Which Microsoft 365 Plan Do You Really Need?
Last verified: October 2026
Personal, Family, Basic, the cheaper plans without the AI — sorted out in plain English, with an eye on saving you money. Rather have a hand deciding? My number is (330) 200-8042.
Choosing a Microsoft 365 Plan, at a Glance
Microsoft 365 is the subscription name for the Office programs you know — Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook — plus online storage and, lately, an AI helper called Copilot. The plan menu is confusing on purpose, but the choice is simpler than it looks: how many people need it, and do you want the AI or would you rather save? This guide walks you through it in plain English, and there's a printable 29-page version up top. Prices change, so always check Microsoft's current price before you buy.
Common Questions
1 How do I tell which plan I'm already paying for?
Open Word or Excel, click File > Account (or the program's menu on a Mac), and look for the plan name. Or sign in at account.microsoft.com and open Services & subscriptions — it shows your plan, the price, and the renewal date.
2 What's the difference between Personal and Family?
Personal is for one person; Family covers up to six, each with their own private account and their own 1 TB of storage, for only a little more. If two or more people in your home use Office, Family is almost always the better deal.
3 Can I get Office without paying for the AI?
Yes. There are lower-cost Classic plans with the same Word, Excel and PowerPoint but no Copilot, and you can turn Copilot off even on a plan that includes it. You can also buy Office once instead of subscribing.
4 Do I even need to pay for Office?
Not necessarily. Office on the web, Google Docs, LibreOffice and Apple's Pages are all free and fine for writing a few letters or keeping a list. Our free-ways-to-write guide compares them.
5 What is the 1 TB of storage for?
It's online space (OneDrive) where your files can be backed up and reached from any device. The real value is safety: if your computer dies, files kept there are still safe. A terabyte is far more than most people will ever fill.
6 How do I avoid a surprise renewal charge?
At account.microsoft.com you can turn off auto-renew — the plan then simply ends at its renewal date unless you choose to continue. Either way, jot the renewal date on your calendar so it's never a surprise.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
Sorting out the right Office plan is one of my favorite things to help with — a few patient minutes often saves real money. I'll look at what you already pay for and match a plan to how you actually work, with nothing to sell you. $99 flat for a visit, or $49 on-screen, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).