Office 2021 has arrived, complete with new features and enhancements. Microsoft has been working on this for nearly 18 months, and it appears that its efforts are ready to bear fruit. Microsoft is looking to the future, from AI integrations to neural text-to-speech, and we’re delighted to walk you through what you can look forward to in the new Microsoft Office 2021.

New co-authoring features, inking tools, data types, functions, translation and editing tools, motion graphics, ease-of-use features, and more are all included in Office 2021. The latest version of Microsoft’s legendary office software(opens in a new tab), Office 2021, is now available.

We would never see another classic Office version when Microsoft went all-in on its Microsoft 365(opens in new tab) subscription bundle. However, Microsoft has recently announced that for a one-time price, customers will be able to access the most recent versions of Word(opens in new tab), Excel(opens in new tab), PowerPoint(opens in new tab), and other programs.

What can you expect from the Office 2021 suite?

For decades, Microsoft Office has been the gold standard for businesses; now, Office 2021 will include new capabilities tailored to corporate users.

Let’s get started!

When did it release?

On October 5, 2021, Microsoft Office 2021 was released.

The updated suite will be available on October 5, according to Microsoft.

All versions, including the new Office LTSC, were likely accessible simultaneously on launch day.

Whether you are focusing on a new suite for your schoolwork or require anything for business-related duties, it is helpful.

UI change?

Yes, Microsoft Office 2021 includes a new user interface that has been redesigned to match your demands, with new colors, themes, Dark Mode, and more. You’ll enjoy it.

There are no more subscriptions.

While Microsoft’s priority is Microsoft 365 and Windows 365, which are popular with customers, Office 2021 offers some alternatives for individuals who don’t want to commit or can’t pay membership prices.

Each software release is designed to be a one-time purchase, meaning you retain your software indefinitely with no updates. Microsoft intends to stick to its commitment and will not increase the price of Microsoft Office.

Dark mode support

Microsoft has recognized dark mode in Office, and you can expect extensive support. Microsoft included this functionality to make their apps more accessible while giving them a pleasing aesthetic aspect that will make you feel more productive while using them!

Some of Word’s new Dark mode capabilities were already visible in Mac’s initial public peek of Office 2021. We hope this applies to other Office suite products like PowerPoint and Excel on Windows.

Focus Mode is another useful option that allows users to concentrate better while working by automatically minimizing distractions. It, together with the new Dark Mode, will boost productivity!

Excel has some new features.

The new Excel features for Office 2021 are sure to be amazing! As you can see from the public preview, a few additional functions can help you sort your data more efficiently, as well as more support for Dynamic Arrays.

It suggests that more great stuff may be coming out soon, possibly for Windows. Excel for macOS also has some significant enhancements right away: it’s now a lot faster than before, and there are already hints of an interface revamp. We’re looking forward to seeing where this leads the forthcoming suite.

Voices for neural text-to-speech

Text-to-speech has made it easier for millions of people to read and understand papers. With the integration of new neural text-to-speech engines in all Office 2021 apps, Microsoft sets to take voice technology to the next level.

The new neural voices in all Office 2021 apps seem more natural than before, making it easier for end-users who are blind or have other accessibility needs to read documents.

We anticipate a variety of male and female voices, as well as various dialects so that everyone can find their perfect match.

What exactly is it?

Office 2021 is the most recent version of Microsoft’s well-known office suite for PC and Mac. It contains classics like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook(opens in new tab), as well as more recent additions like Teams (opens in new tab).

Despite increased competition from Google Workspace(opens in new tab), Microsoft Office is still widely regarded as the most powerful suite of productivity tools(opens in new tab).

The new bundle is now available for purchase.

Availability and pricing

The two editions of Microsoft Office 2021 are Office Home and Student 2021 and Office Home and Business 2021.

The former is the less expensive of the two, coming with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote(opens in a new tab), and Microsoft Teams for both PC and Mac for $149.99/£119.99.

The cost of Office Home and Business 2021 is $249.99/£249.99. Apart from the price, the only difference between this subscription and the cheaper version is the addition of the Outlook email service and the legal rights to use the apps commercially.

Both versions of the suite must be purchased separately for each device.

Features

Support for the OpenDocument format (ODF) 1.3, new Excel capabilities, a new presentation recording feature for PowerPoint, and enhanced translation functionality for Outlook are just a few of the highlights.

Users will also notice a new intelligent search box at the top of all Office programs, which focuses on making it easier to find documents, instructions, and specific sections of text.

Finally, all programs have received a visual upgrade to synchronize the user interface with Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest operating system. The package includes rounded corners, a new color palette, and an improved ribbon interface.

What’s the difference between Office 2021 and Microsoft 365?

The most significant distinction between Office 2021 and Microsoft 365 is how clients pay for services.

Microsoft 365 is based on the software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model, consumers pay a monthly subscription fee for access to Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Customers that purchase Office 2021 pay a one-time cost in exchange for a lifetime license.

Office 2021 has the potential to be less expensive in the long run, and the apps still have the same types of online collaboration features as Microsoft 365.

The disadvantage of opting for Office 2021 over Microsoft 365 is that the feature set will only be current for a short period (i.e., until the next edition is launched), whereas Microsoft 365 subscribers would always have access to the most recent upgrades and features.

Final Thoughts

We’re thrilled to be able to provide you with this information, and we hope it answers some of your questions. And if there are any topics in particular that you are interested in, please let us know via our FastSoftwares help center.