Last chance to get Microsoft Office for a one-off $109 in Cyber Monday sales and defy subscription tyranny

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By Jennifer Young
last updated

Microsoft Office Home & Student flies in the face of the Office 365 subscription and gives you lifetime access to the best of Microsoft's productivity apps for a one-off payment, and it's on sale for Cyber Monday.

If you're looking for the best Microsoft apps like Word, Excel and Powerpoint, you've probably already groaned out loud when looking at the license prices. They're not cheap, but they're essential for work and school. That being said, you don't have to add yet another notch to your subscription belt and hand over the keys to your wallet to Microsoft on a regular basis. You can simply purchase Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 for a one-off payment of $109.99 at Best Buy right now. Saving you a cool $40.

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 | was $149.99 now $109.99 at Best Buy

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021 | was $149.99 now $109.99 at Best Buy

Get the most essential of all of the Microsoft Office apps in one package, and own it for life for a one-off payment. This will get you Word, Excel and PowerPoint for 1 user and device. 

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✅Perfect for: Anyone who just wants access to the best Microsoft apps without a monthly or yearly fee, and pay a one-off payment for Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

❌Avoid it if: You need to use over multiple devices or utilize cloud storage, this is a license for one device and one person only. For these features, you'll need an 365 subscription and I have options for that below.

💰Price check: $109.99 at Amazon

👀Which should I buy? Office 2021 vs. Microsoft 365

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What's the difference between Office Home & Student 2021 and Microsoft 365?

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So, you've navigated the labyrinth of Microsoft Office prices and stumbled upon the eternal debate: subscription vs. one-time payment. Allow us to shed some light on this battle for your digital soul.

Microsoft Office 2021 — the OG of productivity. A single purchase grants you perpetual ownership of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Install and update on one computer, but no free rides to the next version. You can't update it later, but this is fine for most users. What Office 2021 doesn't come with, is the cloud- and AI-based features or services like cloud saving and 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage.

That being said, a benefit of Office 2021 is that you can continue to use the apps without an internet connection. Although you can also use the apps with a Microsoft 365 subscription without a connection, you must get online every 31 days to reactivate. 

The Microsoft Home and Student 2021 deal makes sense for home users if you do not mind the upfront cost and want a more traditional experience. It may also be a good choice if you plan to use the apps on one device, don't need additional features, or don't want to have yet another subscription to add to Netflix, Amazon, Adobe, and the like. 

With this option, a singular license guards access for one device running Windows 11, 10, or macOS, though the apps can also find a home on your mobile device with somewhat restricted functionality.

A caveat: Office 2021's compatibility lies solely with Windows 11, 10, or the trio of the latest macOS versions. 

Best Cyber Monday Deals for Microsoft 365 if you need it

Microsoft 365 Personal 12-month Thanks to Target's 10% off gift cards right now, you can grab the Personal 365 12-month subscription for $62.99. Better yet if you're a Target Circle member you can get it as cheap as $49.99. 👀Alternative: $62.99 at Amazon

Microsoft 365 Personal 12-month | was $69.99 now $62.99 at Target

Thanks to Target's 10% off gift cards right now, you can grab the Personal 365 12-month subscription for $62.99. Better yet if you're a Target Circle member you can get it as cheap as $49.99.

👀Alternative: $62.99 at Amazon

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The cheapest for 12 months Right now due to the 10% off Gift Cards for Black Friday on selected items, Target are offering the Family Office 365 subscription for $89.99, and don't forget to use your Red Card if you have one for another 5% off the 12 month subscription. Buy from Target

The cheapest for 12 months

Right now due to the 10% off Gift Cards for Black Friday on selected items, Target are offering the Family Office 365 subscription for $89.99, and don't forget to use your Red Card if you have one for another 5% off the 12 month subscription.

Buy from Target

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Jennifer Young
Jennifer Young

Jen is a News Writer for Windows Central, focused on all things gaming and Microsoft. Anything slaying monsters with magical weapons will get a thumbs up such as Dark Souls, Dragon Age, Diablo, and Monster Hunter. When not playing games, she'll be watching a horror or trash reality TV show, she hasn't decided which of those categories the Kardashians fit into. You can follow Jen on Twitter @Jenbox360 for more Diablo fangirling and general moaning about British weather.