Microsoft Office 2021 Professional Review
Table of Contents
The Bottom Line
Microsoft Office remains the top choice for productivity applications when it comes to serious office tasks. The latest version introduces a few clever convenience features and improved speed, but overall, it functions much like previous versions, making the transition seamless for those upgrading. There’s no steep learning curve to worry about.
Retail Price: $429.99Available for $429.99 at Microsoft
Microsoft Office 2021 is the latest version of its highly popular office suite, used by millions globally. While it isn’t a groundbreaking upgrade, the enhancements make it a notable improvement. The suite boasts faster performance and includes useful features like integration with Microsoft Teams and real-time translation of foreign languages in Outlook. For those familiar with previous versions, Office 2021 will feel intuitive and easy to navigate, allowing users to dive back into their work with minimal learning time. The subtle yet impactful updates make this version a worthwhile investment, solidifying its place as an Editors’ Choice for office productivity suites.
how much does office 2021 cost ?
Microsoft Office 2021 is priced at $429.99, with a discounted rate of $149.99 available for students. The “2021” in the name signifies that this version comes with a perpetual license, meaning you pay once and can continue using it indefinitely—until you choose to upgrade to a newer version.
Microsoft also provides Office through a subscription service known as Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), where users pay monthly or annually. With the perpetual license version, you receive periodic security updates but won’t have access to the regular feature enhancements that Microsoft 365 subscribers enjoy. Additionally, you’ll miss out on benefits like ample OneDrive cloud storage and other extras. However, if you’re a corporate IT manager or someone who prefers to avoid subscription models, the perpetual license version is likely the better choice for you.
In this review, we focus on Office Professional 2021 for Windows, though much of the information also applies to the Mac version, which is now available with a perpetual license as well. If you’re already using Office applications through a Microsoft 365 subscription, Office 2021 won’t present any surprises. However, if you’re still using an older perpetual-license version like Office 2019, Office 2016, or earlier, you’ll discover several new and enhanced features that might make upgrading worthwhile—more on those shortly.
pros and cons
Pros of Microsoft Office Professional 2021:1. Perpetual License: One-time purchase with no recurring subscription fees.2. Familiar Interface: Minimal learning curve for users of previous versions.3. Enhanced Performance: Faster and more responsive than older editions.4. Integration with Microsoft Teams: Improved collaboration features.5. Real-Time Language Translation in Outlook: Convenient for multilingual communications.6. Reliable and Robust: Well-suited for professional, academic, and personal use.7. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Available for both Windows and Mac.8. Security Updates: Regular security patches to keep your software protected.Cons of Microsoft Office Professional 2021:1. No Feature Updates: Unlike Microsoft 365, it doesn’t receive ongoing feature updates.2. High Upfront Cost: Priced at $429.99, which may be steep for some users.3. Limited Cloud Integration: Lacks features like extensive OneDrive storage and other Microsoft 365 extras.4. Fewer Collaborative Tools: Less cloud-based collaboration compared to subscription versions.5. No Access to Future Versions: Requires another purchase to upgrade to future major releases.
Features that were once exclusive to the browser-based version of Office are now included in the desktop apps. In Office 2021, for example, you can coauthor documents in real time within the desktop apps, with clear visual cues showing who else is collaborating and where they are making edits in the document.
Aside from the newly added features, Office 2021 closely resembles the 2019 and 2016 versions. There’s no need to worry about adapting to a new interface, as the layout remains familiar and user-friendly.
