Do you really need to buy Microsoft Office?

Microsoft's programmes, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, are now all part of Microsoft 365, which also includes Teams, Skype, and Outlook.com. If you make the most use of all its features, £60 per year for Microsoft 365 might be worth the cost – but if you only use Word and Excel, it's a different matter.

The office has weathered numerous challenges over the past three decades, but worries over freer rivals, in the form of Google and others, are proving more lingering. It's hardly surprising, therefore, that you can now join Microsoft 365 for nothing and utilise Word, Excel, and PowerPoint through a web browser at no charge.

You might be wondering, is there really a need for you to purchase Microsoft Office?

What features and benefits does Microsoft 365 provide?

Microsoft 365 Personal costs £59.99 per year and grants access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook on PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. Your complimentary OneDrive storage also expands from 5GB to 1TB, and if you're a Windows user, you can install Publisher and Access. For Mac and mobile users, these two programs are not available.

When choosing a Personal subscription that only covers one individual, opting for Microsoft 365 Family (£79.99 a year) offers the flexibility to add up to five others. Each person gets access to the same suite of apps and their own 1TB of storage, keeping their files secure and separate from others. Even if there are just two of you, upgrading to the Family plan is sensible, as it lowers the cost to less than £40 per person.

The 'Office' brand has not disappeared in fact, the Office Home & Student 2021 is still available for purchase for a one-off cost of £119.99. However, it excludes Access, Publisher, and Outlook, does not come with the OneDrive upgrade, and will not receive new tools going forward.

Installed software can be a nuisance, particularly if you often work from multiple computers. This is why the web-based versions of programmes like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are gaining popularity. While they might not offer all the advanced features of their installed counterparts, due to the need to support a wide range of browsers, they still provide all the core functionality you need to complete a full day's work wherever you are.

On all iPads, other than the iPad Pro, users can access core editing functions for free. For the iPad Pro, a paid subscription is required. On Android, the core editing features are free to use on devices with displays measuring 10.1 inches or smaller.

What are the benefits of using Microsoft 365?

• The combination of online and offline tools provides the greatest freedom. If you're flying, you can put your computer into airplane mode and carry on working as long as your files are stored on your hard drive. You can replicate this using Google Workspace’s offline mode, however you'll need to set it up beforehand.
• Online programmes need to make sure they can be used with different web browsers, so they may have to give up on some advanced features. Installed software, on the other hand, can harness the full capabilities of the computer. With Microsoft 365, you can use the online programmes for general editing tasks, and then switch to the installed programmes to iron out the finer details.
• The online version of Word has speech-to-text and transcription features, which can be a significant time-saving tool, particularly for someone taking minutes at a club meeting.
• Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive and expanding suite of tools. Upon purchasing a paid subscription, you not only gain access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but also to Outlook for managing emails, Publisher for creating documents, Access for database management, and a range of further assets.

What applications and services does Google Workspace comprise?

Containing a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, and graphics program, Google Workspace was previously known as Google Apps and G Suite. If you look beyond the initial features listed under the webapp title, you'll find Google Forms for collecting data, as well as Gmail, Calendar, and Google Drive.

Workspace receives periodic updates to its fundamental capabilities, continually enhancing its adaptability and utility.

If you're a personal account user, you can access the apps at no cost via Google Drive. You also receive 15GB of storage (this is equivalent to three times the 5GB available in OneDrive's free tier), and you can upgrade this by registering for Google One. Alternatively, you can opt for a paid plan, which starts at £15.99 per year for 100GB of storage, progressing to £24.99 for 200GB and £79.99 for 2TB.

What are the benefits of Google Workspace?

• You can customise the platform by adding new web applications from the integrated store. To access this, click New in the navigation menu, hover over Additional, then click 'Link more applications'.
• You can open, edit and export Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, allowing you to collaborate with colleagues who use Microsoft 365. This is done using Google's free web-based applications, where you can share your work with others.
• Google Workspace is particularly accommodating when it comes to sharing your work, making it a sensible choice for teamwork, or collaborating on family plans for holidays or home renovations.
• Google's word processor has a function that can convert spoken words into written text, just like Microsoft Word in Microsoft 365 does. However, this feature is only accessible when using a Chrome-based browser and does not include automatic transcription of uploaded audio recordings.

Do you genuinely need to pay for Microsoft 365?

Not necessarily - you could opt for Microsoft 365, use the free Microsoft 365 web apps, or consider switching to a competitor, Google Workspace, each of which has its own benefits:

• Benefit from integrated software and web applications, regular updates, and a generous 1TB of cloud storage. The ongoing subscription is reasonably priced, but if you stop paying, you'll lose access to the tools you use regularly. If you don't want to pay the subscription fee, you could consider using Office Home & Student 2021, but you'll be missing out on the most useful features of Microsoft 365.
• In addition to being free, you can use the apps from anywhere. Nonetheless, they are not as potent as the native versions and your OneDrive account, which has a 5GB storage capacity. Furthermore, if you lose your internet connection, you will have to put your work on hold.
• Private individuals can gain access to Google's office tools at no cost, and in the event of loss of internet connection, offline mode still allows for continued work. One can also further supplement the suite by introducing additional apps, and the 15GB of cloud storage is indeed enticing.

GHI Tip: If you have a Mac or iPad made by Apple, from 2015 onwards, you already have iWork pre-loaded, which includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps. These apps have many of the same features as their Microsoft Office counterparts, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. However, to share your work with people who use Microsoft software, you'll need to save your files in a compatible format first.

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