Lifecycle dates at a glance
"End of support" is the date after which Microsoft stops issuing security updates. The software keeps running and activating; it just stops being patched. For anything connected to the internet we recommend staying inside the supported window.
| Release | Released | Mainstream ended | Security updates end | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office 2019 / Project 2019 / Visio 2019 | September 24, 2018 | October 10, 2023 | October 14, 2025 | Out of support |
| Office 2021 / LTSC 2021 / Project & Visio 2021 | October 5, 2021 | — | October 13, 2026 | Supported |
| Office 2024 / LTSC 2024 / Project & Visio 2024 | October 1, 2024 | — | October 9, 2029 | Current |
| Windows 10 (all editions) | July 29, 2015 | — | October 14, 2025 (ESU to Oct 2026 consumer / Oct 2028 business) | Out of support |
| Windows 11 | October 5, 2021 | — | Each annual release supported 24 months (Home/Pro) | Current |
Choosing an edition in 30 seconds
Office Home line — 2019 · 2021 · 2024
The home edition was called "Home & Student" until 2021 and simply "Office Home" from 2024. Same idea each time: the core apps, bought once, for one PC or Mac.
| Feature | Home & Student 2019 | Home & Student 2021 | Office Home 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2018 | October 2021 | October 2024 |
| Security updates until | Ended October 14, 2025 | October 13, 2026 | October 9, 2029 |
| Apps | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote |
| Outlook included | No | No | No |
| Runs on | Windows 10 · macOS (older releases) | Windows 10/11 · macOS | Windows 10/11 · the three latest macOS versions |
| Headline additions | Morph & Zoom in PowerPoint, funnel charts, 2D maps, new inking tools | XLOOKUP, dynamic arrays, Line Focus in Word, refreshed visuals | Dynamic charts, new Excel functions, improved search, dark mode across apps |
| Licensed use | Home / non-commercial | Home / non-commercial | Home / non-commercial |
| Devices | 1 PC or Mac | 1 PC or Mac | 1 PC or Mac |
| Our verdict | Lowest price; fine for a PC or Mac that mostly stays offline — no further patches | The sensible middle: a year of updates left at a lower price | Best value for a new computer; five years of updates |
| Price here (one-time) | $89.99 PC · view $94.99 Mac · view | $109.99 PC · view $114.99 Mac · view | $126.99 PC · view $126.99 Mac · view |
Dates are Microsoft's published lifecycle dates. "Security updates until" is the date after which Microsoft stops patching that version; the software keeps activating and working after it.
Office Home & Business — 2019 · 2021 · 2024
Home & Business is the home line plus Outlook, licensed for commercial use. It is the right choice for sole traders and small offices that live in e-mail.
| Feature | Home & Business 2019 | Home & Business 2021 | Home & Business 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2018 | October 2021 | October 2024 |
| Security updates until | Ended October 14, 2025 | October 13, 2026 | October 9, 2029 |
| Apps | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook (classic), OneNote |
| Runs on | Windows 10 · macOS (older releases) | Windows 10/11 · macOS | Windows 10/11 · the three latest macOS versions |
| Headline additions | Focused Inbox, Morph & Zoom, funnel charts | XLOOKUP, dynamic arrays, Outlook instant search upgrades | Dynamic charts, new Excel functions, better performance and accessibility |
| Licensed use | Home and business | Home and business | Home and business |
| Devices | 1 PC or Mac | 1 PC or Mac | 1 PC or Mac |
| Our verdict | Out of support — only for legacy or offline machines | Good value while Microsoft still patches it (to October 2026) | Our best seller for small businesses |
| Price here (one-time) | $149.99 PC · view $124.99 Mac · view | $184.99 PC · view $174.99 Mac · view | $228.99 PC · view $194.99 Mac · view |
Dates are Microsoft's published lifecycle dates. "Security updates until" is the date after which Microsoft stops patching that version; the software keeps activating and working after it.
Office Professional Plus — 2019 · 2021 · 2024
Professional Plus is the fullest desktop line-up and includes Access. From 2021 Microsoft ships it as "Office LTSC" for organisations.
| Feature | Professional Plus 2019 | Professional Plus 2021 | Professional Plus 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2018 | October 2021 | October 2024 |
| Security updates until | Ended October 14, 2025 | October 13, 2026 | October 9, 2029 |
| Apps | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, Skype for Business | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher, Teams | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access |
| Publisher | Included | Included | Retired by Microsoft — not included |
| Runs on | Windows 10 | Windows 10/11 | Windows 10/11 |
| Headline additions | Funnel charts, 2D maps, new inking, Morph & Zoom | XLOOKUP, dynamic arrays, dark mode in Word, accessibility checker improvements | Dynamic charts, new Excel functions, improved search, performance work |
| Licensed use | Business | Business | Business |
| Devices | 1 Windows PC | 1 Windows PC | 1 Windows PC |
| Our verdict | Out of support — for workflows that still need Publisher | Includes Publisher; supported to October 2026 | The one to buy if you need Access on the desktop |
| Price here (one-time) | $129.99 PC · view | $154.99 PC · view | $209.99 PC · view |
Dates are Microsoft's published lifecycle dates. "Security updates until" is the date after which Microsoft stops patching that version; the software keeps activating and working after it.
Windows 10 & 11 — Home vs Pro
All four are full retail licences for one PC. The Pro editions add the management and security features IT departments ask for; Windows 11 adds the modern interface, a longer support runway and stricter hardware requirements.
| Feature | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 Pro | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | July 2015 | July 2015 | October 2021 | October 2021 |
| Security updates until | Ended October 14, 2025 (consumer ESU to October 2026) | Ended October 14, 2025 (paid Extended Security Updates available) | Current — in support | Current — in support |
| Hardware requirements | 1 GHz CPU, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB storage | 1 GHz CPU, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB storage | Supported 64-bit CPU, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, TPM 2.0, UEFI Secure Boot | Supported 64-bit CPU, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, TPM 2.0, UEFI Secure Boot |
| BitLocker drive encryption | Device encryption only (on supported hardware) | Yes | Device encryption only (on supported hardware) | Yes, with full management |
| Remote Desktop (host) | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Hyper-V & Windows Sandbox | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Domain join & Group Policy | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Maximum RAM | 128 GB | 2 TB | 128 GB | 2 TB |
| Snap layouts & refreshed Start | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft account at setup | Optional | Optional | Required | Can use a local account |
| Free upgrade path | To Windows 11 Home on supported hardware | To Windows 11 Pro on supported hardware | — | — |
| Devices | 1 PC | 1 PC | 1 PC | 1 PC |
| Our verdict | Only for family PCs that cannot run Windows 11 | Only for work PCs that cannot run Windows 11 | Right for a family PC or fresh home build | Right for work laptops, remote access and encryption |
| Price here (one-time) | $49.99 PC · view | $69.99 PC · view | $59.99 PC · view | $79.99 PC · view |
Dates are Microsoft's published lifecycle dates. "Security updates until" is the date after which Microsoft stops patching that version; the software keeps activating and working after it.
Project Professional — 2019 · 2021 · 2024
Desktop Project for Windows. Every Professional edition has Gantt charts, resource planning, baselines and reporting; newer releases add polish, security and a longer support runway.
| Feature | Project Professional 2019 | Project Professional 2021 | Project Professional 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2018 | October 2021 | October 2024 |
| Security updates until | Ended October 14, 2025 | October 13, 2026 | October 9, 2029 |
| Runs on | Windows 10 | Windows 10/11 | Windows 10/11 |
| Gantt, Timeline & Board views | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Resource management & levelling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in reports & dashboards | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to Project Server / Project Online | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interface | Office 2019 look | Office 2021 look, accessibility improvements | Office 2024 look, dark mode, performance work |
| Devices | 1 Windows PC | 1 Windows PC | 1 Windows PC |
| Our verdict | Lowest price; no further security patches | Matches teams standardised on Office 2021 | Longest support — the default choice for new installs |
| Price here (one-time) | $129.99 PC · view | $159.99 PC · view | $199.99 PC · view |
Dates are Microsoft's published lifecycle dates. "Security updates until" is the date after which Microsoft stops patching that version; the software keeps activating and working after it.
Visio Professional — 2019 · 2021 · 2024
Visio Professional adds the business, engineering and IT stencils (BPMN, UML, Azure, AWS, network and floor plans) plus data-linked diagrams on top of the Standard edition.
| Feature | Visio Professional 2019 | Visio Professional 2021 | Visio Professional 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released | September 2018 | October 2021 | October 2024 |
| Security updates until | Ended October 14, 2025 | October 13, 2026 | October 9, 2029 |
| Runs on | Windows 10 | Windows 10/11 | Windows 10/11 |
| Professional stencils (BPMN 2.0, UML, network, Azure/AWS) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Link shapes to Excel / SQL data | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export to Power BI & Excel visuals | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Interface | Office 2019 look | Office 2021 look | Office 2024 look, dark mode |
| Devices | 1 Windows PC | 1 Windows PC | 1 Windows PC |
| Our verdict | Lowest price; no further security patches | Matches teams standardised on Office 2021 | Longest support — the default for new installs |
| Price here (one-time) | $149.99 PC · view | $169.99 PC · view | $199.99 PC · view |
Dates are Microsoft's published lifecycle dates. "Security updates until" is the date after which Microsoft stops patching that version; the software keeps activating and working after it.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Perpetual / one-time licence | Bought once, used indefinitely on one device. No renewal. What we sell. |
| Subscription (Microsoft 365) | Paid monthly or yearly; apps stop working when payments stop. Includes cloud storage and multi-device installs. |
| Retail licence | A licence sold to an end customer that can be moved to a replacement device. All our keys are retail. |
| OEM licence | Pre-installed by the PC maker and tied to that machine. Cannot be moved. We do not sell OEM keys. |
| Volume licence (VL / MAK / KMS) | Issued to organisations for their own devices. Keys resold from these agreements are the usual source of "too cheap" listings and are eventually blocked. |
| LTSC | Long-Term Servicing Channel — Microsoft's name for the perpetual Office editions sold to organisations (Professional Plus 2021/2024). |
| Digital licence | Windows activation tied to your hardware and Microsoft account after the first activation, so reinstalls activate automatically. |
| Product key | The 25-character code (5 groups of 5) you enter to activate. Keep it with your order e-mail. |
| End of support | The date Microsoft stops releasing security updates for a version. |
| MPN / GTIN / SKU | Microsoft's part number, the retail barcode, and our internal reference — all shown on each product page. Explained here. |