Microsoft Office 2024 Pro Plus Review — Our Honest Verdict

Published October 8, 2024

Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus has been available for about a week, and we've had time to thoroughly test every application in the suite. Here's our comprehensive review covering features, performance, value, and whether it's worth buying.

Installation and Setup: Smooth

Installation is painless. Enter your product key at setup.office.com, download the installer, and wait about 20 minutes for the full suite to install. The process is identical to previous versions — Microsoft hasn't fixed what wasn't broken. Activation was instant on all three of our test devices.

Excel 2024: The Star of the Show

Excel 2024 justifies the entire purchase by itself. The 14 new functions — especially TEXTSPLIT, VSTACK/HSTACK, and IMAGE — solve problems that required complex workarounds in previous versions. Dynamic arrays, which were exclusive to Microsoft 365, are now available in the perpetual release. For Excel power users, this is a significant upgrade. The performance improvements are noticeable too — large spreadsheets open and calculate faster than in Office 2021. Score: 9/10

PowerPoint 2024: Cameo Changes Everything

Cameo is the headline feature and it delivers. Embedding your camera feed directly into your slide design creates more professional presentations than having a floating camera window. Recording Studio is equally impressive — it eliminates the need for third-party screen recording software for creating video presentations. For anyone who presents regularly, these features are genuinely useful. Score: 8.5/10

Word 2024: Solid, Incremental Improvements

Word 2024 doesn't have a single standout feature like Excel or PowerPoint, but the cumulative improvements are welcome. Better co-authoring, improved accessibility checking, and refined interface design make the daily writing experience smoother. Microsoft Editor continues to be an excellent AI-powered writing assistant. Score: 8/10

Outlook 2024: Much-Needed Refresh

The modernized Outlook interface is a welcome change. It looks and feels contemporary, and search is noticeably faster. The transition to the new Outlook engine is still ongoing, and some features from classic Outlook haven't made it over yet. Overall, it's an improvement but not yet the complete overhaul we were hoping for. Score: 7.5/10

Value Assessment

At $29 for 3 devices, Office 2024 Pro Plus offers extraordinary value. You get 8 professional applications that would cost $439 at retail or $100+/year via subscription. The math is clear — this is the most cost-effective way to get genuine Microsoft Office. The 3-device license makes it even better value for families or multi-computer users.

Final Verdict: Buy It

Office 2024 Professional Plus is a substantial upgrade over Office 2021, a compelling alternative to Microsoft 365's subscription model, and an incredible value at $29. Whether you're upgrading from an older version or looking for your first Office license, we recommend it without reservation. Overall Score: 8.5/10