Office 365 vs Office 2019

Deciding which Office Path to Take

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using Office 365/Office 2019. With the release of office 2019 later this year it has became apparent it will not be supported on Windows 7. However this does not mean you cant have Office 2019 on Windows 7. YES you cannot buy the perpetual release of the software but you can subscribe to Office 365 Pro Plus which effectively will be office 2019 and WILL be supported on Windows 7/8 UNTIL January 2020 (When Support ends for Windows 7).

Office 365 Pro Plus:

Pros:

• Software as a Service. You do not need to keep upgrading your edition of Office.
• It will be supported on Windows 7 & Server 2016 until 2020
• Always receive the latest office features
• Benefit from cloud collaboration tools

Cons:

• Ongoing Subscription Payment
• Requires internet connection to stay activated
• Will not be Supported on Versions of Semi-Annual Channel which are no longer being serviced
• After 2020 it will not be supported on Windows 10 LTSC Releases

Office 2019:

Pros:

• Perpetual Licence
• Supported on Windows 10 LTSC 2018
• Users Choice when to upgrade Office

Cons:

• Not supported on Windows 7 or Server 2016
• After a certain period of time will not receive latest feature updates (only security updates)
• Need to Upgrade to the next release
• Unable to benefit from cloud collaboration tools

Conclusion:

There is always an argument for which is the best option. The answer depends on your environment. For example if you are going to be using Windows 10 LTSC 2018 then you would probably opt in to buying Office 2019 perpetual as Office 365 Pro Plus is not supported on LTSC as of 2020. This is mainly down to Microsoft Aligning Office 365 Updates with Semi-Annual Channel.

More information can be found at: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsitpro/2018/02/01/changes-to-office-and-windows-servicing-and-support/