’s happened and how we plan to prevent it affecting your business.
We want you to continuously benefit from working with us. We regularly discuss your business and make suggestions for improving systems and processes wherever we can – but we never try to push you into a purchase.
When we quote a fixed price, that's always the amount we charge – you won’t find any nasty surprises on a bill from us. If you are paying by time and materials, we inform you if our approximations could change.
We understand the importance of privacy for your business and your customers. We respect the confidentiality of your data, and we will never pass on your information to third parties.
We appreciate it when you take the time to give us feedback. A system called CustomerSure records our client's responses, so you can trust that our reviews are from real people.
Find out what they're saying here.
The app works perfectly and looks great on both iPhone and Android Victoria Brunton, Hospitality Guaranteed

Based on 11207 reviews our customers rate us 9.8/10. Reviews and ratings by Customersure. 17-January-2024

Transcendit are proud sponsors of CHUF, the Children's Heart Unit Fund.

Transcendit is a Living Wage employer
Transcendit is a Microsoft Gold certified partner
VMWARE partner
Vipre partner
IPCortex partner
WithSecure partner
DELL partner
Barracuda partner
Veeam partner
N-Able partner