Microsoft Office 365 Personal vs. Family

• Posted on 17 July 2023
• 0

Microsoft 365 offers multiple bundles so that you can get the best fit to your software requirements. Because there are multiple versions, people often struggle with finding the right one, that suits them best. In this article, we compare two of the most popular Microsoft 365 bundles, namely – Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Family. Below you can also find which other versions are available together with their system requirements.

What is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 was released in June 2011 by Microsoft. There is a big difference between the “normal” Office versions, such as Office 2019 and 2021, and Microsoft 365. This difference is the fact that Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based license, whereas Office 2019 and 2021, are one-time purchases. Technically you can use the perpetual licenses Office 2019/2021 forever. Because of the different licensing models, the applications within Microsoft 365 are being updated regularly while this is not the case with the Office 2021 applications. The constant updates can have both benefits and disadvantages for companies, which is why this is usually not the decisive factor in choosing between the two.

Read more about the other differences between Office 2021 and Microsoft Office 365.

Microsoft 365 Personal

Microsoft Office 365 Personal, as the name suggested, is tailored to be used by one person for mainly personal tasks. The license can be used on 5 devices, however not simultaneously. With this license you get 1 TB of cloud storage. 365 Personal is compatible with Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone and Android devices. The applications that are included within Microsoft 365 Personal are OneNote, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams and Outlook. At Digi License, Microsoft 365 Personal comes in at €43.95 for 1 year (as of the 10th of July 2023). Additionally, Microsoft 365 includes 2 applications only compatible with PC, namely Publisher and Access.

Microsoft 365 Family

Microsoft 365 Family is a great private license for multiple users (up to 6). Each user can use the license on 5 devices and every user receives 1 TB of cloud storage. Microsoft 365 Family is compatible with Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone and Android devices. The applications that are included within Microsoft 365 Family are OneNote, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams and Outlook. At Digi License, 365 Family comes in at €59,95 for 1 year (as of the 10th of July 2023). Since this is a license aimed at families, Microsoft 365 Family also includes a Family Safety App. With this application you can have parental control and set limits, for example on gaming or screen time. To create a safe environment for your children, you can also set up search filters, which filter out inappropriate content. Finally, you can also see each other location, if that function is turned on.

Microsoft 365 Personal vs Family: the differences

Between Microsoft Office 365 Personal and Microsoft Office 365 Family, there are no differences in functions, as the applications are the same. The most vital difference between these two licenses, is the number of users. Personal can only be used by 1 person, whereas Family can be used by up to 6 individuals. With Personal, you receive 1 TB of cloud storage, with Family, every user receives this 1 TB of cloud storage, adding up to a total of 6 TB of cloud storage. A feature that is not included in Personal, but is included in Family, is the Family Safety App. This is a very handy tool, especially if you have children who also use the internet via this Office license.

Microsoft 365; other versions

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic: Includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, Outlook, SharePoint and Exchange. You also receive standard security, anytime support, 1 TB of cloud storage per user and business-class e-mail.
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard: You receive all the features of Business Basic, and also Access, Publisher, desktop versions of 365 apps, the option to easily host webinars and you can manage customer appointments.
• Microsoft 365 Business Premium: You receive all the features of Business Standard, and also Intune, Azure Information Protection, advanced security and protection against cyberthreats.
• Apps for Business: Includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Access and Publisher. You also receive standard security, 1 TB of cloud storage per user, desktop versions of 365 apps and anytime support.

Microsoft Office 365: system requirements

• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Hard disk: Windows – 4 GB of available space; Mac – 10 GB of available space
• Operating system: Windows 10 or newer. Or one of the three most recent versions of macOS
• Processor: 1.6 GHz processor or faster for Windows, for Mac an Intel processor

Conclusion:

• Microsoft 365 is a subscription license paid on a monthly or annual basis
• Office 2021 is a perpetual license – a one-time purchase with unlimited license rights duration
• Microsoft Office 365 Personal can be used by 1 person, whereas Family can be used by up to 6 persons
• The applications are the same for both licenses
• Family Safety App is only included in Family
• You could acquire Microsoft 365 Personal if you are looking for an Office license for 1 person
• You could acquire Microsoft 365 Family if you are looking for an Office license that can be used by multiple people

Buy cheap Microsoft Office 365 licenses:

Are you looking for a cheap, reliable Microsoft Office 365 license? You are at the right place at Digi License. Take a look and purchase your license. If you need assistance or have questions, the team of Digi License is happy to help you out.