Microsoft has announced that Office 2021, the next perpetual version of the Office program, will be generally available on October 5. The new Office 2021 is fully compatible with Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Since Microsoft is offering Windows 11 as a free upgrade to Windows 10 users, many users who are using Office 2016 and Office 2019 are wondering if Office 2021 is a free upgrade for existing Office 2016/2019 users?
Is Office 2021 free for Office 2019 and Office 2016 users?
No, Office 2021 is not a free upgrade to existing Office 2013, Office 2016, and Office 2019 users. Instead, users who want to upgrade to Office 2021 will have to purchase a one-time license from Microsoft and install the Office 2021 software on their computers.
Is Office 2021 different from Microsoft Office 365 program?
Office 2021 is the non-subscription and one-time purchase version of Office. This means that, unlike Office 365, you do not need to renew your Office 2021 subscription.
Is Office 2021 free for existing Office 365 users?
All the features and options present in Office 2021 are already present in Office 365. Office 365 is continuously updated, and it receives features and options as and when the Office team releases them. If you are already using the subscription-based Office 365 program, you do not need Office 2021.
Can I use Office 2019/2016 license to activate Office 2021?
As you might have guessed by now, you cannot use the product key of a previous version of the Microsoft Office program to activate Office 2021. Instead, you will have to buy an Office 2021 license.
How long can I use Office 2021?
According to Microsoft, it will support Office 2021 for a period of five years. So, you will get updates (not feature updates) for five years. Note that you can use Office 2021 even after five years, but it will not be officially supported. This means that Office 2021 will not receive any updates after the first five years.
