Microsoft Office 2024 is now available for $149, keeping the non-subscription option alive

In brief: Microsoft really wants Office users to pay for a 365 subscription, but the company still releases new one-time-purchase editions every three years. The latest update offers performance improvements and new functionality for Excel, Outlook, and OneNote. However, previous versions are available at a substantial discount.

The latest major update to the non-subscription version of Microsoft's iconic productivity suite is available starting Tuesday for a $149 one-time purchase. Office Home & Business 2024, which adds Outlook to the package, retails for $249.

Microsoft Office Home 2024 customers receive access to the latest versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. By going without a subscription to Microsoft 365, users miss out on a suite of generative AI features the company recently introduced.

The standalone version of Excel allows users to insert text, arrays, and images more easily. Pictures can be directly pasted into spreadsheets, and the "Image" function ...