
Though it’s a web-based tool, there are options for editing your documents when you are offline. It includes Docs, Sheets and Slides, which are Google’s version of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, although nowhere near as powerful. If your needs for productivity software are very basic, you may find the free options available from Google through a Google Drive account to be acceptable.

This means you either pay monthly ($6.99 for Home and Student) or annually ($69.99 for Home and Student or $99 for Business) from now on. Microsoft is trying to get users to convert from a single purchase package that will eventually expire to their subscription “SaaS” (Software as a Service) platform known as Office 365. The primary difference in the two packages is the Business version includes Outlook. You can purchase the Office Home and Student 2019 bundle from Microsoft for $149.99 or the Office Home and Business bundle for $249.99. If you have Office 2016, you should be able to upgrade to the 64-bit version through Microsoft’s standard upgrade process if for some reason it hasn’t already been updated. For details, see the FAQ.If your version of Microsoft Office is older than Office 2016 v15.35, you’ll have to choose from a variety of costly or time-consuming and complicated options. Certain features are only available in the Mac or Windows versions of Office 2019.For consumer customers in China, India, and Japan, Office 2019 suites will be available in the next few months. Office 2019 is now available for consumer and commercial customers.Commercial volume-licensed (trusted) customers can access Office 2019 starting today.

We see the on-premises version of Office as an important part of our commitment to give customers the flexibility they need to move to the cloud at their own pace. While the cloud offers real benefits in productivity, security, and total cost of ownership, we recognize that each customer is at a different point in their adoption of cloud services.

We’re pleased to confirm that we’re committed to another on-premises release in the future. And each time we release a new on-premises version of Office, customers ask us if this will be our last. Office 2019 is a valuable update for customers who aren’t yet ready for the cloud.
