The web version of Office doesn’t have all the advanced features of the standard app, but you won’t notice the difference for the vast majority of daily work, especially with Word. There is also a free version of OneNote, which doesn’t come with Office 2019. However, you’ll need to stash them on OneDrive (or otherwise transfer them to your secondary device) beforehand. Microsoft offers a free web-based version of Office, which you can use to create simple documents, spreadsheets, or presentations and even edit existing files. That said, there is a de facto workaround. I’m not one to write in Word or create a Powerpoint presentation on my phone, you’d be surprised how often you may want to take a quick glance at a file, email it to someone, or print it. It sounds like an extravagance, but having the ability to access these apps on virtually any device can be a lifesaver. Office 2019 works the old-fashioned way: It’s locked to a single device. That means you can install it on multiple PCs if you have them, phones, tablets, etc.

With the personal version of Microsoft 365, Office is tied to a single account, but you can install and use the apps on any device once you log in. There’s a significant difference between the “premium” versions of Office, Excel, and Powerpoint you get through Microsoft 365 and the standard versions of Office 2019.

If you’ve come to rely on any of the other apps, or think you’ll need them, you’ll have to fork out extra dough to get access. Still, the difference in the sheer amount of apps you get for your money is staggering. Even now, most people buy Microsoft Office for Word and/or Excel, so it’s possible that the lack of tools won’t phase you in the slightest.

Microsoft Powerpoint (Presentation Builder)Īdmittedly, those are the three most important apps in the suite.

Office Home and Student 2019, by contrast, is a barebones version of Microsoft Office that gives you offline versions of the core apps:

Buy office 2019 home and student