One of the questions that comes up quite regularly is; What is the difference between Office 365 and Office 2016? Why should I choose one over the other? Is there one that would be more beneficial for my needs?
Both are great options that I wholeheartedly endorse but there are differences and I will list them below:
Office 365 is a subscription service that you can pay for on a monthly or yearly basis and comes with the ever familiar programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and so on. However, you also are entitled to tech support at no extra cost and upgrades are included in your subscription pricing as well. Office 365 also has plans that allow you to share your subscription with multiple users and install programs onto other computers and mobile devices.
Office 2016 is sold as a one-tine purchase. You pay one price and you may install Office 2016 onto a single system with your provided license key. If/When upgrades become available, you would purchase those again if you decide it’s time for an upgrade. Technical support, while available, usually carries with it charges for the amount of time needed and the type of support needed on a per basis issue.
Weigh your options of how vital Office programs are to you and/or your organization? Does your entire day involve being connected and using said programs? Is it beneficial for you to be able to work and be productive while on the go from your phone or tablet? Would you be more comfortable with the ability to get support when needed and have the newest versions delivered to you when they’re available? Would it be easier to budget a smaller amount every month as opposed to paying a larger one-time fee? If yes, then Office 365 with a subscription would probably be the one for you. If you’re a user mainly or Word and Excel and don’t necessarily need these as your day-to-day then Office 2016 might very well be your best bet. When new versions of standalone Office come to market your current version does not inexplicably shut down or become obsolete.
I just simply wanted to get these basic but major differences together for you in one spot as I have found many people have these questions. Neither is necessarily better than the other; however, the options are there for those who need them.
Until next time-
Alex Hoosz, PEI
