Here’s what Microsoft has confirmed for the new version of Office. Strictly speaking two new Microsoft Office, a consumer version Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024.
The next single payment “perpetual licence” version of Office will be Office 2024 (for consumers) or the very similar Office LTSC 2024 (for volume licences). LTSC = Long-Term Servicing Channel.
This news doesn’t matter to anyone using Microsoft 365 (the ‘subscription’ or annual payment version) which has a lot more features and options than the fixed payment versions of Office.
Bookmark our ongoing page All about Office 2024 for Windows and Mac (so far) which has the latest info and educated guesses about the new Office.
What’s in Office LTSC 2024?
All the usual Microsoft apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Also Access for Windows only.
Office LTSC 2024 will also have versions of Visio and Project.
There will be releases for both Windows (32 and 64-bit) and Mac.
- Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 are supported except on ARM devices which require Win11.
- Microsoft only says that there’ll be a Mac version but it’s likely to include Intel based Macs as well as the newer M1/2/3 Macs.
OneNote is included but it’s the same app for everyone. Teams app is downloaded separately.
Like Office 2021, each purchase of Office 2024 is for ONE computer only, transferable.
No Publisher
Office 2024/LTSC will NOT include Microsoft Publisher that’s already been marked for a slow death, Microsoft Publisher is ending – what you need to know
What’s New?
No specifics have been announced except to say:
- Outlook: new meeting creation options and search enhancements
- Excel: Dynamic Arrays and Charts
- and Microsoft standard promise of better performance, security, and accessibility.
In general, Office LTSC/2024 does not have any cloud-based features that are in Microsoft 365 apps and that includes anything Copilot related.
Limited Support
Just like Office 2021 and Office 2019, Office 2024 will have only FIVE years of support not the supposedly ‘fixed’ ten years.
Price
Office LTSC 2024 for license customers will have to pay 10% more for the new versions: Office LTSC Professional Plus, Office LTSC Standard and Office LTSC Embedded. Microsoft’s excuse if that it’s a “specialty product” for “exceptional circumstances”.
Office 2024 for consumers will stay at the SAME prices as Office 2021.
When?
Microsoft just says “later this year” but there will be a commercial preview of Office LTSC 2024 in April 2024.
The future …
Microsoft has said they are committed to a future release of perpetual licence Office beyond the upcoming Office LTSC 2024.
