As the holiday shopping season approaches, savvy consumers are eyeing the potential savings on Microsoft 365 subscriptions. This annual event, known for its discounts, presents an excellent opportunity for those who rely heavily on cloud storage and productivity tools. Having navigated this landscape before, I can confidently share that waiting for Black Friday to purchase and stack subscription codes can yield significant benefits.
Subscription Options and Benefits
Currently, the standout offer is the Microsoft 365 Family plan, closely followed by the Microsoft 365 Personal option. For those who prefer a one-time payment, Office 2024 is an attractive alternative, providing a perpetual license that allows users to pay once and utilize the software indefinitely.
For maximum value, consider acquiring five subscriptions instead of just one. This strategy enables you to lock in the price for a full five years. Personally, I opted for five separate subscriptions, which secured my access until 2030. It’s essential to remember that these transactions are digital; therefore, safeguarding your activation emails is crucial, and checking your spam folder is advisable.
Below is a comparison of the three versions:
<table tabindex="0" class="tablewrapper tablewrapper–inbodyContent tablewrapper–sticky tablewrapper–divider”>
<thead class="tablehead”>
<tr class="tableheadrow”>
<th class="tableheadheading tableheadheading–left” colspan=”1″>
<th class="tableheadheading tableheadheading–left” colspan=”1″>Microsoft 365 Family
<th class="tableheadheading tableheadheading–left” colspan=”1″>Microsoft 365 Personal
<th class="tableheadheading tableheadheading–left” colspan=”1″>Office Home 2024
<tbody class="tablebody”>
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>US
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>.99
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>.99
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>.99
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>UK
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>£49.00
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>£42.99
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>£135.99
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Duration
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>12 months
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>12 months
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>99 months
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>(UK only)
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Extra 3 months free
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Extra 3 months free
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Max users
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>6
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>1
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>1
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Max devices
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>30
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>5
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>1
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Multiple platforms
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Cloud storage
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>6TB
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>1TB
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Word
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Excel
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>PowerPoint
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Outlook
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Support
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Defender
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Editor
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>ClipChamp
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Microsoft Teams
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>OneNote
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Access
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Microsoft Forms
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Always updated
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>For UK only
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Antivirus
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Identity Monitoring
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>VPN
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
<tr class="tablebodyrow”>
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>Password manager
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>✓
<td class="tablebody_data” colspan=”1″>𐄂
With Microsoft 365, users gain access to an impressive 6TB of cloud storage—1TB per individual—and a comprehensive suite of applications that continues to evolve. This includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Access, Publisher, OneNote, and Outlook, along with additional tools like Editor, Defender, OneDrive, and Clipchamp.
Moreover, the package extends beyond productivity tools. It features McAfee Total Protection, an award-winning security suite valued at £200, which safeguards unlimited devices and includes a password manager, VPN, firewall, file shredder, and robust antivirus protection. However, it’s worth noting that this security coverage lasts for only 60 months, a detail that may concern some users.
While the absence of multi-year subscription options for Microsoft 365 may be a missed opportunity for Microsoft, the current offerings remain compelling for frequent users of Microsoft Office applications. As Black Friday approaches, now is the time to explore the best deals available.
