This article explains how to download, install & activate Office 2021 on your computer.
Microsoft released a new and upgraded version of the Office software suite, called Office 2021, on October 5, 2021. It is the most current version of Office Suite, now available for a one-time purchase to consumers in various market segments.
It may be difficult for some people to download, install and activate Microsoft Office 2021 as there are multiple options and methods.
Tip: This guide helps you download and install Office Home & Student 2021, Office Home & Business 2021, Office Professional 2021, and Office 2021 Pro Plus.
Before downloading and installing Office 2021, let’s look at the advantages of having Office 2021 and why you should choose it instead of Microsoft 365.
Why Choose Microsoft Office 2021
1. Purchasing Microsoft Office 2021 grants you access to classic Office apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and so on for PC and Mac.
Note: Publisher and Access is only available for PCs.
2. This suite of productivity tools is a one-time purchase, so you only need to pay once to get a product key. Microsoft 365 is a subscription service, and you’ve to renew it every month/year (depending upon the type of subscription).
3. Microsoft Office allows you to be creative with various tools while keeping your work organized. Office 2021 also allows you to share your work with friends and coworkers, collaborate on projects with your team in real time, and become more productive.
4. If you don’t have consistent access to the cloud or your computer is frequently offline for whatever reason. Perhaps you live on a remote mountaintop — Office 2021 is the software you need. Microsoft 365 is available as an app you can download to your computer, phone, or tablet. But those apps require near-constant access to the internet, more importantly, if you use OneDrive and store all of your files in the cloud.
List of Microsoft Office 2021 Editions
Microsoft Office 2021 is available in these editions:
- Office Home & Student 2021
- Office Home & Business 2021
- Office Professional 2021
- Office Pro Plus 2021
Each of these editions provides a unique set of tools, and you can choose the one that best suits your job. Office 2021 editions are available for both Windows PC and Mac.
System Requirements for Microsoft Office 2021
To install Microsoft Office 2021 on your PC or Mac, ensure you have the following minimum system requirements.
| Office 2021 System Requirements | Windows PC | Mac |
| Processor | Minimum 1.1 GHz or faster 2-core processor | Intel or M1 Chip |
| Memory | Minimum 4 GB (64bit), 2 GB (32bit) RAM | Minimum 4 GB RAM |
| Hard disk | Minimum 4 GB of available disk space | Minimum 10 GB of available disk space |
| Display | 1280 x 768 (64-bit Office 2021 required for 4K) | 1280 x 800 |
| Graphics | DirectX 9 with WDDM 2.0 for Windows 10 and Windows 11 | NA |
| Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11 | Compatible with the three most recent macOS versions. |
| .NET version | .NET 3.5 or 4.6 or higher. | NA |
Cost of Microsoft Office 2021?
The cost of Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021 is $439.99, while Office Home & Student 2021 is $149.99 and Office Home & Business 2021 is $249.99
To purchase Office 2021, go to the Office 2021 Pricing page and select the version you want to buy.
Sign in to Download and Install Office 2021
If this is a new purchase, you first redeem your product key and add it to the Microsoft account. Here’s how.
- Open your favorite browser, and go to the web address www.setup.office.com.
- Select Sign in or create a new ms account.
- After signing in, enter your Office 2021 product key and follow the steps below to download, install, and activate Microsoft Office 2021.
Note: If you’ve already redeemed your product key, proceed with the steps below, or you can directly download Office 2021 iso file.
How to download Office 2021
You can download Office 2021 iso or download it from your Microsoft account. Follow the steps below to download Microsoft Office 2021 from your MS account.
1. On your browser, type www.office.com and click the Sign In or Create a new account button.
Note: If you want to sign up for a new Microsoft account, then use that to sign in, or else use an existing MS account.
2. Enter your Microsoft account email and password to sign in.
Tip: This can be a Microsoft or a work or school account.
3. After signing in, click Install Office from the Office homepage.
4. On the next page, a Download and Install Office window will pop up, and choose the language and version for your Office 2021.
5. Then click Install.
6. It downloads the Office Setup on your computer. To finish the installation, follow the instructions in the “Install Office” section below.
How to install Office 2021
- Double-click and run the OfficeSetup.exe installer file to install Office.
- The Office installation will now begin.
- Wait for the system to install Office. Installation can take around 20-30 minutes, depending on your internet speed.
- Once your Office is installed, click the Close button.
You successfully installed Microsoft Office 2021 on your computer. However, it has not been activated, which is required if you want to use the Office apps.
How to Activate Office 2021
To activate Microsoft Office 2021, do the following.
1. Double-click on the Office app (Word or Excel) to open it.
2. A welcome screen will appear, accept the license terms, and click Get Started.
3. On the Sign in to set up Office window, click the Sign in button.
4. Now, enter your Microsoft account email and password that you have used before and sign in to Office.
5. Once signed in, wait for the system to detect your subscription and activate Office 2021.
Note: If you have multiple Office subscriptions associated with your Microsoft account, select Office 2021 from the list to activate it.
6. Once activated, close the Office app.
You successfully activated Microsoft Office 2021 on your computer. You can now start using Office apps.
Tip: Following the above steps will also help you activate Microsoft Office 2021 without the product key.
Tip: To confirm Office product information, go to the File tab and click on Account on any Office app. You will see Product Activated along with its name and edition.
Conclusion
Office 2021 is the most current version of the Office software suite, and getting started with it can be challenging. Therefore, we wrote this article for our readers to show them how to download, install, and activate Microsoft Office 2021 the easy way with pictures.
If you are new to Office products, check Microsoft’s Quick Start guides for quick training.