Office Products
Buy genuine Microsoft Office apps as standalone perpetual licenses: Word, Excel and Outlook 2024, Access, Visio and Project Professional, plus Visual Studio and SQL Server for developers and IT teams. Each key is a one-time purchase with the license type stated on the product page, and it arrives by email within minutes of payment.
Showing all 23 results
Showing all 23 results
Microsoft Office apps as standalone perpetual licenses
This is the parent category for every single-application license we sell at Software in Store. Instead of buying the full Office suite, you can pick the one program you actually need: Word 2024 for Windows or Mac, Excel 2024, Outlook in four versions, Access 2021 or 2024, Visio Professional, Project Professional, Visual Studio Professional or Enterprise, and SQL Server Standard or Enterprise. Every product here is a perpetual license. You pay once, you activate once, and there is no subscription renewal to keep track of.
Microsoft sells most of these programs as one-time purchases alongside its Microsoft 365 plans, and we sell the same genuine product keys. The difference is how you buy them. Each product page states the license type (retail, OEM or volume), the number of installations the key allows, and which version of Windows or macOS it needs. Your key is delivered by email within minutes of payment, together with the official Microsoft download link and a short installation guide, and it is also stored under My Account.
The standalone Office apps in this family
Use the child categories to compare versions within one application. Each child page explains what that program does, which release is current, how long Microsoft supports it, and how its editions differ.
- Microsoft Word: Word 2024 for Windows and Word 2024 for Mac, the current perpetual release of the word processor.
- Microsoft Outlook: Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024 as single-app keys for email, calendar, contacts and tasks.
- Microsoft Access: Access 2021 Professional and Access 2024 Professional for desktop databases, forms and reports.
- Microsoft Visio: Visio 2019, 2021 and 2024 Professional for flowcharts, network diagrams, floor plans and process maps.
- Microsoft Project: Project 2019, 2021 and 2024 Professional for schedules, resources, baselines and Gantt charts.
- Visual Studio: Visual Studio 2019, 2022 and 2026 in Professional and Enterprise editions, licensed per developer.
- SQL Server: SQL Server 2019 Enterprise plus SQL Server 2022 Standard and Enterprise for database servers.
Which apps are in the suite, and which are always sold separately
A common question is whether a standalone app duplicates something you already own. The table below shows where each program sits. Word, Excel, Outlook and Access are part of Office Professional Plus, so if you own that suite you do not need them again. Visio, Project, Visual Studio and SQL Server are never included in any Office suite and must be licensed separately, whether you buy from Microsoft or from us.
| Application | Versions we sell | Included in Office 2024 Pro Plus? | Typical buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word | 2024 for Windows, 2024 for Mac | Yes | Writers, students, offices that only need documents |
| Excel | 2024 for Windows | Yes | Analysts, bookkeepers, anyone who lives in spreadsheets |
| Outlook | 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 | Yes | Email and calendar on a PC without the rest of Office |
| Access | 2021 Professional, 2024 Professional | Yes, Pro Plus only | Desktop database builders, small business applications |
| Visio Professional | 2019, 2021, 2024 | No | Process, network and floor plan diagrams |
| Project Professional | 2019, 2021, 2024 | No | Project managers, schedulers, PMO teams |
| Visual Studio | 2019, 2022, 2026 Professional and Enterprise | No | Software developers and development teams |
| SQL Server | 2019 Enterprise, 2022 Standard and Enterprise | No | Database administrators, application back ends |
If you need Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook together, the full suite is usually the better buy, and Home and Business or Professional Plus will cost less than three separate apps. If you need one program, or you need a program the suite never contains, standalone office apps are the right place to shop.
Standalone app or full suite: how to decide
Think about three things. First, how many programs do you use? One or two points toward standalone Office apps; three or more points toward Professional Plus or Home and Business. Second, do you already own a suite? Someone with Office 2021 Home and Business who now needs a database can add Access 2024 without replacing everything else. Third, is the program a specialist tool? Visio, Project, Visual Studio and SQL Server are specialist tools by definition, so the only decision left is which version and which edition.
Version matters as well. The 2024 releases of Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, Visio and Project are Microsoft's current perpetual (LTSC) generation and are supported until October 9, 2029. The 2021 releases remain in mainstream support until October 13, 2026. Older versions such as Outlook 2016 or Visio 2019 still activate and still work, and they cost less, but they receive fewer updates going forward.
Which edition should I choose?
These are the products our support team recommends most often in this family, with the situation each one fits.
- Microsoft Word 2024 for Windows: the current word processor for one PC when you do not need Excel or PowerPoint. A Mac version is listed separately in the Word category.
- Microsoft Outlook 2024: the current perpetual email client, a good fit when the built-in Windows mail app or a webmail tab is no longer enough.
- Microsoft Access 2024 Professional: the desktop database application for forms, queries and reports, delivered as a bind key that ties the license to your Microsoft account.
- Microsoft Visio 2024 Professional: the full diagramming edition with the complete template and stencil set.
- Microsoft Project 2024 Professional: scheduling and resource management for one PC, including the Team Planner and Project Server connectivity that Project Standard lacks.
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 Professional: the developer IDE most teams standardize on, licensed per user rather than per device.
How activation and delivery work
Every order in this category follows the same four steps.
- Choose the product, check the license type and installation count on the product page, and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through our encrypted, PCI-compliant checkout. We never see your card number.
- Within minutes of payment, 7 days a week, you receive an email with your 25-character product key, the official Microsoft download link and a short installation guide. The same key is saved under My Account.
- Download the installer from Microsoft, run it, and enter the key when the program asks for it. Office apps activate over the internet in a few seconds. Visual Studio unlocks with the key from its Help menu. SQL Server accepts the key in the setup wizard.
- If Microsoft asks for phone activation, our support team walks you through the Installation ID and Confirmation ID exchange. A person answers email 7 days a week at support@softwareinstore.com.
Every key is covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee. If a key cannot be activated and our support team cannot resolve the problem, we replace the key or refund the order in full.
Retail, OEM or volume: read the product page
The license type is stated on each product page because it changes what you can do later. A retail key can be removed from one computer and activated on another, which is the right choice for a personal machine you will eventually replace. An OEM key stays with the first PC it activates. A volume (MAK) key is meant for organizations, activates a limited number of times, and is not the right choice for a single home user. Some 2024 apps, including Access 2024 Professional, are sold as bind keys that attach the license to your Microsoft account so you can reinstall from your account page later. Visual Studio is licensed per user and SQL Server per core or per server plus CALs; both are explained on their category pages.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy just Word or just Excel without the whole Office suite?
Yes. Word 2024 and Excel 2024 for Windows are sold here as individual perpetual licenses, and Word 2024 is also available for Mac. Each key activates the single application on one computer, and the program is the same build that ships inside Office 2024 Professional Plus. This is the most economical route when you only write documents or only work in spreadsheets. If you later find you need PowerPoint or Outlook as well, adding the full suite is straightforward, and the standalone app can stay installed alongside it.
Are standalone Office apps a subscription?
No. Every product in this category is a perpetual, one-time purchase. There is no monthly or yearly charge and nothing expires at the end of a term. The application keeps working on the activated computer for as long as you use it. Microsoft 365 is the subscription product; what we sell is the perpetual desktop version of each program. You still receive security updates for the supported life of that version through the built-in Office update mechanism or Windows Update.
Do standalone apps work with an Office suite already on my PC?
In most cases, yes, as long as the generations are compatible. Microsoft supports installing a standalone 2024 app such as Visio or Project alongside Office 2024 or Office 2021. Mixing very old and very new releases, for example Office 2010 with Access 2024, is not supported and the installer may refuse to continue. Visual Studio and SQL Server are separate products that do not depend on Office at all. If you are unsure whether a combination will install cleanly, email our support team before you buy and describe what is already on the computer.
Which version should I buy if I want the longest support?
Choose the 2024 release. Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, Visio and Project 2024 are Microsoft's current perpetual generation, supported until October 9, 2029. The 2021 versions are still fine for everyday use but leave mainstream support on October 13, 2026. For developers, Visual Studio 2022 remains the most widely used release, while Visual Studio 2026 is the newest. For database servers, SQL Server 2022 is the current release and the one we recommend for new deployments.
What happens if my key does not activate?
Contact support@softwareinstore.com with your order number and a screenshot of the error. Most activation problems come from entering the key into the wrong edition or from a previous installation still holding the license, and our team fixes those quickly, including phone activation with Microsoft when it is needed. If the key genuinely cannot be activated and we cannot resolve it, you receive a replacement key or a full refund under our 30-day money-back guarantee. A person answers email 7 days a week.
Every product page in this family states the license type and the number of installations, so you know exactly what you are buying before checkout. If you want the whole process laid out step by step, read how it works. If a complete suite makes more sense than a single program, compare Professional Plus, Standard and Home and Business editions in our Microsoft Office category.