Quick answer: Office 2024 Professional Plus is the fullest perpetual edition of Office 2024: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Access for Windows, licensed once for the life of the PC with security updates until 9 October 2029. It activates with a product key, not a Microsoft account, and costs $14.99 for one PC at GetDigiMarket against $249.99 for Microsoft’s Home & Business edition, which has fewer apps. It is Windows-only; Mac users need a Mac edition.
Office 2024 Professional Plus is the licence we sell more of than any other, by a wide margin. It is also the edition that generates the most questions, because Microsoft does not sell it at retail and the name sits oddly next to the Home and Home & Business boxes people see in shops. This guide explains what Professional Plus is, exactly what you get, how it compares with the other editions and with Microsoft 365, what it costs, how it installs and activates, and who it suits.
What Professional Plus is
Microsoft releases each perpetual Office version in several editions. Home and Home & Business are retail editions sold to consumers. Professional Plus is the edition licensed to organisations, traditionally through volume licensing, with the complete set of desktop applications. Resellers obtain Professional Plus licences through those channels and sell them as single keys, which is how a full-suite edition ends up costing less than the consumer box with fewer apps.
Functionally, Professional Plus 2024 is the same Office 2024 code as every other edition. The differences are which apps are unlocked and how the licence is managed.
What is included
| Application | Professional Plus 2024 | Home & Business 2024 | Home 2024 | Standard LTSC 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Word | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Excel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PowerPoint | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outlook (classic) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| OneNote | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Access | Yes | No | No | No |
| Publisher | No (retired in 2024 releases) | No | No | No |
| Teams | No | No | No | No |
| Platform | Windows | PC or Mac | PC or Mac | Windows |
| Activation | Product key | Microsoft account | Microsoft account | Volume key via ODT |
Access is the practical difference for many buyers: anyone with a database built in Access, or who wants to build one, needs Professional Plus or the standalone Access 2024. Publisher is not in any 2024 edition; Microsoft retired it, with Microsoft 365 support ending in October 2026.
What is new in the 2024 version
Office 2024 is based on the Microsoft 365 feature set as of September 2024. Compared with Office 2021 it adds, among other things: dynamic arrays and the LET, LAMBDA, XLOOKUP, TEXTSPLIT, IMAGE and other newer functions in Excel (XLOOKUP and dynamic arrays were already in 2021; the 2022–2024 additions are new); improved performance opening large workbooks; the modern commenting experience in Word; Cameo and recording studio in PowerPoint; improved meeting and search features in Outlook; a refreshed, Windows 11-styled interface with rounded corners; better accessibility checking and dictation. It does not include Copilot, which remains a Microsoft 365 feature.
Price and licence terms
At the time of writing, Office 2024 Professional Plus is $14.99 for one PC on GetDigiMarket. The licence is perpetual: one payment, no renewal, valid for the life of the PC. Security updates and bug fixes are provided by Microsoft until 9 October 2029; after that date the apps keep working but no longer receive patches. There is also a bundle with Windows for new PCs, Office 2024 Pro Plus with Windows 11 Pro, and a Pro Plus with Visio and Project bundle for planners and engineers.
For comparison, Microsoft’s retail prices are $149.99 for Home 2024 and $249.99 for Home & Business 2024, and Microsoft 365 Personal costs $99.99 per year. Our Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365 comparison sets the subscription against the one-time purchase in detail.
System requirements
Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit recommended); a 1.6 GHz dual-core processor; 4 GB of RAM; 4 GB of disk space; a 1280 by 768 display; .NET Framework 4.8 or later. Office 2024 does not install on Windows 8.1 or earlier, and it is not available for macOS in the Professional Plus edition. Windows Server 2019 and later are supported for Remote Desktop deployments.
How to install and activate
- Uninstall any trial, Microsoft 365 or older Office from Settings, Apps, and restart.
- Click the official Microsoft download link in your delivery email. Depending on the licence it is a direct installer or the Office Deployment Tool with a ready configuration; both install the 64-bit Professional Plus suite.
- Open Word, go to File, Account, click Change Product Key, enter the 25-character key, and click Activate. The panel reads “Product Activated”.
- Click Update Options, Update Now.
The full walkthrough, including the command-line route when the Change Product Key button is hidden, is in our Office installation guide. If online activation is refused, telephone activation completes it, and our free Confirmation ID service handles the call; see the Office phone activation guide.
Who should buy Professional Plus
- Anyone who needs Access alongside the core apps.
- Users who want classic Outlook without a subscription.
- Small businesses standardising on a one-time purchase with a predictable cost.
- Anyone replacing an expiring Microsoft 365 subscription on a single PC.
- Users who prefer activation with a key rather than a Microsoft account.
Who should consider something else
- Mac users: Professional Plus is Windows-only. Choose Office 2024 Home & Business for PC or Mac or Office 2021 Home & Business for Mac; our Mac guide explains the differences.
- Managed PCs wanting security-only updates: Office 2024 Standard LTSC installs through the Office Deployment Tool and skips feature changes entirely.
- Several devices per person, or Copilot: Microsoft 365.
- An older PC on a tight budget: Office 2021 Professional Plus costs a little less, with the caveat that Office 2021 support ended on 13 October 2026.
Multiple PCs
The 1-PC licence covers one installation. For a small office, the 5-PC listing of the 2021 version, Office 2021 Professional Plus for 5 PCs, uses one key for five machines; for 2024, buy one key per PC or contact us for a quantity.
Common questions before buying
Does it expire? No. The licence is perpetual. Support (security updates) ends 9 October 2029.
Does it need a Microsoft account? No. Professional Plus activates with the product key under File, Account.
Can I reinstall it? Yes, on the same PC, as often as needed, with the same key. Moving to a replacement PC is possible after uninstalling on the old one; use telephone activation if the online attempt is refused.
Is it genuine? Yes. The key activates against Microsoft’s servers and cscript ospp.vbs /dstatus reports a licensed status. Every order is covered by the 180-day money-back guarantee.
Is it the same as Microsoft 365 Apps? No. Microsoft 365 Apps is the subscription build with continuous updates and Copilot; Professional Plus 2024 is the perpetual build with security updates only.
Professional Plus 2024 versus Professional Plus 2021
| Office 2021 Professional Plus | Office 2024 Professional Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Release | 5 October 2021 | 1 October 2024 |
| End of support | 13 October 2026 (ended) | 9 October 2029 |
| Apps | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access |
| Excel functions | Dynamic arrays, XLOOKUP, LET | Adds TEXTSPLIT, VSTACK, IMAGE, newer array functions |
| Interface | Windows 11 style | Refreshed, with improved dark mode |
| Price at GetDigiMarket | $12.99 | $14.99 |
| Best for | Older PCs, secondary machines, Publisher users | Any PC you will keep for years |
The two-dollar difference buys three more years of security updates and the newer Excel functions. The only reason to pick 2021 today is Publisher, which 2024 no longer includes, or a specific need to match an existing 2021 installation elsewhere. Our full Office 2021 vs 2024 comparison goes deeper.
Office 2024 Professional Plus for business use
Small businesses choose Professional Plus for three reasons: classic Outlook with full PST support and add-in compatibility, Access for internal databases, and the absence of per-user monthly billing. It installs with the Office Deployment Tool for silent, standardised deployment across several PCs, and because activation is by key rather than account, there is no dependency on each employee’s Microsoft login. Invoices are available from the Orders page for expense records, and the Help Center covers deployment questions.
A note on updates
Professional Plus 2024 receives updates through the same Click-to-Run mechanism as every modern Office: File, Account, Update Options, Update Now, or automatically in the background. Updates are security and stability fixes only; the feature set is fixed at release. This is a benefit for users who dislike interface changes arriving unannounced, and it is the main practical difference from the subscription build.
Where Professional Plus fits in the Office line-up
Microsoft’s perpetual Office family runs from Home (four apps, no Outlook) through Home & Business (five apps) to Professional Plus (six apps with Access) and the volume LTSC editions. Each step up adds applications rather than changing the ones below it, so a Professional Plus user has everything a Home & Business user has, plus Access, and activates with a key rather than an account. For most buyers who intend to install Office on a single Windows PC, Professional Plus is the edition that costs least per application and asks the fewest questions at installation, which is why it has become the default recommendation on our store and the licence this guide is about.
Frequently asked questions
What apps are in Office 2024 Professional Plus?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and Access for Windows. Publisher is not included in any 2024 edition, and Teams is a Microsoft 365 product.
Is Office 2024 Professional Plus a lifetime licence?
Yes. It is a one-time purchase with no renewal. Microsoft provides security updates until 9 October 2029, and the apps continue to work after that.
Does Office 2024 Professional Plus work on Mac?
No. It is Windows-only. Mac users should choose Office 2024 Home & Business for PC or Mac or Office 2021 Home & Business for Mac.
How many computers can I install it on?
The 1-PC licence covers one computer. Buy one key per PC, or use a 5-PC listing for a small office.
Do I need a Microsoft account?
No. Activation is by product key in File, Account. A Microsoft account is optional for OneDrive and settings sync.
Why is it cheaper than Office Home & Business at Microsoft?
Professional Plus is licensed through organisational channels rather than retail boxes. Resellers source those licences and sell them individually at lower prices. The product and activation are the same Microsoft software and servers.