Microsoft warns: Office 2016 and 2019 reach end of support in October 2025

Microsoft Office 2016 and Office 2019 reach end of support on October 14, 2025. That is the last day of support, which means that Microsoft won't release security updates or any other type of update for the applications anymore. Technical support, furthermore, is also ending on that day.

Office customers won't get an option to extend support by paying Microsoft, as Microsoft made it clear that it won't offer extended security updates (ESU).

The Office apps will continue to work after the day, but security issues won't be patched anymore. Microsoft warns that running unsupported software could lead to "harmful security risks". The company suggests that customers upgrade to a newer version of Office to remain supported.

Home customers have two options in this regard:

• Upgrade to Microsoft Office 2024, which is available as a one-time purchase.
  • Office Home 2024 is available for 150 US-Dollar.
  • Office Home & Business 2024 is available for 256 US-Dollar.
• Subscribe to Microsoft 365, which requires an active subscription and monthly or yearly payments.

A third option is provided by 0Patch, an independent service by ACROS Security that creates micro-patches for Microsoft products such as Windows or Office. The company will support Office 2016 and 2019 after Microsoft ends support. The service costs about 30 US-Dollar per year and may be the most cost-effective option to keep Office secured after October 2025.

Windows 10 users may benefit from this especially, as support for Windows 10 is also included in the subscription.

Users may also check out the open source alternative LibreOffice. While it lacks some of the advanced features of Microsoft Office, most regular users may not notice the limitations, especially if they do light editing only.

Microsoft 365 or Office 365 for organizations

Organizations who run Office 2016 or Office 2019 should upgrade to the subscription services Office 365 or Microsoft 365 according to Microsoft. This includes "always-up-to-date versions" of Office apps like Word or Excel, continuous support, and support for the Microsoft 365 Copilot add-on.

Microsoft recommends Office 2024 LTSC only, if a "fully disconnected solution" is required. Office 2024 LTSC is supported until October 2029.

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