Microsoft ends support for Office 2021 on 13 October 2026. There is no extension, and there is no paid Extended Security Updates program for it the way there was for Windows 10. After that date, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook 2021 stop receiving security patches.
Your apps will still open. That is the part most coverage gets wrong. What changes is that any vulnerability found after 13 October stays unpatched for as long as you keep running it. This guide sets out exactly what stops, what does not, and the three options in front of you, with real prices. Every price below was checked against our live catalog on 1 October 2026.
What Happens on 13 October 2026
Short answer: Office 2021 keeps working and keeps your files. It stops getting security updates, bug fixes and Microsoft technical support. Nothing is deactivated, nothing is deleted, and no license is revoked.
| What | After 13 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Opening and editing your documents | Works, indefinitely |
| Your existing license key | Stays valid, it is a perpetual license |
| Reinstalling on the same PC | Still works |
| Security updates | Stop |
| Bug fixes | Stop |
| Microsoft technical support | Stops |
| Extended Security Updates (paid) | Not offered for Office 2021 |
| Connecting to Microsoft 365 services | Not supported, and may break over time |
The same date applies to Office LTSC 2021, the volume-licensed version that many businesses deploy. If your IT team installed Office from a volume image, check which build you are on before assuming you are unaffected.
Which Office Versions Are Already Out of Support?
Office 2021 is not the first to go. If you are running something older, you have been unpatched for a while already.
| Version | Support ended | Status now |
|---|---|---|
| Office 2013 | April 2023 | Out of support |
| Office 2016 | 14 October 2025 | Out of support |
| Office 2019 | 14 October 2025 | Out of support |
| Office 2021 | 13 October 2026 | Ending now |
| Office LTSC 2021 | 13 October 2026 | Ending now |
| Office 2024 | October 2029 | Supported |
| Office LTSC 2024 | October 2029 | Supported |
Note the gap in the middle. Office 2016 and Office 2019 went out together in October 2025, which means a large number of machines have been running unpatched Office for nearly a year. If that is you, our guide on downloading and activating Office 2021, 2019 or 2016 covers reinstalling what you own, but the better move is to move forward a generation.
How Serious Is This, Honestly?
It depends entirely on what you do with the machine.
Low risk
A home PC that is not on a business network, where you write documents and open files you created yourself. Running Office 2021 for another year is a small risk, not an emergency. Keep Windows itself patched and keep a real antivirus running.
Real risk
Any machine that opens attachments from outside your organization. Office file formats are a standard delivery route for malware, and a macro or parsing vulnerability discovered in November will never be fixed. If you handle invoices, CVs, quotes or anything else emailed in by strangers, this matters.
Compliance risk
If you carry cyber insurance, process card payments, handle health records or answer to a security questionnaire, unsupported software is usually a straight policy breach. Check your policy wording before 13 October rather than after a claim. Our overview of securing a business with BitLocker and TPM covers the wider hardening picture.
Your Three Options
There are only three, and the right one depends on whether you want to pay once or pay every year.
Option 1: do nothing
Free. Office 2021 keeps working. You accept that security holes found from 14 October onward stay open. This is defensible for a non-networked home PC and hard to defend for a business.
Option 2: move to Office 2024, a one-time purchase
Office 2024 is the current perpetual release, supported to October 2029. You buy it once, you own it, and there is no renewal date. This is the direct replacement for what you already have, and it is the option most Office 2021 owners actually want, because it keeps the same ownership model.
Option 3: move to Microsoft 365, a subscription
You pay every year and get continuous feature updates, Copilot, 1 TB of OneDrive storage and installation across several devices. It never goes out of support, because it never stops changing. The trade-off is that you stop owning anything.
What Each Option Costs
Here are the real numbers, with our current prices against the subscription.
| Route | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Do nothing | Office 2021, unpatched from 14 Oct | $0 |
| Office 2024 Home | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote. 1 PC or Mac | $178.99 once |
| Office 2024 Home plus Outlook 2024 | All five apps, two license keys | $238.98 once |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | All apps, Copilot, 1 TB OneDrive, several devices | $99.99 per year |
| Word 2024 on its own | Word only, 1 PC or Mac | $69.99 once |
| Excel 2024 on its own | Excel only, 1 PC or Mac | $99.99 once |
The arithmetic is not close over any reasonable ownership period. Office 2024 Home at $178.99 is paid off against the subscription inside two years, and it then keeps working for the three years after that. Over five years the subscription runs to roughly $500.
If you only ever open one application, buying it alone is cheaper still. Our comparison of Microsoft 365 against Office 2024 works the full cost and feature picture through properly, and five one-time-purchase alternatives to Microsoft 365 covers the wider field if you want out of subscriptions altogether.
Should You Buy Office 2021 Now Instead?
No, with two narrow exceptions. Buying a version that loses support in days makes no sense as a general rule, and we will say that plainly even though we sell it.
The exceptions are real, though. Buy Office Professional Plus 2021 at $179.99 only if you need Publisher or Access in a perpetual license, since Office 2024 Home does not include them, or if you are matching an existing estate for compatibility and you understand the support position. Mac users with an older machine may also need Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac at $124.99, because Office 2024 requires macOS 13 Ventura or later.
In every other case, go to Office 2024. Our side-by-side of Office 2019, 2021 and 2024 lays out which version suits which machine, and Office 2024 Home against Home and Business settles the one choice you have to make inside the 2024 line, which is whether you need Outlook.
How to Check Which Version You Have
Not sure whether you are affected? It takes about fifteen seconds.
- Open Word, Excel or Outlook.
- Click File, then Account. On a Mac, click the application name in the menu bar, then About.
- Read the line under Product Information. It names the version, for example “Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021”.
- If it says Microsoft 365, you are on the subscription and none of this applies to you.
- If it says 2021, 2019, 2016 or 2013, you are on a perpetual license and the dates in the table above apply.
Office LTSC 2021 shows as “Office LTSC Professional Plus 2021” on that same screen. If you see LTSC, the 13 October date applies to you as well.
Upgrading Without Losing Your Files
Your documents are not touched by any of this. They are files on your disk, and a newer Office opens every format an older Office created. There is no conversion step and no export.
- Buy the version you want. Delivery is by email, normally within minutes, with the activation key and the official Microsoft download link.
- Uninstall Office 2021 from Windows Settings, or drag the apps to the Trash on a Mac. Your documents stay where they are.
- Install Office 2024 from the Microsoft link we send you.
- Sign in and activate with the new key.
- Open a couple of your existing files to confirm everything is where you left it.
Keep your Office 2021 key somewhere safe even after you upgrade. It stays valid, and it is your fallback if you ever need to reinstall the older version on that machine. If you have already lost it, our guide on recovering a lost Microsoft product key covers the five places it is usually still findable.
Buying the Upgrade from Indigo Software
Indigo Software has sold genuine Microsoft licenses since 2016. We are a veteran-owned, family-run business in The Woodlands, Texas, with more than 100,000 customers and a 4.9 out of 5 rating across over 500 Trustpilot reviews.
Every license we sell is perpetual and genuine. Delivery is instant by email with the activation key, the official Microsoft download link and written install instructions. Support afterwards is US-based and costs nothing. If you are not sure which version fits your machine, tell us what the Account screen says and we will tell you what to buy. You can message our team or browse the full Microsoft software catalog.
Buying this kind of upgrade from a reseller for the first time? Our seven checks on whether it is safe to buy Microsoft Office from a third-party reseller tells you what a legitimate seller looks like and what a dying key looks like.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Office 2021 end of support happen?
13 October 2026. The same date applies to Office LTSC 2021. There is no extension and Microsoft is not offering paid Extended Security Updates for Office 2021.
Will Office 2021 stop working after 13 October 2026?
No. Office 2021 is a perpetual license, so the apps keep opening and your files stay accessible indefinitely. What stops is security updates, bug fixes and Microsoft technical support. Nothing is deactivated or deleted.
Is Office 2021 still safe to use after support ends?
It is safe enough on a home PC that does not open files from strangers, provided you keep Windows patched. It is not safe on any machine that handles inbound attachments, because Office file formats are a common malware route and new vulnerabilities will never be fixed. Unsupported software also tends to breach cyber insurance policies and security questionnaires.
What should I upgrade to from Office 2021?
Office 2024 if you want to keep owning your software outright. It is the current perpetual release, supported to October 2029, and Office 2024 Home is $178.99 as a one-time purchase. Choose Microsoft 365 at $99.99 a year instead only if you specifically want Copilot, OneDrive storage and multi-device installs.
Do I have to buy Office 2024, or can I just keep Office 2021?
You can keep it. Nothing forces an upgrade. The decision is whether running software with no security patches is acceptable for how you use that machine.
Does upgrading to Office 2024 affect my existing documents?
No. Your files are untouched, and Office 2024 opens every format Office 2021 created. There is no conversion or export step. Uninstalling the old version does not remove documents.
Are Office 2016 and Office 2019 still supported?
No. Both ended support on 14 October 2025, so they have already been unpatched for about a year. If you are running either one, you are in the same position as Office 2021 users will be, only earlier.
Does Office 2024 include Copilot?
No. Copilot requires a Microsoft 365 subscription. Office 2024 is a locked-in-time perpetual release: you get the apps as they shipped plus security updates, and no new features afterwards.
Is there an Extended Security Updates option for Office 2021?
No. Microsoft offered paid ESU for Windows 10 but is not offering an equivalent for Office 2021. 13 October 2026 is the end of updates, with no paid extension available.
Working out the wider upgrade at the same time? Our 2026 buying guide on where to buy Microsoft Office covers every route, and how to buy Microsoft Office without a subscription is the short version if you already know you want to pay once.
Discover more from Indigo Software
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
