Office 365 rebranded to Microsoft 365 in 2020, but it’s retained the same core features since being created in 2011. Access to all the latest Office apps are included in the subscription, plus lots of cloud storage and access to regular updates.
But Microsoft still releases standalone versions of Office apps, with official support stretching back a decade (at the time of writing). It’s still fine to use these older versions, but what if you’ve lost the disk or deleted it from your machine?
Fortunately, Microsoft makes it easy to relocate your copy and start using it again. Here’s everything you need to know.
Which versions of Microsoft Office are still available?
At the time of writing, all Office versions from 2010 and earlier are no longer supported, meaning you can’t download them from Microsoft’s website.
You can still get copies of all the following, but support varies considerably between Windows (both 11 and 10) and macOS:
- Office 2021 for Windows – support ends 13 October 2026
- Office 2021 for Mac – support ends 13 October 2026
- Office 2019 for Windows – support ends 14 October 2025
- Office 2019 for Mac – support ends 10 October 2023
- Office 2016 for Windows – support ends 14 October 2025
- Office 2013 for Windows – support ends 11 April 2023
Until the dates above, it’s safe to use all of these versions. After that, no bugs will be fixed and it represents a security risk.
How to download older versions of Microsoft Office
To get your older version of Office, go to the and click the button in the top-right corner to sign in to your Microsoft account. Make sure it’s the same account you used to purchase the previous version of Office.
Sign in to your Microsoft account
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Go to the and click the button in the top-right corner and follow the instruction. Make sure it’s the same account you used to purchase the previous version of Office.
Open your account summary page
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Click the icon in the same location as before (it should have now changed to your profile picture) and choose ‘My Microsoft account’.
Find ‘Products you’ve purchased’ and install the relevant version
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
From the screen that appears, click the ‘Services & subscriptions’ tab. Scroll down to the ‘Products you’ve purchased’ sub-heading, where you’ll see all the versions of Office you’ve previously installed.
Click ‘Install’ next to any you’d like to use, and the download will begin. Once complete, double-click the file and follow the on-screen instructions. It shouldn’t be long before you’re up and running.
If you initially bought a 32-bit version, click the drop-down next to the ‘Install’ button and see if there’s the option for the 64-bit version. This is also where you’ll be able to change the language.
If you can’t see the version you’re looking for, see our separate article on how to find your Microsoft product key.
Can I download older versions of Office for free?
While you can no doubt locate sites that will let you download a version of Microsoft Office for free, you won’t be able to (legally) use the product unless you have made a note of the product key.
These sites host Office without permission, so we’re not going to recommend any. If you really want to do this, make sure your computer is protected by good antivirus software.
Microsoft has never made Office available as a completely free product, so expect to pay if you want access to its capabilities. Old physical copies are likely to be available on and similar sites, but make sure it’s not already been activated. Each license only usually covers one machine.
The good news is that you can get a perfectly good free alternative which is still compatible with Microsoft Office document formats. One example is , which is a fully-fledged, suite, complete with alternatives to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more. There’s no catch – it’s open source, free software.
Want something you can use in a web browser without downloading anything? Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) apps are also free, with , and all capable alternatives to Office apps.
You’ll just need a Google account, with everything stored in Google Drive (15GB free storage combined with Gmail) and accessible across all your own devices. And don’t worry – you can still print directly from an online document.