Ever since the release of Office Suite, Microsoft has made the life of students and different data organizers easy. The suite offers a range of tools, which will make it easier to collect, organize, and store data. Also, by using those tools, it is now possible to present the stored data professionally.
However, choosing one of the bundles might become arduous if you do not know the difference between them. And as you are reading this, it seems like you are already in a dilemma. Fret not because we will go through the topic Microsoft Office Home vs Professional.
We will put these two packages head to head and spot out the differences that are between them. Hopefully, by the end of this article, choosing a package between those will be an effortless task. So, without further ado, let us get right into it!
What Software Does Microsoft Office Offers?
Before having a deeper dive into the differences between the Home and Professional packages, we would like to ensure that you know what software Microsoft Office usually offers. And they are as follows:
Word
This software is for processing words and for finalizing a document according to your requirement. It has options to let you write, edit, modify the styling and complete the overall design of the doc. And this highly productive application is mainly used by writers and students.
OneNote
The name of the software gives it all away. It is a note-taking application. But it is not just like any other note-taking applications that are out there. This one allows the user to share various types of content with other persons. That means you can easily share a note that you might have taken to your team members with it.
Excel
Another highly productive and essential software that the Office package includes is Excel. Whenever you need to do any works that require a spreadsheet, this application got your back. It even offers the option to analyze different data and visualize them in graphs, which will make your works look more professional.
Publisher
The publisher app will let make it easier to publish stuff. It has a wide variety of features, which are there to make publishing tasks feel like a piece of cake. Also, users just need some design skills to operate this software. And using those skills, it is possible to make professional-grade publications through this software.
Outlook
Not capable of managing your time properly? Well, this app has got your back regarding that. It is a time and information manager that will integrate all the events from your mail, contacts, and calendar in one place. You can also manually set alerts regarding tasks.
PowerPoint
This app contains all of the graphics and visual effects that will make your words presentable. There are plenty of built-in animations, sound effects, and text effects you can play with. The editing and document creating features are advanced as well. Using those, you can professionally present a doc.
Access
The app is a relational database management system. It helps the business to report and track information. Nonetheless, the application is for professional organizations and businesses. It will have little to no use for the non-professional and student users.
Skype
Finally, the office package might bundle with Skype. It is for both business and personal use. The app initiates an end-to-end connection for communication. And you can communicate using video, voice, messaging, or utilize two of the options simultaneously.
Microsoft Office Professional Vs. Home
Now that you know what the Office packages usually offer, let us get back to the main point. In this segment, we will talk about the professional and home packages that Microsoft is offering. And after going through the segment, you should have a clear idea regarding the two packages.
Home
As the name of the package states, it is meant for the users operating their computer at home. This package is generally catered for non-professionals and students. It will include all of the core applications and will not have any business-based software that the other packages offer.
- Included Software
The applications that the Home package will include are Word, Powerpoint, OneNote, and Excel. These are the core Office applications. And these versions will have features that are meant for non-professional creators. However, they will not restrict you if you are using this professionally.
- Policy
When you purchase a Microsoft Office Home license, you will comply with the policy of not using it on more than one computer. However, an option will enable you to install the whole package on at most three computers.
Nonetheless, those three computers must be in a single household. That means the IP address should be the same for all of those workstations. If the software detects a different IP, it might hinder you from using the applications.
On that note, it is possible to transfer an installation from one PC to another. Upon doing that, you will move the license to another computer too. That means the PC you are moving from will be out of the list.
Professional
Unlike the home package, the professional package is for professionals. It will have the core applications and some of the extra business-based software. The package is meant to offer the purchasers the ability to work efficiently with other organizations.
- Included Software
The professional package will include Powerpoint, Word, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. In other words, it will consist of all of the core applications and some extras that are meant for professional use. And all of the software will be tuned for professional users.
- Policy
When it comes to devices, the professional package has a different approach. One single license will allow you to install all of the aforementioned software on your primary computer. And the bundle will offer the ability to install all of those in a portable device as well.
On that note, Microsoft has most of the apps available for mobile devices. And if you connect the licenses of the mobile devices with a computer device, all of the files will be available on the mobile device. However, you would need to save the files on OneDrive to gain this ability.
Differences Between Microsoft Office Home And Professional
As you can see, there are a good amount of differences between the two of the packages. Let us have a look at them, shall we?
Bundled Software
If you take a good look at the included software, you will notice that the home package consists of core applications. The reason behind why they are considered to be the core of the suite is because there is no package available without them.
On the other hand, the professional package contains all of the core applications and extras. The extras are the Acess and Publisher. These two are business-class applications, which is why they are not present on the home package, which is meant for non-professionals.
Policy
The policy of both is different too. While the home has an option to let you install the whole package to up to three computers, the professional will let you install it on your primary PC only. However, connecting mobile or portable devices with your primary device with the home package will not be possible.
On that note, to install the Professional package on different PCs, you need to purchase separate licenses for all of them.
Is Home & Business And Home & Student The Same Package?
Not really. The home & student contains all of the core applications, while the home & business contains additional software, which is outlook. That will enable you to carry out small business tasks. However, you will not find outlook, access, publisher, and Skype in any of these two packages.
That being said, the software that the Home & Business bundle includes is suitable for commercial purposes. And you can easily use them for small to mid-size businesses. However, the Home & Studen is strictly for non-commercial and personal use.
Are Office Professional and Professional Plus The Same Package?
Unlike Home & Business and Home & Student, the professional and professional plus do not have that many differences. Both of them are for commercial and business use. Both ahs the core applications such as Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Access, and Publisher.
However, with the plus package, you will get access to Skype. But this is not the regular version of skype; it has all of the business-class features integrated.
Final Words
The main takeaway from the topic of Microsoft Office Home vs. Professional is that one is for professional use, while the other is for non-commercial and personal use. Also, the professional packages include some extra applications, which will make different business tasks easier.
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