If you are running an older version of Microsoft Office, it is worth knowing where it sits in Microsoft's support timetable. Two dates matter right now, and one of them is close.
The dates
| Version | Support status |
|---|---|
| Office 2016 | Ended 14 October 2025 |
| Office 2019 | Ended 14 October 2025 |
| Office 2021 and Office LTSC 2021 | Ends 13 October 2026 |
| Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 | Still supported |
| Microsoft 365 | Continuously updated |
What end of support actually means
This is where people panic unnecessarily. End of support does not mean the software stops working. Your copy of Office 2019 will keep opening on 15 October 2026 exactly as it did the day before.
What stops is this:
- Security updates. No more patches for newly discovered vulnerabilities. This is the one that matters.
- Bug fixes. Whatever is broken stays broken.
- Technical support. Microsoft will not help you with it.
Office documents are a well-known route into a computer. An unpatched Office suite is a standing risk that grows quietly over time. For a home machine used for schoolwork, that risk is modest. For a machine handling client files, invoices or anything regulated, it is not.
How to check what you have
Open any Office app, go to File, then Account. The version is listed under Product Information. If it says Microsoft 365, you are on the subscription and this does not apply to you.
What to do about it
Three honest options.
Do nothing. Legitimate if the machine is offline, or used for nothing sensitive, and you accept the risk. Plenty of people run old Office for years without incident.
Move to a supported perpetual version. Office 2024 is a once-off purchase with no subscription, and it is in support. This suits people who resent recurring bills and do not need the cloud features.
Move to Microsoft 365. Always current, several devices, cloud storage included, but you pay every year and it stops working if you stop paying.
A note on Office 2021 specifically
Office 2021 has until 13 October 2026. If you are buying today, that is a short runway for a perpetual licence, and it is worth weighing against Office 2024, which has years left. If you are buying Office 2021 anyway because the price is right and the runway suits you, that is a reasonable call. Just make it deliberately rather than by accident.
Source: Microsoft Lifecycle.
We stock Microsoft Office and Windows licences including Office 2024. If you are not sure which version suits you, ask us before you buy rather than after.