What is Better Office 365 or Office 2016

Are you looking to purchase Microsoft Office for your personal, home or business use? We want to walk you along the whole process, to ensure that you make the best decision. When it comes to Microsoft Office products, you have got plenty of options. But understanding the difference between the available options is key to getting the best solution for your needs.

One of the most important questions users are faced with is understanding the difference between Office 365 and Office 2016, and ultimately making a choice on which is the better solution between the two.

Tackling this question will not have a straight answer. So it is better we first understand what’s the difference and similarities the two posses.

Office 2016 Vs Office 365

Office 2016 is a version of Office’s productivity apps and tools that include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher among others. They are typically accessed through the desktop. On the other hand, Office 365 is a cloud-based subscription that includes a suite of programs as well as Office 2016.

From what we can draw straight away, it means purchasing Office 2016 lets you have fewer options. With Office 365 subscription, you will get Office 2016 as well.

Microsoft Office 2016 Standalone

For businesses, there are two standalone versions available on Office 2016. These are Office Home & Business 2016 and Office professional 2016. Office Home & Business 2016 includes Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Outlook apps.

Office Professional 2016 includes everything in Home and Business, as well as Publisher and Access. Please note that it is not compatible with Mac. The standalone version lets users save their files to the cloud. It also makes collaboration easier among teams not working on the same physical location.

Microsoft Office 2016 as part of Office 365

If you purchase Office 2016 as part of the Office 365 plan, you will have many more options and additional features. With Office 365 plan, you will get;

The online version of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
1TB of file storage and sharing per user on OneDrive
You will have away presentation creator from PowerPoint
You will have a 99 percent uptime guarantee
A world-class data security
An active directory integration to make user permissions.

There are additional features that you can get with Office 365 subscription as well. These include;

A full desktop version of Office, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, and Publisher. This is available on up to 5 computers per user.
Office on tablet or mobile is compatible with most tablets and phones, regardless of the operating system in use.
You can also get Outlook with 50GB of inbox space per user.
You can also get SharePoint – customizable intranet.
You can also get Skype for Business instant messenger, which can also be used as your phone system.

Which is the right version for you?

1. Accessibility

When deciding on the right version for you, there are a couple of things to consider. First, decide on the desired programs and features. Take a look at the programs and features that are ideal for you. Do you just need basic Office programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. If that is the case, a standalone version of Office 2016 could be the most suitable for you.

However, if you need more features and accessibility, Office 365 would be the most ideal option for you. If you need to access information on multiple devices, Office 365 is the most ideal way to go by.

2. Movement between plans

Additionally, besides accessibility, consider movement between plans. Office 2016 is a standalone software and in case you need to add new features or an upgrade, you will need to purchase new licenses for all users. With Office 365, users will be able to switch between plans seamlessly. Lastly, consider pricing. Do you want to purchase with a onetime fee, or you are willing to pay recurring subscriptions?

Our Verdict.

From the above deliberations, based on pricing, accessibility, security, feature updates, number of users and machines in which the office application can be installed, it is evident that Office 365 is a clear winner.

Go ahead and get yours today! You can check our guide on Office 2019 vs Office 365 here.