In April 2020, Microsoft transitioned Office 365 into Microsoft 365, a subscription service that added more features to the suite of software tools, but required a monthly payment of $7 for an individual plan or $10 for a family of up to six people (that price will be increasing in March 2022)

The company said that its main focus will continue to be on the cloud, but it understands that not everyone is ready to take that step

While you can use Microsoft 365 apps like Word, PowerPoint and Excel online for free with limited functionality, you'll need either a perpetual version or a subscription to take full advantage of their capabilities