Do I have to buy a new 64 bit version of Microsoft Office suite to work with my new computer?
Do I have to buy a new 64 bit version of Microsoft Office suite to work with my new computer?
MacBook Pro 17″, OS X 10.11
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The Apple Support Community will permanently close on November 20, 2026. Starting today, the site will no longer accept new posts and is available in a read-only state.
You can continue to find trusted guidance and support on the official Apple Support site.
We want to thank the community members who have contributed their time and expertise to help others with their Apple products.
Do I have to buy a new 64 bit version of Microsoft Office suite to work with my new computer?
MacBook Pro 17″, OS X 10.11
Older versions or Microsoft Office are not compatible with macOS Catalina (which is what is currently installed on new Macs).
See the following for options:
If you have an early version of Office for Mac 2016, you can update it at no charge. However note that connecting to Microsoft 365 services using Office 2016 for Mac is not supported by Microsoft after October 13, 2020. See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/troubleshoot/administration/office-2016-for-mac-64-bit-upgrade
If you have Office for Mac 2011 or earlier (or don't have any version of Office), you can either subscribe to Microsoft 365 or you can make a one-time purchase. See: https://products.office.com/en-us/buy/compare-microsoft-office-products-for-mac?ms.officeurl=mac-compare-redir
Or use the free Microsoft Office on the web: https://products.office.com/en-us/free-office-online-for-the-web
Or Google Docs: https://www.google.com/docs/about/
Other options include using the free and very good Libre Office https://www.libreoffice.org/
or Apple's Pages and Numbers
Older versions or Microsoft Office are not compatible with macOS Catalina (which is what is currently installed on new Macs).
See the following for options:
If you have an early version of Office for Mac 2016, you can update it at no charge. However note that connecting to Microsoft 365 services using Office 2016 for Mac is not supported by Microsoft after October 13, 2020. See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/troubleshoot/administration/office-2016-for-mac-64-bit-upgrade
If you have Office for Mac 2011 or earlier (or don't have any version of Office), you can either subscribe to Microsoft 365 or you can make a one-time purchase. See: https://products.office.com/en-us/buy/compare-microsoft-office-products-for-mac?ms.officeurl=mac-compare-redir
Or use the free Microsoft Office on the web: https://products.office.com/en-us/free-office-online-for-the-web
Or Google Docs: https://www.google.com/docs/about/
Other options include using the free and very good Libre Office https://www.libreoffice.org/
or Apple's Pages and Numbers
Do I have to buy a new 64 bit version of Microsoft Office suite to work with my new computer?