Why you cannot buy Office 365
Microsoft 365, formerly Office 365, is a subscription service. At its core, a subscription is a rental: you pay continuously and use the software for as long as the payment continues. Stop the payment and the usage ends. Buying Office 365 is therefore not possible, as the product is designed as a rental.
Anyone who truly wants to buy Office, in the sense of paying once and owning it permanently, is looking for the Office perpetual licence. Office 2024 is the current version, Office 2021 the more affordable one. These versions are genuinely bought, not rented.
Buying or renting, the honest decision
- Renting through the subscription is a good fit if you are planning for the short term, need cloud storage, or want to cover several people flexibly.
- Buying through the perpetual licence is a good fit if you use Office over the long term and do not want recurring costs.
- Cost calculation. Over several years, the rental adds up. Buying is then usually the cheaper option.
- Ownership question. A purchased perpetual licence belongs to you. A subscription only grants usage for a limited time.