I use Office apps like Word, Editor, and OneNote daily for work. While a standalone Office 2021 or the upcoming Office 2024 license might seem like a better option, I prefer a Microsoft 365 subscription for its added benefits. Here are five reasons why I think an Office 365 subscription justifies the price.
Access to full Microsoft Office apps on desktop and mobile
A Microsoft 365 subscription provides full, offline, and online access to its new Office apps, including Word, OneNote, Editor, Excel, and more, on desktop and mobile. Although you can use the limited free version online and on mobile devices, I prefer the performance of the desktop apps, offline access, OneDrive cloud integration, and guaranteed security updates and enhancements.
While the standalone Office apps are limited to one device per license, Microsoft 365 offers multi-device support, allowing you to install Office apps on up to five devices with the Individual plan. If you opt for the Family plan, you can share the account with up to six members, each with five device support and 1TB of storage. Additionally, apps like Editor, Publisher, and Access are now part of Microsoft 365.
1TB OneDrive storage and stronger security
An important factor that influenced my decision to choose Microsoft 365 over the standalone Office 2021 apps was the need for more OneDrive storage. By default, free OneDrive accounts offer a meager 5GB of storage to be shared across Outlook, Windows Backup, and OneDrive. Once the drive is full, one has to frequently free up OneDrive storage space even to receive Outlook emails with attachments.
With Microsoft 365, the Personal plan includes 1TB of storage – enough for all backups, Outlook emails, and Microsoft Teams attachments. For an additional cost, you can add up to 1TB of additional storage to increase your total storage to 2TB.
On the security front, Microsoft 365 for OneDrive supports ransomware protection and notifies the user when an attack is detected. It also guides you through the recovery process to restore your files. However, without a subscription, you only get a free notification and recovery.
Apart from that, it also offers unlimited access to Personal Vault, otherwise limited to three documents in the free plan. Personal Vault is a protected vault (folder) where you can store your documents, such as your passport copy, driving license, birth certificate, tax records, automotive insurance, work ID, and other valuable digital assets protected with encryption, even on a local drive.
Microsoft Defender
A lesser-known, but useful app in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem is Microsoft Defender. It is a standalone security app that offers a different set of functionalities depending on the platform and region. However, it is important to note that Microsoft Defender should not be confused with the built-in Windows Security app on Windows computers.
For Android, it works as an antivirus solution with scanning and threat detection. In contrast, on Mac and iOS devices, it works as an extension of your existing antivirus software, providing protection against phishing from websites and emails, and insecure network connections. On Windows computers, it complements the built-in Windows security or any third-party antivirus software you may have installed.