Why Office 365 without a subscription does not exist
Microsoft 365, formerly known as Office 365, is a subscription service. You pay monthly or annually and use the software for as long as the subscription runs. Without a subscription there is no 365. This is not a shortcoming but simply how the product works.
Anyone who wants Office without recurring costs is actually looking for the classic Office perpetual licence. It is not called 365 but carries a year: Office 2024 is the current version, preceded by Office 2021. You buy these versions once and use them permanently.
The Office perpetual licence as the right alternative
- One-time purchase. A single price, no monthly or annual fees, no auto-renewal.
- Permanent use. The version you buy runs permanently, Office 2024 with security updates until 09.10.2029.
- Core apps included. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook in every edition, plus Publisher, OneNote or Access depending on the edition.
- No Microsoft account required. Unlike the 365 subscription, a perpetual licence can be activated without a Microsoft account.



