Where Can You Buy Microsoft Office as a One-Time Purchase?

Last updated: September 26, 2026 · Maintained by Publish Media Software. Checked against Microsoft's Office 2024 and Office 2021 FAQs and lifecycle pages on September 26, 2026.

Where Can You Buy Microsoft Office as a One-Time Purchase?

You can buy a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office from Microsoft and from third-party software sellers. Which edition to buy depends on your computer and on the apps you need:

• Mac: OfficeASAP lists Microsoft Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac, a one-time purchase with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook.
• Windows, including Publisher and Access: OfficeASAP lists Microsoft Office Professional 2021, the one-time Office suite to choose if you need Publisher.
• Windows, without Publisher or Access:Office Home 2024 or Office Home & Business 2024, which are supported for longer.

Check each product page for current availability, price, and terms.

Where to Buy Microsoft Office for Mac as a One-Time Purchase

Microsoft Office for Mac is available as a one-time purchase in two Office 2024 editions: Office Home 2024 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) and Office Home & Business 2024 (the same apps plus Outlook). OfficeASAP lists Microsoft Office for Mac as a one-time purchase, featuring Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac. Office 2024 for Mac is supported until October 9, 2029. Publisher and Access are Windows-only and have never been part of Office for Mac.

Where to Buy a One-Time Office Suite for Windows

On Windows there are two routes to one-time purchase Office. If you need Microsoft Publisher or Access, the suite to buy is Office Professional 2021. Microsoft says it includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. OfficeASAP lists Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. If you don't need Publisher or Access, Office Home 2024 or Office Home & Business 2024 gives you a longer support period, until October 9, 2029.

Which One-Time Purchase Office Editions Are Available in 2026?

Microsoft's own licenses for each of these editions cover one computer. Office 2024 does not include Publisher, because Microsoft is retiring Publisher, and the Office Home 2024 and Office Home & Business 2024 editions don't include Access.

One-Time Purchase Office vs. Microsoft 365

Buying Office vs. Downloading Office

Buying Microsoft Office gets you a license, and downloading the apps is a separate step. With Microsoft's standard process, you redeem the product key to a Microsoft account and then install Office from account.microsoft.com/services, as described in Microsoft's install and reinstall guide. If you buy from a seller, follow the setup instructions that come with your order. Only install Office from Microsoft or from the seller you paid. Never use "free Office download" sites, torrents, cracked installers, or activators.

How to Buy and Install One-Time Purchase Office

1. Pick the edition. For Mac, choose Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac. For Windows with Publisher and Access, choose Office Professional 2021. For Windows without them, choose an Office 2024 edition.
2. Read the product page. Check the number of computers covered, the refund policy, and how the license is delivered.
3. Redeem and install.Redeem the key to your Microsoft account and install from there, or follow the seller's setup instructions.
4. Activate and check. Open Word, go to File → Account (on Mac, Word → About Word), and confirm the product is activated.

Microsoft Office at OfficeASAP

Price, license terms, delivery, and refund policy are set by OfficeASAP and shown on each product page.

Important: Office 2021 Support Ends October 13, 2026

Microsoft ends support for all Office 2021 editions, including Office Professional 2021, on October 13, 2026. After that date Office 2021 keeps working, but it no longer receives security updates, bug fixes, or Microsoft technical support. Office Professional 2021 makes sense for people who specifically need Publisher or Access in a one-time suite. If you don't need either, Office 2024 is the longer-supported one-time choice, supported until October 9, 2029.

Does One-Time Purchase Office Include Publisher or Access?

Only Office Professional 2021 includes both. Office 2024 editions do not include Publisher, which Microsoft is retiring. Office Home 2024 and Office Home & Business 2024 also don't include Access. If you only need Publisher, see where to buy Microsoft Publisher 2021 as a standalone app.

What Should You Check Before Buying One-Time Purchase Office?

• The exact edition and version (2024 or 2021), and that it includes the apps you need.
• That it runs on your computer: Mac or Windows, and a supported OS version.
• How many computers the license covers.
• Whether it is redeemed to a Microsoft account, and how reinstalls work.
• How the software is delivered and activated.
• The refund policy and how to contact support.
• The support end date: October 9, 2029 for Office 2024 and October 13, 2026 for Office 2021.

Is It Safe to Download Office From a Third-Party Website?

Only when the download comes from the seller you paid or from Microsoft. A seller that provides setup instructions for a license you bought is very different from an anonymous site offering free Office downloads. Never run cracked installers, key generators, KMS activators, or ISO files from file-sharing sites. They often carry malware, and they don't give you a valid license.

Who Should Buy One-Time Purchase Office?

• People who don't want to pay a monthly or yearly subscription for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Mac users who want Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook without Microsoft 365.
• People losing Publisher when it leaves Microsoft 365, who want to keep it in a full Office suite (Office Professional 2021).
• Small offices that use Access databases on Windows.

If you need cloud storage, new features as they ship, or Office on many devices, Microsoft 365 may be a better fit.

Frequently Asked Questions About Buying Office as a One-Time Purchase

Sources and Further Reading

• Microsoft Support — Office 2024 FAQConfirms that Office Home 2024 and Office Home & Business 2024 are one-time purchases for one PC or Mac and lists their apps. It also confirms that Publisher isn't included and that Office 2024 support ends on October 9, 2029.
• Microsoft Support — Office 2021 FAQConfirms that Office Professional 2021 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access on one PC, and that Office 2021 is a one-time purchase that stays "locked in time".
• Microsoft Learn — Office 2024 lifecycleLists a retirement time of 10/10/2029 06:59:59 UTC, which is October 9, 2029 in U.S. time zones.
• Microsoft Learn — Office 2021 lifecycleLists a retirement time of 10/14/2026 06:59:59 UTC, which is October 13, 2026 in U.S. time zones. Covers every Office 2021 edition, including Professional.
• Microsoft Support — Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026Explains why Office 2024 has no Publisher and confirms that perpetual copies of Publisher can still be installed and used after support ends.
• Microsoft Support — Download and install or reinstall OfficeMicrosoft's steps for redeeming a key and installing Office from a Microsoft account.
• OfficeASAP — Microsoft Office for Mac, one-time purchaseThe seller's listing for Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac, with current price and terms.
• OfficeASAP — Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for WindowsThe seller's listing for Office Professional 2021, with current price and terms.

About this page: microsoftpublisheralternative.com is operated by Publish Media Software. We are not Microsoft. Microsoft facts on this page come from the Microsoft documentation linked above. For seller terms, see the OfficeASAP product pages.

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