Both give you Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. The difference is how they are licensed, how they are updated and what comes with them.
Side by side
| Office LTSC 2024 | Microsoft 365 Business Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | Once | Per user, each year |
| Licensed to | One device | One user, on up to 5 PCs or Macs |
| Feature updates | None | Continuous |
| Security updates | Five years | For as long as you subscribe |
| Email, Teams, OneDrive storage | Not included | Included |
| Works fully offline | Yes | Needs to connect at least every 30 days |
When LTSC is the right choice
- Devices that are never connected to the internet.
- Regulated or specialist machines that must not change between validations.
- Shared devices where no individual user is the natural licence holder.
When Microsoft 365 is the right choice
- People who use more than one device, since one licence covers them all.
- Organisations that also need email, Teams or cloud storage.
- Anyone who wants new features such as Copilot, which is not available in LTSC.
What about cost?
LTSC looks cheaper over five years if you compare it with a subscription on one device. Once a person has a laptop and a desktop, or once you add the cost of separate email and storage, the subscription is usually the lower total.
Standard or Professional Plus?
Office LTSC Standard 2024 covers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote on Windows or Mac. Professional Plus adds Access and is for Windows only.
See the products: Office LTSC Standard 2024, Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024, Microsoft 365 Business Standard.