• Microsoft Office Home And Student 2016 For Mac
• Microsoft Office Home And Student 2016 For Mac Canada

This week, arrives for Windows and the software is a major upgrade to the previous versions of Microsoft's productivity suite. If you're eager to use the new apps, they are available now, but first, you have to figure out how you'll purchase them. Long gone are the days of grabbing a box of CDs at the store - today, subscriptions are the norm, but they're not the only way to buy. Because of that, you get several different ways to buy Office 2016, and you'll be forgiven if you don't know which one to pick.

Microsoft Office Mac Home and Student 2016 English P2 1 License NA Only Medialess. Countless solutions. Business seller information. Contact details. Value Added Tax Number: CA 848421897RT0001. Return policy. Item must be returned within. 30 days after the buyer receives it.

Microsoft doesn't exactly make it simple to tell the difference between your choices. To make the decision a bit easier, this guide will go over the three different ways to use Office and what you get with each pick. Josh Miller/CNET Option 1: Office.com and Office Mobile apps - Free provides completely free, but slightly limited, online-only versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and other tools. Around since 2010, the website has largely flown under the radar, overshadowed by the desktop versions of Office. All you need to use it is a free Microsoft account, which you get. (Of course, if you already use nearly any Microsoft product - Skype, OneDrive, Xbox Live - you already have one.).

Using Office.com, you can edit and create new documents, spreadsheets and slideshows, using many of the same features you'd get with Office on the desktop. In many ways, it's similar to Google Docs, which is also exclusively online and free with a Google account.

With free comes a few limitations. First, the online tools are missing some advanced features you get with the full versions, like tracking changes in Word, advanced chart types in Excel and many slide transitions in PowerPoint. The other big drawback is that you cannot open and edit files that live on your computer.

In order to open a file through Office.com, you'll need to store it in either OneDrive or Dropbox first. Luckily, you can easily save a copy of a file you create or edit to your computer without any hassle.

Any changes you make are also automatically saved in OneDrive. When you're away from a computer, you can also use the free Office mobile apps for,. Like the browser-based version, these apps have all the basic Word, Excel and PowerPoint features, with some limitations. If you have an Office 365 (see below), you'll unlock all of the apps' tools. Office.com has free online-only versions of the Office apps. Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET Option 2: Office 365 - Subscription is a monthly or yearly memberships that gets you the full desktop versions of Office, plus, email with Outlook, and a bunch of extras. With, the full versions include new sharing features that let you work together with others in real-time, integrations with messaging app Skype, a tool that uses Microsoft's search engine Bing to help you research while you're working and more.

The most enticing reason to get a subscription is that you'll always get new versions Office when Microsoft releases them. There are several different types of Office 365 subscription, each getting you different features. The two most popular subscription tiers are Home and Personal. Office 365 Home is meant for families, since up to five people can be on the same membership and you can install the Office apps on up to five different PCs or Macs, plus use the full versions of the Office apps on Android and iOS phones and tablets.

You also get 1TB of storage for each person in OneDrive, plus 60 free minutes per month per user on Skype to make phone calls all around the world. Office 365 Personal is designed for one person with one computer to install the Office apps. You can also use the full versions of the mobile apps, and the subscription includes 1TB of OneDrive storage.

Microsoft Office Home And Student 2016 For Mac

Plus, you get 60 Skype minutes every month. Here's a full breakdown of what you get with Office 365 Home and Personal. Then, if you need extra features consider purchasing Office 2016 as a one-time purchase. Though it has a bigger up-front cost, it can be cheaper in the long run.

If you plan to use Office for more than two years and do not want extra storage space in OneDrive, a one-time purchase will ultimately be cheaper than a subscription. Once you pass the two-year mark, you'll pay more money per year to keep using Office 365 than the cost of the one-time purchase for Office 2016 Home & Student. If, however, you want or need the extra features that Office 365 offers, such as extra online storage, always-updated Office applications, and apps for every device, then the subscription is the only way to go.

It has the most comprehensive features and it's well worth paying for, if you're willing to spend a little extra overall.

And Office 2016 share a lot of similarities, but deciding between the two involves a lot of factors. Office 365 is a subscription-based service that currently uses Office 2016 apps, but when the next version of Office is released, users get that as part of their subscriptions. Office 2016 is a buy-once app suite that brings you the Office 2016 apps as they are, without any updates to future generations of the software.

Microsoft Office Home And Student 2016 For Mac Canada

If you want to upgrade to the latest version of Office without paying for a subscription, you have to pay full price for the new version — there's no discounted upgrade option. Here we break down the major differences between the two products to help you decide which is better for home and personal use. Office 365 is a subscription-based service, as noted.

If you choose to pay on a yearly basis, you essentially get a discount that works out to two free months per year. If you choose to pay on a monthly basis you'll pay a bit more by the end of the year, but you'll also have the ability to back out of your subscription at the end of any month. The monthly subscription plan is therefore better for students who only need Office for a few months out of the year, and a yearly subscription is great for anyone working from home. Students and teachers enrolled or working at certain schools might even be eligible for a free subscription to Office 365 Education. If you're a university student, there's also the option of buying a four-year subscription to Office 365 University. This costs for an entire four years of access, but only if you meet the requirements (you're enrolled in university).

Office 2016 is a classic, buy-once deal. This is better for those of you who want to purchase an item once and have it forever. If you only want Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, Office Home & Student 2016 is worth look a look. An Office 365 subscription ensures you'll always have the latest version of Office. But you can pay more once and own Office 2016 forever. Keep in mind, though, that Office 2016 only receives security and bug updates and does not get any of the major new features coming in the future.

If you buy an Office 365 subscription today and keep it going until, say, 2020, you'll basically have Office 2020. If you buy Office 2016 today and keep it until 2020, you'll still have the same old Office 2016 without any new features. If you want the full suite of Office apps, you have to go with either Office 365 or Office Professional 2016. As you can see in the, buying an Office Professional 2016 plan, which has the same apps as Office 365 but doesn't have the same cloud storage or multiple device functionality, will set you back about $400. For the same apps, 1TB of storage, and the ability to install the apps on a PC, a tablet, and a phone, you only pay about $70 for a year with Office 365 Personal. Bottom line: If you can't be bothered with subscriptions, and you want to buy one version of Office and stick with it for several years without receiving anything other than security and bug updates, go with Office 2016. However, if you want to always have the latest version of Office apps with all the latest features, and you don't mind paying a subscription fee, Office 365 is your go-to option.

The added bonus of serious student discounts to Office 365 makes it a pretty attractive package for anyone headed back to school. Multiple devices. One of the greatest aspects of Office 365 is the ability to use it on multiple devices. If you have a household of people who all use different OSes and devices, you have to go with Office 365 Home. You can install Office on up to five PCs or Macs, five tablets, and five phones. Office 365 Personal limits you to one install on each kind of device, but you can still have it on one PC or Mac, tablet, and phone at once.

All versions of Office 2016 can only be installed on one PC. This means that if you have a few PCs in your home you want to install Office on, you have to purchase separate products — and the price can really add up. Keep in mind that all Windows 10 Mobile users have access to a suite of free Office apps known as Office for Mobile on their phones and tablets, regardless of whether or not they've ever purchased a version of Office in the past. The Office 365 mobile apps have more features than the free apps, so if you're someone who does a lot of work from a phone or tablet, you'll probably want to spring for a subscription. Bottom line: If you're someone who loves working on multiple devices, or if you want Office installed on several devices, you'll want to go with Office 365.

If you only have one PC and don't plan on expanding, however, Office 2016 might be just what you're looking for. Connectivity Although Office 365 is subscription-based, after the initial download and install you don't need to be connected to the internet to use the Office apps. You do, however, need to be connected if you want to save files to OneDrive, unless you sync your files to your desktop using the OneDrive app. In that case, you can save to OneDrive while offline, and things will sync whenever you next connect to the internet. Office 365 requires you to connect to the internet and sign in every 39 days to keep full functionality of the Office apps. There is a hitch: If you don't connect to the internet and sign into Office 365 at least once every 39 days, your apps will be limited to read-only mode, and you'll probably receive warnings that your product is unlicensed.

Office 2016 doesn't require you to connect to the internet at any point following the initial download and install registration, though you'll still have to hop online to download the regularly released security updates. Bottom line: If you're living without a regular internet connection, you might want to opt for Office 2016. But the odds are still good you'll need to get online at some point for something. Any technical issues you experience with Office 365 will be handled promptly by Microsoft's support staff. You can also inquire about any subscription and billing issues you run into.

Office 2016 only offers tech support for any initial installation problems you come across. After installing Office 2016, you're basically on your own as far as official tech support goes.

Bottom line: If you love the added safety net of constant tech support, there's only one choice: Office 365. If you can handle things on your own following installation, you'll probably be alright with Office 2016. Cloud storage Office 365 comes with 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage, which, depending on the version you purchased, will be extended for all users. For example, if you purchased Office 365 Personal, you have that 1TB all to yourself. If you purchased Office 365 Home, a separate 1TB is available for up to five users. Office 365 users get a whopping 1TB of OneDrive storage with their subscriptions. Office 2016 does not include any cloud storage.

You can get ahold of a 50GB OneDrive plan separately, but it will cost you. A 5GB OneDrive storage plan is free. Bottom line: If you're keen on cloud storage to hold all your Office documents and whatever else you choose, you have to go with Office 365. The included 1TB of storage can prove invaluable if you saved money on a laptop with a small hard drive. School is expensive, and saving money here and there is more than welcome. Conclusion After reviewing the differences between Office 365 and Office 2016, it's clear that Microsoft is pushing users towards Office 365. The included 1TB of OneDrive storage is a great deal, you get access to all Office apps no matter which version you choose, and you receive ongoing updates to ensure you're getting the best Office experience possible.

The discounts available for many students only makes the deal that much sweeter. Microsoft hasn't completely killed the buy-once model, and those of you who absolutely hate subscription fees still have something to be thankful for. It'll cost a lot upfront to get the full suite of apps, but if you're looking to buy Office once and stick with them for a few years, the price doesn't seem as bad. Updated August 8, 2017: We refreshed this comparison to ensure you're still getting the current information needed to make an informed decision when it comes to an Office purchase.

This post may contain affiliate links. See our for more details.