Microsoft 365 v. Microsoft Office 2016

Microsoft is among the leading tech companies, offering a range of Office products used around the globe by millions of businesses and individuals. Besides, Microsoft Office software has simplified data storage and management, as well as report and letter writing, calculations, presentations, and record keeping. But with various Microsoft Office products available, learning the difference between Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Office 2016 is crucial.

Generally, Office 2016 and Microsoft 365 offer packaged solutions and share most installation requirements and standard applications. This makes it a bit intricate to understand notable differences between the two Microsoft Office products. So, which is the best Microsoft Office option between Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Office 2016? Read on to find out.

What Is Microsoft Office 2016?

Office 2016 is a Microsoft Office Suite featuring productivity applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Outlook. It is a successor to Office for Mac 2011 and Microsoft Office 2013 for Windows. Microsoft Office 2016 is among the best Microsoft Office products that offer greater collaboration and sharing than previous Office versions.

Unlike its predecessors, Office 2016 includes a Modern Attachments feature that allows users to attach files stored in OneDrive, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business. Using the Share button, users can share documents in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel readily. Besides, Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote 2016 support co-authoring files shared in OneDrive for Business, OneDrive, and SharePoint Online. There is also a Smart Lookup feature that allows users to search for a term without leaving the application.

Office 2016 System Requirements

Like most Microsoft Office software, users must meet specific system requirements to ensure the smooth running of the application. Here are crucial system requirements for Office 2016:

1280 * 800 screen resolution
2 GB RAM
1 GHz processor
Available disk space of 3 GB
Windows 7 SPI or higher
At least .Net 3.5, preferred 4.5 LCR

What You Get with Office 2016

Microsoft Office Suites are designed to perform separate tasks, and Office 2016 is no different. When you buy Office 2016, here are the applications you will get:

Word 2016
Excel 2016
PowerPoint 2016
OneNote 2016
Outlook 2016

The above applications are one-time purchases, but OneDrive storage and Access 2016 are sold separately, depending on the plan. For Outlook 2016, Microsoft offers this application on Home and Business plans versions only.

Office 2016 Plans

Microsoft offers different Office 2016 plans to accommodate all its Office users, allowing users to choose their preferred option based on their needs. Besides, these plans are based on the OS, primarily Windows and macOS.

Windows Office 2016 Plans:

Home and Student: Include core applications only.
Home and Business: Include core applications and Outlook 2016.
Professional Plus: Includes core applications, Outlook 2016, Publisher 2016, Access 2016, and Skype for business.
Standard: Includes core applications, Outlook 2016 and Publisher 2016.
Professional: Includes core applications, Outlook 2016, Publisher 2016, and Access 2016.

MacOS Office 2016 Plans:

Home and Student: Include core applications only.
Home and Business: Include core applications and Outlook 2016.
Standard: Includes core applications, Outlook 2016, and available through volume licensing.

Benefits of Using Office 2016

Smart attachments: Unlike previous Office versions, Office 2016 allows users to access recently worked on files while attaching with Outlook 2016. However, users can also navigate to the file location when looking to attach files to Outlook 2016.
Document sharing: Office 2016 suite includes a document sharing feature via a button located on the top-right corner of all its applications. This enables users to take a single-click step when sharing documents or files with others.
Cloud integration: Microsoft Office 2016 is the first suite with cloud integration capabilities, allowing users to access files and documents online easily. It is easily integrated with OneDrive, allowing you to access and edit your documents anywhere with an internet-enabled device.
Team collaboration: With Office 2016 Group in Outlook 2016, admins can create public and private teams where each group shares a calendar, OneNote notebook, group cloud storage, and inbox, promoting collaboration.
Co-authoring capabilities: The Office 2016 suite offers co-authoring capabilities ideal for team collaboration, allowing virtual teams to work on different documents via inbuilt admin controls seamlessly.
Enhanced productivity and security: Microsoft emphasizes productivity rather than technicality, ensuring Office 2016 delivers more results to users. Besides, Office 2016 features enhanced security solutions such as Data Loss Prevention, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and more security in content sharing; Enterprise Data Protection.

What Is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft Office 365 is a subscription-based service of Microsoft’s productivity suite, Microsoft Office, containing similar core applications to the traditional Office suite. It is a cloud service that can only be accessed through a subscription plan from anywhere. According to Microsoft, Microsoft 365 is a modern productivity tool designed to embrace cloud technology and facilitate remote and hybrid work.

Launched in 2017, Microsoft 365 remains a subscription Office Suite added to the Microsoft Office product line, intended to deliver cloud-based software-as-a-service solutions for business environments. In April 2020, both consumer and business Office 365 plans were renamed Microsoft 365 but continued to serve the same purpose. Moreover, all Microsoft 365 plans have automatic updates on each application at no additional charges.

Microsoft 365 System Requirements

Since Microsoft 365 is hosted in the cloud, there is a need for more efficient subscriptions to ensure seamless operations, besides updating the software regularly. With that, here are some system requirements to guarantee easy compatibility.

1.6 GHz processor or higher: a 2-core processor is recommended
2 GB RAM (32bit) or 4 GB RAM
4 GB hard disk for Windows OS and 10 GB for macOS with HFT+ hard disk format
DirectX9 or later Graphic Hardware Acceleration, with WDDM 2.0 or higher
Windows OS 10, 8.1, 7, and the three recent macOS versions
At least .NET 3.5, 4.6 or higher

What You Get with Microsoft 365

Excel 2016
Word 2016
Outlook 2016
OneNote 2016
PowerPoint 2016
Access 2016 (PC only)
Publisher 2016 (PC only)

Other Features to Get from Microsoft 365:

1 hour Skype credit monthly
1 TB OneDrive storage
5-user, one-subscription plan

Microsoft 365 Plans

With different consumers with unique needs and desires, Microsoft offers Microsoft 365 under different subscription plans.

Home and personal use: A subscription plan that allows users to share with up to five members with equal privileges.
Small and midsized businesses: Solely designed for startup companies
Schools: Solely designed for schools
Larger enterprises: Mostly used in established organizations with a large workforce.

Benefits of Using Microsoft 365

Robust security and reliability: Microsoft integrates enhanced security in its cloud service to ensure maximum security in its Office suite, Microsoft 365. Email encryption, data loss prevention, advanced threat analytics, mobile device management, and MFA are some security protocols available in Microsoft 365.
Easier collaboration: Since most organizations have teams to facilitate specific tasks, Microsoft 365 offers easier collaboration between teams and users. It lets several users work on a single document and make changes in real-time.
Work from anywhere: Provided you have an internet connection on any device, you can access Microsoft 365 and create or edit documents or files seamlessly. It is a practical working solution, especially in today’s hybrid and remote work environment.
Up-to-date support: Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based solution, meaning users are not responsible for updating the server manually. Microsoft does all updates on a real-time basis at no extra cost.
Reduce capital spending: Microsoft 365 offers a flexible payment plan, monthly or yearly. This allows users to buy subscriptions based on their budgets, eliminating financial constraints, leasing, or software costs.

Microsoft 365 v. Office 2016: Which Is Best for Your Business?

Although it is challenging to compare Microsoft 365 and Office 2016, Microsoft has made each Office suite more appealing based on functionality. If you prefer keeping your files in the cloud, edit them from anywhere and on a subscription basis, Microsoft 365 may come in handy. But if you opt for storing and managing your files offline and with a one-time purchase of an Office Suite, a one-time purchase of Microsoft Office 2016 is the right choice for you.

Generally, there is no direct answer regarding which Microsoft Office product is best for your fast-growing business, since it depends on your preferences and desires. Although businesses can find Microsoft 365 ideal to align with digital ways of conducting business, Microsoft Office 2016 is perfect for startups and home users. You can also consider factors such as accessibility, price, plans, and specific features and programs when choosing your preferred Microsoft Office suite.

To learn more about which Microsoft Office product suits your needs or any other IT support or solutions, contact us here at Tektonic today!