Microsoft 365 subscriptions (source Microsoft)

Microsoft 365 Personal vs. Microsoft 365 Family features and pricing

Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans include the same apps and services like Office 365, but with more features and additional benefits.

Microsoft 365 is a subscription service offered by Microsoft that provides various productivity and collaboration tools. It’s essentially a cloud-based version of the familiar suite of Office apps but with some additional benefits.

The company offers two subscription plans: Microsoft 365 Personal, for one user, and the Microsoft 365 Family plan, for up to six people. The new plans are designed to replace Office 365 Home and Personal while maintaining the same pricing scheme and enhancing the existing offerings.

The new plans remain available with the same Office apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. However, the Microsoft 365 branding offers additional services, such as Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Family Safety, Microsoft Loop, and Microsoft Teams. In addition, you will receive more features for existing services, such as PowerPoint Designer and Presenter Coach, Microsoft Editor, Outlook Play My Emails, and more.

It’s important to note that Copilot isn’t part of the offering, and you will have to purchase a separate $20 subscription on top of the plan you’re already paying to access the chatbot AI in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Regardless of the plan, you will have access to the versions of the Office apps on up to five devices, access to the latest features and security updates, 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage (per user in the case of the Family tier), and technical support.

The Microsoft 365 Personal plan costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, and the Microsoft 365 Family plan costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.

Microsoft 365 subscription plans comparison

This table lists the features and pricing of the Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Family plans.

Microsoft Account (Free)Microsoft 365 PersonalMicrosoft 365 Family
OfficeOffice appsWeb apps
Mobile apps iOS & Android
Web apps
Mobile apps iOS & Android
Desktop apps Windows 11, 10, macOS
Web apps
Mobile apps iOS & Android
Windows 11, 10, macOS
Real-time co-editingYesYesYes
Preserve formatting across web, mobile and desktop appsYesYesYes
Microsoft EditorSpelling and grammarSpelling and grammar
Advanced grammar and style
Spelling and grammar
Advanced grammar and style
PowerPoint DesignerLayout recommendationsLayout recommendations
Advanced layout recommendations with premium content
Layout recommendations
Advanced layout recommendations with premium content
PowerPoint Presenter CoachFilter words and pacingFilter words and pacing
Monotone pitch, originality, and speech refinements
Filter words and pacing
Monotone pitch, originality, and speech refinements
Creative content2000 templates
750 images
25 looping videos
82 fonts
320 icons
2300 templates
8000 images
175 looping videos
300 fonts
2800 icons
2300 templates
8000 images
175 looping videos
300 fonts
2800 icons
OneDriveStorage quota5GB per person1TB per person6TB for 6 people
Deep integration Office and Windows 10YesYesYes
Files on demandYesYesYes
PC folder backupYesYesYes
Personal Vault3 filesUnlimited up to the storage quotaUnlimited up to the storage quota
Ransomware detection and recoveryNAYesYes
Expiring and password-protected sharing linksNAYesYes
OutlookOutlook appsWeb app
Mobile apps iOS & Android
Web app
Mobile apps iOS & Android
Desktop app Windows 11, 10, macOS
Ad-free secure email
Web app
Mobile apps iOS & Android
Desktop app Windows 11, 10, macOS
Ad-free secure email
Play My EmailsYesYesYes
Outlook.com storage15GB50GB50GB
Outlook calendar integrationYesYesYes
Outlook custom email domainNAYesYes
Outlook Advanced securitNAYesYes
SkypeSkype to Skype (50 people)UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Skype call recordingYesYesYes
Skype subtitles and live captionsYesYesYes
Skype guest linksYesYesYes
Skype landline and mobile callingNA60 minutes per month60 minutes per month
ClipchampVideo editingLimitedVideo editor with premium filters and effects, but not fully unlocked.Video editor with premium filters and effects, but not fully unlocked.
Microsoft DefenderUnified dashboard to manage protection for all your devicesNAYesYes
Microsoft LoopOnline hub to organize your documents and collaborate with other peopleLimitedYesYes
Other benefitsSupportAccount and setup supportOngoing technical support Windows 11, 10, appsOngoing technical support Windows 11, 10, apps
Partner benefits programNAYesYes
Usage1 Person1 Person6 People
PriceFree$6.99 per month$9.99 per month

Microsoft 365 vs. Office 2021

Microsoft 365 offers a subscription model with constant updates, cloud storage, collaboration tools, and multi-device access. Office 2021 provides a one-time purchase option but lacks some of the features like real-time collaboration and cloud storage.

You should consider one of the Microsoft 365 plans if you want the latest features and updates, need cloud storage, collaborate frequently with others, and have to install Office apps on multiple devices.

On the other hand, you should consider Office 2021 if you prefer a one-time purchase, don’t need the latest features, don’t use cloud storage or collaboration features, and only have to use the apps on one computer.

Pricing can also be a factor in the decision. While the personal plan typically starts at around $69.99 per year and $99.99 per year for the family plan, Office Home & Student 2021 costs $149.99, and when the time comes to upgrade, you will have to pay again for the new version.

Choosing the right plan

  • Get Microsoft 365 Personal if you need the app and storage for yourself.
  • Get Microsoft 365 Family if you want to share the subscription and its benefits with up to five other people (family or friends). In this case, it’s even cheaper than the Personal plan.

Getting started with Microsoft 365

Also, if you do not have a subscription but a Microsoft account, you can still access many of the features.

Update April 18, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect plan changes.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].