If your subscription is current, you get the latest versions, with security releases monthly and feature updates every six months, on the same calendar as Windows 10. Second, it combines a suite of online services, including business-class email, cloud file storage, and secure communication tools along with the traditional desktop apps.Īlso: Microsoft 365 Family and Personal subscriptions now available for purchaseīecause it's a subscription offering, those desktop programs are updated automatically when a new version is available. Microsoft 365 (previously known as Office 365), which has been available since 2011, differs from that old-fashioned bundle in two respects: First, it's sold as a subscription (billed monthly or yearly), rather than as a perpetual license with a fixed one-time payment. Here are ZDNet's current top picks for a variety of use cases.Īs a product line, Microsoft Office dates back nearly three decades, with early versions essentially combining Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a discounted bundle. The best Windows 10 laptops: Top notebooks, 2-in-1s, and ultraportables
