Checked by Hanny Ramzy on 27 September 2026. Drafted with AI help, then checked against Microsoft's own lifecycle pages, documentation and partner announcements.
Microsoft support for Office 2021 ends on 13 October 2026. This covers the one-time purchase editions on Windows and Mac, and the volume licence edition, Office LTSC 2021. After that date, Microsoft sends no more security fixes, bug fixes or technical support.
Your copy of Office will not switch itself off. But each new security hole found after 13 October stays open on your PCs. Microsoft also stops support for Office 2021 connections to Microsoft 365 email and file storage on the same date.
Office Niaga supplies Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, not one-time Office licences. So every date and statement below comes from Microsoft’s own pages.
Which Office versions are affected
These are the dates that Microsoft lists, as of 27 September 2026:
| Version | How it is sold | End of Microsoft support |
|---|---|---|
| Office 2016 | One-time purchase or volume licence | Ended 14 October 2025 |
| Office 2019 | One-time purchase or volume licence | Ended 14 October 2025 |
| Office 2021 (Home and Student, Home and Business, Professional, and the Mac versions) | One-time purchase | 13 October 2026 |
| Office LTSC 2021 (Standard, Professional Plus, Standard for Mac) | Volume licence | 13 October 2026 |
| Office 2024 and Office LTSC 2024 | One-time purchase or volume licence | 9 October 2029 |
| Microsoft 365 Apps (in Microsoft 365 plans) | Subscription | Supported as long as you keep it up to date |
Project 2021 and Visio LTSC 2021 end on the same day. If your office still runs Office 2016 or 2019, it got no security fixes for almost a year.
Will Office 2021 stop working on 13 October?
No. End of support does not delete or lock the software. Microsoft describes what ends instead:
- Technical support. Microsoft no longer helps with problems.
- Bug fixes. Microsoft does not repair new faults.
- Security fixes. Microsoft does not patch new security holes.
The real risk is security, because Office opens attachments from outside your company every day. In its partner announcement of 15 September 2026, Microsoft warned that unsupported versions “might expose organizations to security vulnerabilities, compliance risks, and reduced reliability due to the absence of future updates or security patches”.
What happens to Outlook and your company email
This part matters most if your company email is on Microsoft 365. Microsoft lists the Office versions that it supports for connections to Microsoft 365 services, “for example, connecting to Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, or OneDrive”:
| Office version | Supported for connections to Microsoft 365 until |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Apps | As long as you use a supported version |
| Office LTSC 2024 | 9 October 2029 |
| Office LTSC 2021 | 13 October 2026 |
| Office 2019 and Office 2016 | Ended 10 October 2023 |
Microsoft’s lifecycle FAQ says that older versions “might still be able to connect to Microsoft 365 services, but that connectivity isn’t supported”, and “might encounter other unexpected performance or reliability issues”. So Outlook 2021 will probably still send and receive your Microsoft 365 email on 14 October. But if a later Microsoft 365 change stops it, Microsoft will not repair it. If your email is with a web host or Office Niaga Mail, only the security point applies, because Outlook opens every attachment you receive.
Publisher ends too
Microsoft retires Publisher completely. These are the dates:
- 1 October 2026. Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer open or edit files in Publisher.
- 13 October 2026. Support for the one-time purchase version ends, together with Office 2021.
Office LTSC 2024 does not include Publisher either. Microsoft recommends that you save each Publisher file as a PDF (File > Save as, then choose PDF). Do brochures, labels and cards in Word or PowerPoint instead.
How to check which Office you have
Open Word or Excel and go to File > Account. The product name appears under Product Information. On a Mac, open the Word menu and select About Word.
A name with 2021 in it loses support on 13 October 2026. A name with 2019 or 2016 lost support already. A name with 2024, or Microsoft 365 under Subscription Product, stays supported. Office 2021 came out in October 2021, and Office 2024 replaced it in October 2024. Check PCs bought in that period first.
Your options
A small business has four realistic choices. This is how they compare:
| Option | How you pay | New features | Microsoft support | Good fit when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 business plan with desktop apps | Subscription, per user | Yes, continuously | As long as you keep it updated | You use Word, Excel and Outlook every day, and want email and files in one plan |
| Google Workspace | Subscription, per user | Yes, continuously | Managed by Google | Your team works mostly in the browser |
| Office 2024 or Office LTSC 2024 | One-time purchase | No, only what shipped in 2024 | Until 9 October 2029 | A PC that must stay offline, and you accept another deadline in 2029 |
| Keep Office 2021 | Nothing more | No | Ends 13 October 2026 | Only a PC that never opens outside files or connects to email |
Microsoft 365. On 15 September 2026, Microsoft told its partners that “businesses with fewer than 300 users should turn to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, or Microsoft 365 Apps for business”. All three include the desktop apps. Business Basic does not. Our guide Office 365 vs Microsoft 365 compares the plans.
Office 2024. The one-time purchase successor, with support until 9 October 2029 and no new features. Microsoft says that Office LTSC 2024 is “designed for specific scenarios”, such as systems that cannot connect to the internet. We do not sell it, but it is a fair choice for an offline PC.
Google Workspace. Docs, Sheets and Slides open and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, and email moves to Gmail. We supply both, so we will tell you plainly which one fits.
Still on Windows 10?
Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. For businesses that need more time, Microsoft sells Extended Security Updates, a paid yearly programme with only critical and important security fixes. It started in November 2025, runs for a maximum of three years, and needs Windows 10 version 22H2. A PC with Windows 10 and Office 2021 will soon have no security fixes for either, unless it is enrolled.
A simple plan before 13 October
These steps cover most small businesses:
- List every computer. Write down the Office name from File > Account, and the Windows version.
- Convert Publisher files to PDF now.
- Choose your replacement: Microsoft 365 with desktop apps, Google Workspace, or Office 2024 for offline machines.
- Check your email. If it is on Microsoft 365, make sure that every user has a supported Outlook before 13 October.
- Remove the old Office, then install the new apps. Microsoft recommends this order. See our guides to install the Microsoft 365 apps and the first sign-in.
- Move your files to OneDrive or Google Drive. See upload and organise files in OneDrive.
Your documents stay yours, because Microsoft 365 and Office 2024 use the same file formats as Office 2021.
How we checked this guide
Every date and statement in this guide comes from Microsoft’s own pages. We used these sources:
- The Microsoft Lifecycle pages for Office 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, LTSC 2021, LTSC 2024 and Windows 10, and the Windows 10 Extended Security Updates page.
- Microsoft Learn: “Office versions and connectivity to Microsoft 365 services”, “Plan an upgrade from older versions of Office to Microsoft 365 Apps”, the Office lifecycle FAQ and the Office LTSC 2021 and 2024 overviews.
- The Partner Center announcement of 15 September 2026 on Office LTSC 2021, the Office 2016 and 2019 end of support page, and Microsoft Support’s articles on Publisher and on how to find your Office version.
The screenshot is from our own Microsoft 365 test account. We did not include prices, because they vary by supplier and change often. We drafted this guide with AI help. Hanny Ramzy then checked every date, product name and quotation on 27 September 2026. We will update this page if Microsoft changes a date.
Still on Office 2021?
WhatsApp us on +60 16-916 3324 with your headcount and your Office version, and we will help you move to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, with your email. For Google Workspace, our migration guide explains how we move email, calendars and files.
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Hanny Ramzy runs Office Niaga at Web Impian Sdn. Bhd. (SSM 920163-H) in Kota Bharu, Malaysia, helping businesses and agencies move to Google Workspace and business email with Ringgit billing and local support.