The Long Term Service Channel (LTSC) version of Microsoft Office 2024 is being joined by a version aimed at consumers and small businesses that want to avoid paying subscription fees.
Microsoft strongly prefers that users opt for Microsoft 365, yet it is also aware that a sizeable proportion would rather choose what is effectively a locked-in-time standalone version of the suite.
Office LTSC 2024 is for commercial users, while Office 2024 targets consumers and small businesses – those with fewer than five users – according to Microsoft.
There are two editions: Office 2024 Home, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, and Office 2024 Home & Business, which adds Outlook and the right to use the applications for commercial purposes. It also carries a $100 premium compared to the $149.99 Home edition.
There is, however, no escape from a connection to Microsoft's servers for Office 2024 users. While Office LTSC 2024 can run completely disconnected – a requirement for many commercial users – Office 2024 requires both a Microsoft account and an internet connection.
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The suite will likely use that internet connection for the initial activation of the software and security updates.
Not all of Office LTSC 2024 is present – Visio and Project remain absent – yet there are many useful enhancements. Excel features improved performance along with new text and array functions. PowerPoint has several new features, including the cameo function to drop a live camera feed onto a slide. Word sessions can be more easily recovered, useful in case Microsoft software crashes during a session.
Overall, the old warhorse has got a new lick of paint. It is, after all, a locked-in-time snapshot of roughly where Microsoft 365 got to since the release of Office 2021 if a user were to ignore the features that require connectivity. As Microsoft notes, Microsoft 365 "already has all the features included in Office 2024 or Office LTSC 2024, along with many more features that aren't included in Office 2024 or Office LTSC 2024."
Although the exact content of the suites might differ, the retirement date for Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 is the same – October 9, 2029. ®