Microsoft released Office 365 in 2011, intended as a replacement for the Business Productivity Online Suite. Office 365 is definitely a great upgrade, but some people do still prefer making a one-time purchase. Office 2019 was made available in late 2018, and for home users it’s comparable to Office 365. For businesses, it’s a different story. So, how do Office 365 and Office 2019 differ, and which is the best choice for your business?
What do You Get with Office 365 and 2019?
Office 365 and Office 2019 both provide the same basic range of features that all office versions come with, including:
- Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Support for Windows 10 and macOS
- Security updates
- Free mobile versions of core apps
With Office 2019, you get the basic features—word processing and spreadsheets, email and slideshow presentations. You get security updates for the life of the product, too. But that’s about it. There are many more features with Office 365 that aren’t available with Office 2019. For most home users those differences aren’t a big deal. For businesses and non-profits, however, the extra features you get with Office 365 are highly useful. If you’re thinking about upgrading from an older version of Office, it’s definitely worthwhile considering Office 365 over Office 2019.
What are the Major Differences between Office 365 and 2019?
For businesses, there are many reasons to choose Office 365 over 2019. For instance, the subscription model offers unlimited updates, cloud storage, and extra features in both mobile and desktop versions of core apps. And Office 365 users also get access to some additional apps and tools that are particularly useful for businesses.
Purchase versus subscription model
Features aside, the big difference between Office 365 and Office 2019 is how you pay for it. With Office 2019, it’s a standard one-time purchase for each PC or Mac. This may work out to be cost-effective if you continue using the 2019 version for several years, but there are no upgrade options. If you want to upgrade to the next Office release, you have to make a new purchase.
With Office 365, you pay a monthly or annual subscription, which entitles you to all future upgrades for as long as you continue paying the sub. Users always have the most up-to-date version of Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, plus all security updates, the newest features and tools, and bug fixes. Whenever Microsoft releases an upgrade or update, Office 365 users have immediate access to it.
Online storage
Taking advantage of cloud storage has some great benefits, and by using Office 365, you have access to secure cloud storage. Anything stored in the cloud can be accessed from anywhere you can access the internet, and each Office 365 user has a full terabyte of cloud storage.
Office 365 offers extra features for mobile apps
Office 365 and Office 2019 users can both install versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on mobile devices. However, the subscription versions of these mobile apps offer some useful extra features that bring them closer to the full versions.
Office 365 offers extended technical support
Another particularly important consideration for businesses is that tech support for Office 2019 is extremely limited. For Office 2019 users, tech support is available only for issues relating to software installation. Anything else isn’t covered.
If your business uses Office 365, your tech support is much more extensive. With a subscription you have access to free support for both technical issues, and for any problems you have with your subscription or billing.
Other extra features with Office 365
Office 365 doesn’t only have better tech support, and better versions of its mobile apps. It also offers some additional features that you don’t get at all with Office 2019. These include:
- Access (PC only): An app with templates and other tools to help users build databases for better data organisation.
- Publisher (PC only): A desktop publishing app for creating professional publications. Provides templates for a wide range of items, including cards, labels, catalogues, email newsletters, and more.
- OneNote: Office 365 business users have access to extra features in the OneNote note-taking app.
Office 365 Business users also have the option to upgrade to Office 365 Business Premium, which offers even more features, including collaboration and productivity tools such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Exchange.
Office 365 Makes a Big Difference for Businesses
With Office 365, Microsoft has produced a productivity suite that emphasises online productivity as well as more traditional modes of work. With upgraded mobile apps, cloud storage, and other features, it’s a great choice for any organisation that uses or plans to transition to cloud-based operations. And even if that’s not in your organisation’s immediate future, Office 365 still has plenty of advantages that make it the best choice for business.
If you do opt for Office 365, contact ACUTEC today to discuss implementing it in your business.
