In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
For most businesses, Microsoft 365 is the better buy: apps stay updated and email, Teams and OneDrive are included. Office Home & Business 2024 (SG$379 per PC) suits a few PCs that only need classic desktop apps. Office LTSC 2024 is a volume-licence product for regulated, offline setups.
The three options side by side
'Office 2024' covers two products. Office Home & Business 2024 is the retail one-time purchase for small businesses. Office LTSC 2024 is a volume-licensed edition for organisations that cannot take feature updates. Microsoft 365 is the subscription.
Microsoft 365 business plans
Most businessesFrom US$7/user/mo (web apps); US$23.50 with desktop apps and Copilot
- Desktop apps updated monthly with new features
- Business email, Teams and OneDrive included
- Install on several devices per user
- Admin centre to add and remove staff
Best for: Any team that also needs email, file sharing and admin control.
Office Home & Business 2024
SG$379 one-time per PC or Mac
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote
- Security updates until 9 Oct 2029, no new features
- One device per licence
- No email, cloud storage or admin tools
Best for: A handful of PCs with email already sorted elsewhere.
Office LTSC 2024
Volume licensing, quoted
- Standard or Professional Plus editions
- Five years of support, no Extended Support
- Built for restricted or offline environments
- Teams not preinstalled; Publisher not included
Best for: Regulated or air-gapped PCs that must not change.
Prices from Microsoft's Singapore business plans page (US dollars, paid yearly, before GST) and the Office Home & Business 2024 page, approximate, as of 21 October 2026.
Support dates and what 'no new features' means
Microsoft's lifecycle pages give the same end date for both one-time products. Office LTSC 2024 follows the Fixed Lifecycle Policy with mainstream support from 18 September 2024 to 9 October 2029. Office 2024 (Home & Business and Home editions) follows the Modern policy with a retirement date of 9 October 2029.
| Product | Support ends | Feature updates |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Apps (subscription) | Ongoing while you subscribe and stay updated | Yes, monthly |
| Office Home & Business 2024 | 9 October 2029 | No |
| Office LTSC 2024 | 9 October 2029, no Extended Support | No |
| Office 2021 / LTSC 2021 | Ended 13 October 2026 | No |
Buying a one-time licence today gives you about three years of security updates, not five or more. Our guide to Office 2021 end of support explains why running unpatched Office is risky.
Features you don't get with Office LTSC 2024
Microsoft's LTSC 2024 overview is direct about the gaps. It says Microsoft 365 Apps includes all Office LTSC 2024 features and more, and that LTSC 2024 doesn't include the latest cloud-backed features.
- No real-time collaboration, AI-driven automation or the advanced security and compliance tools of Microsoft 365, per Microsoft.
- No feature updates after launch; you get security fixes only.
- Microsoft Teams is not preinstalled and is a separate download.
- Microsoft Publisher is not included, because Publisher support ended in October 2026.
- Publish to Power BI is removed from Excel, and ActiveX controls are off by default.
- Available only through volume licensing agreements, for Windows 11, Windows 10 LTSC and supported Windows Server versions; a Mac Standard edition exists for volume customers.
Five-year cost for a small office
Subscriptions cost more on paper, but the one-time option needs extra purchases and a replacement in 2029. Here is a rough per-user comparison using list prices from 21 October 2026, before GST and exchange-rate differences.
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard with CopilotDesktop apps, email, Teams, OneDrive and Copilot includedUS$23.50 x 60 months = US$1,410
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic (email and web apps)Needed alongside one-time Office if you want Microsoft emailUS$7 x 60 months = US$420
- Office Home & Business 2024Supported until 9 October 2029 onlySG$379 once
- Replacement desktop apps after October 2029Another licence or a subscription for the final yearUnknown today
One-time route over 5 years (per user)SG$379 + US$420 + a 2029 replacement
Approximate list prices; GST applies to Microsoft's business plans in Singapore. Not a quote.
The one-time route can still be cheaper for a sole proprietor who already has email elsewhere. For a team of five or more, the admin tools, security settings and email in Microsoft 365 usually outweigh the saving. If security matters, read whether Business Premium is worth it.
Which option fits which business
| Your situation | Usually best |
|---|---|
| 5 to 50 staff, shared files, staff join and leave | Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Premium |
| Mostly browser work, a few Excel power users | Business Basic for most, desktop-app licences for the few |
| 1 to 3 PCs, email already on Google Workspace | Office Home & Business 2024, or Google Workspace alone |
| Lab, factory or kiosk PCs that must not change | Office LTSC 2024 through volume licensing |
| Still on Windows 10 | Plan the Windows 11 upgrade first; LTSC 2024 needs Windows 11 or an LTSC edition of Windows 10 |
If your team prefers Gmail and Google Docs, compare first with our Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace guide.
Do it yourself or get help?
Buying a single Office Home & Business licence is a simple online purchase. Moving a team to Microsoft 365 involves the tenant, licences, email records and security settings, where mistakes are harder to undo.
Our Business Email Setup (S$249) sets up Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace in your name for up to 5 people, with MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records and admin handover. The Microsoft 365 / Google Security Lockdown (S$590) then enforces MFA, blocks phishing and risky sign-ins and tidies admin roles. Licence fees are paid to Microsoft. IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience; you pay upfront, send the brief in writing and follow progress on your order page.
Frequently asked questions
Office Home & Business 2024 is a retail one-time purchase for one PC or Mac, aimed at families and small businesses. Office LTSC 2024 is sold only through volume licensing for organisations that need a fixed, unchanging version. Both get security updates until 9 October 2029 and no new features.
Microsoft's lifecycle page shows Office LTSC 2024 under the Fixed Lifecycle Policy with mainstream support ending on 9 October 2029. Microsoft says there is no Extended Support after the five years, so plan to replace it before that date.
Microsoft describes Office Home & Business 2024 as for families and small businesses, installed on one PC or Mac for use at home or work. It costs SG$379 as of October 2026. Office Home 2024 is a separate, cheaper product; check its licence terms before using it for work.
No. Office Home & Business 2024 includes the Outlook app but not a mailbox. You still need an email service, such as Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Google Workspace, on your own domain. Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium include both the desktop apps and business email.
Not on licence price alone. Over five years, a Microsoft 365 desktop plan costs more per user than one Office licence. But the one-time licence stops getting security updates in October 2029, and email, file sharing and admin tools must be bought separately, which narrows the gap for most teams.