The different versions of Word
In the next few sections, we'll take a look at the various versions of Word that you may or may not have used, starting with Microsoft 365 Word.
Microsoft 365 Word
Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based service that includes the Microsoft Office suite of apps, which Word is a part of. There are several different subscription packages available, but all of them include some version of Word. There are subscription packages that are geared toward business, education, and home users.
Click-to-Run
The Click-to-Run version of Office installs Word locally on your computer. This allows you to use Word at any time, regardless of whether you are on the internet. The Click-to-Run version is available with all Microsoft 365 subscription packages, except for the Microsoft 365 Business Basic package. The Microsoft 365 Business Basic package only comes with the web and mobile versions of the Office apps.
If paying monthly or annually for a software package that continually updates is not something you want or need, you might want to consider the latest perpetual version of Word.
Word 2019
Word 2019 is the latest classic or perpetual version of the Word app. For those of you who have been using Microsoft Word for many years, this will be the purchase option you are most familiar with. You buy the software once, license it for a computer or device, and then can keep using it so long as that software is supported – in other words, perpetually. You don't need to purchase both a Microsoft 365 subscription for Office apps and the perpetual Office apps; you just need one version to use Office.
Do keep in mind, however, that the perpetual apps do not come with the same features or perks that the Microsoft subscription apps get. For example, the Word 2019 perpetual version will occasionally get security updates, but not get any new feature updates. Those on a Microsoft 365 subscription will get new features as they are released. Also, Word 2019 perpetual users do not have access to features that require Microsoft artificial intelligence (AI), such as the LinkedIn Resume Assistant and the new Editor in Word. Those advanced features are only available with a subscription since they require access to Microsoft AI services and ongoing updates. For many users, however, the Word 2019 perpetual version is more than enough. It is familiar and offers all the word processing power they require.
Older versions
There are many prior versions of Word that are still popular and in use; however, not all of them may be supported. Microsoft ended support for Office 2010 on October 12, 2020. These applications will still work, but they no longer receive any security updates. So, if users continue to use these outdated applications, they potentially expose themselves to security vulnerabilities. Using these outdated applications is incredibly risky, and we advise you to update to a supported version immediately.