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Word and Excel

TOM KERN 0 Reputation points
2026-04-04T22:03:40.49+00:00

I only use Word and Excel a few times during the year. I am retired and have been paying for 365. Is there a less expensive option for me, to have just Word and Excel?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows
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  1. John Korchok 232.4K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-04-04T22:37:27.88+00:00

    Here is a link to buy Office 2024 Home. It includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint, but not Outlook.

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  2. Suzanne S Barnhill 277.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-04-05T00:32:18.0033333+00:00

    As John and the AI bot have indicated, you can purchase Office 2024 as a one-time purchase (for a single user only), but if you really use Word and Excel only occasionally, and if you don't use many of the features, you may be satisfied with the online versions (Word for the Web or Word Online). This is a very basic version of Word but may do all you need.

    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/free-office-online-for-the-web

    Do not confuse this with Microsoft 365 Basic, which is still a subscription plan, though much less expensive than the full product with desktop apps: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/microsoft-365-basic/cfq7ttc0ktxs It includes just the online app plus 100 GB of OneDrive storage.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-04-04T22:03:50.2066667+00:00

    Yes. For occasional personal use of only Word and Excel, there are cheaper options than a full Microsoft 365 subscription:

    1. One-time purchase (no subscription)
      A non-subscription Office license lets Word and Excel be installed and used without ongoing payments. For example, buying Office 2024 (such as Office Home 2024) gives access to the Office apps, including Word and Excel, as a one-time purchase instead of an annual subscription.
    2. Buy just the apps needed
      It is possible to buy standalone versions of Word and Excel for a Mac or PC instead of the full Microsoft 365 suite. Go to the Microsoft Store and search for Word or Excel to purchase only those apps.

    These options are typically better suited for retired or light-use scenarios where Word and Excel are needed only a few times a year and ongoing cloud features are less important.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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