Microsoft has released Office 2024 for small businesses and consumers who want a standalone version without a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Office 2024 includes updated, locked-in-time versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook for Windows and macOS systems.

It also requires a Microsoft account and an internet connection (likely needed during the installation and for getting updates), and runs on Windows 10 and 11 and the three most recent macOS versions. 

Starting this Tuesday, two editions of Office 2024 are available from Microsoft.com and retailers worldwide.

Office Home 2024 costs $149.99 and includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for one PC or Mac, while Office Home & Business 2022 costs $249.99 and provides everything in Office Home 2024 plus Outlook and commercial use rights.

Office 2024 includes many improvements and user interface changes compared to Office 2021, the most immediately noticeable of which is a new default theme that uses Fluent Design principles to provide an intuitive, familiar experience across all Office apps.

 Other highlights of this new Office version include support for the OpenDocument format (ODF) 1.4, faster Excel workbooks for fewer delays and hang-ups, closed captions for video and audio embedded in presentations, and improved email, calendars, and contacts search.

It also includes document recovery, a feature ported from Microsoft 365 that auto-saves open documents before Word 2024 crashes unexpectedly and enables you to continue where you left off.

 As announced earlier in September, starting in Office 2024, Microsoft will also turn off ActiveX controls by default in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio client apps, a measure likely prompted by ActiveX's well-known security issues.

For instance, Andariel North Korean hackers exploited ActiveX zero-day vulnerabilities to deploy information-stealing malware, and other threat groups used ActiveX controls to deploy TrickBot malware and Cobalt Strike beacons in enterprise network breaches.

Last month, Microsoft also rolled out Office LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) 2024, a volume-licensed and perpetual version of Office for Windows and macOS users, for commercial and government customers.

"If you are already using Microsoft 365 or if your organization deployed Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise to the users in your organization, you don't need Office 2024 or Office LTSC 2024," said Microsoft 365 Consumer VP Bryan Rognier.

"Your Microsoft 365 subscription already has all the features included in Office 2024 or Office LTSC 2024, along with many more features that aren't included in Office 2024 or Office LTSC 2024."

The company first announced Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 in March and released a commercial preview for Windows and macOS customers one month later, in April 2024.