Microsoft Publisher chiude il 1 ottobre 2026: cosa succede ai file .pub, chi li perde davvero e come convertirli...
When looking for the cost of the Office package, one immediately encounters a difficulty: there is no single price. Over the years, Microsoft has transformed its most famous suite into an ecosystem with different formulas - monthly subscription, annual subscription, and one-time purchase - and each choice has a cost, and consequences, that vary greatly over time. Whether you are an individual who only needs to write a few documents, a freelancer, or a company that needs to equip multiple workstations, truly understanding the cost of Office means putting the options on the same level. In this guide updated to 2026, we line up the real prices, clarify the difference between subscription and perpetual license, and see how to reduce expenditure without giving up the programs you use every day.
In summary: the subscription Microsoft 365 The Personal version costs €99 per year (or €10 per month), while the Family version is priced at €129 per year (Source: Microsoft). Microsoft still sells a one-time purchase version, Office Home 2024, for €149 for a single PC or Mac. Alternatively, there are perpetual licenses for Office — 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 — starting from €14.90 as a one-time fee.
Before even looking at the figures, there is a distinction that determines everything else. Today, Office exists in two profoundly different forms. On one hand, there is Microsoft 365 The subscription: you pay every month or every year, you always have the latest version of the apps, the space on OneDrive and the cloud services, but the moment you stop paying you lose access. On the other hand, there is the perpetual license: you pay only once, the program remains yours forever on that device, but it stays anchored to that version (Office 2021, for example) without feature updates.
Those who work with us understand this immediately with a question: will you still be using Office in three years? If the answer is yes - and for the vast majority of users it is - the subscription fee starts to weigh, because that €99 per year comes back punctually every twelve months.
The subscription plans are designed for those who always want to have the latest version and online services. These are the official prices updated to 2026 (Source: Microsoft):
Microsoft 365 Personal - 10 €/month, or 99 €/year
Microsoft 365 Family (up to 6 users) - 13 €/month, or 129 €/year
These are convenient solutions if you need cloud space and share the subscription with your family (the Family plan covers up to six people). The one thing to keep in mind is: it's a recurring expense. After three years, a Personal subscription will have cost you almost €300; after five, around €500.
If you primarily need Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook installed on your computer, without a subscription, the perpetual license is almost always the most economical choice. Microsoft maintains only one "single purchase" version, Office Home 2024, at €149 for one device (Source: Microsoft). However, in the license market, the Professional Plus editions - the complete ones - are available at much lower prices. On Macrosoft The prices of the perpetual licenses, updated as of July 2026, are as follows:
Office 2016 Professional Plus — €14.90 one-time fee
Office 2019 Professional Plus — €29.90 one-time fee
Office 2021 Professional Plus — €39.90 one-time fee
Office 2024 Professional Plus — €59.99 one-time fee
Office 2021 Home & Business (with Outlook) — €149.00 one-time fee
The difference is evident: the version Office 2021 Professional Plus At €39.90 as a one-time fee, it costs less than half of a single year of Microsoft 365 Personal, and it doesn't expire. If you want to understand in detail which programs change from one edition to another, we have covered everything in the article dedicated to What does the Office package include? .
The convenience depends on how you use Office, but the calculation is simpler than it seems. Reason on a three-year horizon, which is the average lifespan of a PC.
Subscription: Microsoft 365 Personal for three years = approximately €297, with constantly updated apps, 1 TB of OneDrive, and installation on multiple devices. It makes sense if you really utilize the cloud and always want the latest version.
Perpetual License: A perpetual license of Office 2021 or 2024 = a one-time expense under €60 that covers the same three years (and beyond) on the same PC. It's the right choice if you need the classic programs and aren't interested in changing versions every year.
A reality that is seldom discussed: most private users open Office to write, do calculations, and prepare presentations - tasks that a perpetual license performs just as well as the subscription. The cloud and the constant updates, for which the fee is paid, often remain unused.
If the goal is to spend as little as possible without giving up original programs, three practical rules we always suggest apply. First: choose the right edition for your actual use, because paying for business features that you will never use is the most common waste. Second: if you don't need the very latest version, a perpetual edition of Office 2019 or 2021 gives you the same Word, Excel, and PowerPoint at a fraction of the price. Third: always verify that the license is authentic and can be activated from a reliable retailer, to avoid non-working or irregular keys.
You can compare all the versions and updated prices in the section dedicated to it. Microsoft Office package by Macrosoft.
With a perpetual license, you pay only once: Professional Plus editions start from €14.90 (Office 2016) and go up to €59.99 (Office 2024). The only official "single purchase" option from Microsoft is Office Home 2024 at €149.
Microsoft 365 Personal costs €99 per year, while the Family version costs €129 per year (Source: Microsoft). Alternatively, there is a monthly payment option, respectively at €10 and €13 per month.
It depends on the usage: the subscription is beneficial for those who use cloud, continuous updates and installation on multiple devices; the perpetual license is beneficial for those who use classic programs and want to pay only once. In the long run, for the average user, the perpetual license costs much less.
Yes, there is Office for the web (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online) available for free but with reduced features and only through a browser. To work offline with the complete suite, a license is required, either subscription-based or perpetual.
In conclusion, there is not just one price for the Office package: there is the formula that suits you best. If you always want the latest version and cloud services, the subscription does its job; if you are looking for the usual programs at a low cost and without a fee, a perpetual license can save you a lot. To navigate through all the available editions and find the right one at the best price, check the section. Macrosoft's Microsoft Office It's a good starting point.
Leave a comment