Microsoft announced the release of Office 2024, a non-subscription option for users who want to pay once and not be locked into a monthly subscription.

As software developers have moved to the subscription model, many users are increasingly experiencing subscription fatigue. Savvy developers still offer their software for and old-school, standalone license fee. Despite the fact that it is one of the leading cloud and cloud-based software providers, Microsoft is still offering its most popular piece of software as a standalone option.

Catch our chat on Microsoft launching a non-subscription Office 2024!

The company announced the new release in a blog post.

Microsoft 365 is the best way to access the latest versions of the productivity apps that millions of people use every day to bring their ideas to life and power through tasks. But we know some of our customers still prefer a non-subscription way to access our familiar apps, which is why we’re releasing Office 2024 on October 1 for consumers and small businesses. Office 2024 includes updated, locked-in-time versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook1 for PC and Mac. Read on for more details about what’s new in Office 2024.

The company says the new version features a number of performance improvements.

Whether it’s emails, files, people, or events, get better matches for what you’re looking for with new search improvements in Outlook. Experience faster performance when working in Excel, even if you have multiple workbooks open at the same time. Plus, Mac users can now customize swipe left and swipe right gestures in Outlook for Mac with a multi-touch trackpad or magic mouse.

Office 2024 is available in two separate options, depending on what users are looking for.

Office 2024 comes in two editions. Office Home 2024 is $149.99 USD and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for one PC or Mac. Office Home & Business 2024 is $249.99 USD and comes with everything in Office Home 2024 plus Outlook and the rights to use the apps for commercial purposes. You can buy both editions from retailers worldwide and via Microsoft.com starting October 1, 2024.

For businesses with five or more users, Office Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) 2024 gives you the flexibility of deploying alongside Microsoft 365 using a common set of tools that simplify the management of hybrid environments.

The new version is compatible with Windows 10 and 11, as well as the three most recent major releases of macOS.

It’s refreshing to see a company as big as Microsoft continue to offer an application as important as Office as a standalone purchase. Hopefully, more companies take note and offer customers non-subscription licensing options.