What Apps Are Included in Office 2021 Professional Plus?
The short answer: Office 2021 Professional Plus for Windows includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher and OneNote.
It is a perpetual, non-subscription Office release, but there is now an important limitation: Microsoft support for Office 2021 ends on 13 October 2026. Publisher 2021 is included and can continue to be installed and used after this date, but Microsoft support and updates for Publisher 2021 also end in October 2026.
Office 2021 support ends soon: Microsoft has confirmed that support ends on 13 October 2026, with no extension and no Extended Security Updates. The applications can continue to work afterwards, but Microsoft will no longer provide normal security fixes, bug fixes or technical support. Read the Microsoft Office 2021 end-of-support notice.
What Is Office 2021 Professional Plus?
Microsoft Office 2021 Professional Plus is a Windows desktop productivity suite containing Microsoft's familiar applications for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, email, databases, publishing and note-taking.
Unlike Microsoft 365, Office 2021 Professional Plus is a perpetual Office release rather than a recurring subscription. Its main desktop applications are installed locally on the Windows PC and its core feature set does not receive the continuous stream of new features supplied to Microsoft 365 subscribers.
Windows only: the Office 2021 Professional Plus product supplied by EcoKeys is intended for a compatible Windows PC. It should not be purchased for macOS, Chromebook, iPad or Android.
What Apps Are Included in Office 2021 Professional Plus?
Word 2021
Documents, reports, letters, forms and other word-processing tasks.
Excel 2021
Spreadsheets, formulas, charts, calculations and data analysis.
PowerPoint 2021
Presentations, slides, visual content and presenter tools.
Outlook 2021
Email, contacts, calendars and desktop communication tools.
Access 2021
Relational databases, forms, queries and reports on Windows.
Publisher 2021
Desktop publishing and page-layout tools. Publisher 2021 remains included and usable, although Microsoft support and updates end in October 2026.
OneNote
Digital notebooks for notes, research, images and organised information.
The exact installation and activation rights depend on the licence supplied, so always check the product information before purchasing.
Microsoft Word 2021
Word 2021 is Microsoft's word-processing application. It can be used for everyday documents such as letters and reports as well as longer projects including manuals, proposals and academic work.
Useful Word 2021 tools include:
- document templates and styles
- spelling, grammar and writing suggestions
- tables, images and shapes
- headers, footers and page-layout controls
- references and footnotes
- accessibility checking
- comments and document-review tools
Some sharing and simultaneous editing features depend on documents being stored through a compatible Microsoft account or business cloud service. Those online services are separate from the Office 2021 licence itself.
Microsoft Excel 2021
Excel 2021 is the spreadsheet application included with Office 2021 Professional Plus. It can be used for everything from household budgets and stock lists to financial calculations and business reports.
Excel 2021 includes features such as:
- XLOOKUP for finding corresponding information in tables
- dynamic arrays that allow formulas to return results across multiple cells
- FILTER for returning selected information from a dataset
- SORT and UNIQUE for organising lists
- LET for assigning names within more complex formulas
- PivotTables and PivotCharts
- conditional formatting
- charts and data-validation tools
These features make Excel 2021 considerably more capable than much older perpetual editions, although newer Office releases contain additional Excel improvements.
Microsoft PowerPoint 2021
PowerPoint 2021 is used to create presentations for meetings, lessons, training, demonstrations and other visual communication.
Presentations can contain:
- text and images
- charts and diagrams
- audio and video
- animations and transitions
- speaker notes
- slide timings
- Presenter View
Online collaboration features depend on the Microsoft account, storage service and organisational environment being used.
Microsoft Outlook 2021
Outlook 2021 combines email, calendars, contacts and related communication tools in a desktop application.
It includes tools for:
- sending and receiving email
- searching and filtering messages
- organising email with folders and rules
- calendar appointments and meetings
- contact management
- shared mailboxes and calendars where supported by the connected email service
The Office licence provides the Outlook application; it does not itself provide an email account, Exchange service or Microsoft 365 mailbox.
Microsoft Access 2021
Access 2021 is a Windows database application designed for situations where structured relational data is more appropriate than a standard spreadsheet.
An Access database can contain:
Tables
Store structured records and information.
Queries
Search, filter, calculate and combine information.
Forms
Provide an interface for entering and reviewing data.
Reports
Present or print selected information from the database.
Access can also connect to external data sources including SQL Server. It is a Windows-only application.
Microsoft Publisher 2021
Publisher 2021 is included with Office 2021 Professional Plus and is used for page-layout work such as leaflets, newsletters, labels, menus, business cards and other printed or digital publications.
Publisher 2021 remains usable as part of the perpetual Office 2021 Professional Plus suite, including after October 2026. However, Microsoft support and updates for Publisher 2021 end in October 2026, so this should be considered if you intend to rely on the software for many years.
Publisher 2021 will not suddenly disappear in October 2026: users of the perpetual version can continue to install and use Publisher and can continue to open and edit existing .pub files after support ends. The important change is that Microsoft will no longer provide support, security fixes or updates for Publisher 2021.
This is different from Publisher supplied through Microsoft 365. Microsoft is removing Publisher from Microsoft 365 after October 2026.
Publisher is also not included with Office 2024. This means someone who specifically requires Microsoft Publisher may still have a reason to choose Office 2021 Professional Plus, provided they understand that Microsoft support for Office 2021 and Publisher 2021 ends in October 2026.
Microsoft provides further information on its Publisher support and retirement page.
Microsoft OneNote
OneNote is Microsoft's digital notebook application. It can be used to collect and organise:
- written notes
- images
- links
- lists
- research
- meeting notes
- project information
Information is organised into notebooks, sections and pages. Synchronisation and sharing depend on the Microsoft account and storage service being used.
What Is Not Included With the EcoKeys Office 2021 Professional Plus Licence?
Office 2021 Professional Plus should not be confused with a Microsoft 365 subscription.
No Microsoft 365 subscription
The Office licence does not provide a Microsoft 365 subscription or its continuously updated feature set.
No bundled OneDrive storage plan
Cloud storage depends on the Microsoft account or separate Microsoft service being used.
No Teams licence
No Microsoft Teams licence is included with this EcoKeys product. Teams can be downloaded separately and used with an appropriate free or paid account.
No future Office upgrade
Office 2021 does not automatically upgrade to Office 2024 or a later Office release.
Office 2021 Professional Plus vs Microsoft 365
The main difference is the purchasing and update model.
Office 2021 Professional Plus is a fixed desktop Office release. The applications are installed on the Windows PC and the licence does not require a recurring Microsoft 365 subscription.
Microsoft 365 is a subscription service. Depending on the plan, it can provide continuously updated Office applications, cloud storage and additional connected services.
Should You Buy Office 2021 Professional Plus in September 2026?
For most new purchases intended for long-term use, the approaching support deadline makes Office 2024 worth considering first.
Office 2021 may still be appropriate when:
- you specifically require the Office 2021 release
- you need compatibility with an existing Office 2021 environment
- you specifically require Microsoft Publisher
- the software is only required for a limited period
- you understand the October 2026 support deadline
Publisher is an important difference between the two generations. Publisher 2021 is included with Office 2021 Professional Plus, while Publisher is not included with Office 2024.
For users who do not require Publisher and intend to use Office for several years, Office 2024 provides a substantially longer remaining support lifecycle, with Microsoft support running until October 2029.
Our Office 2024 vs Office 2021 comparison explains the differences in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What programs come with Office 2021 Professional Plus?
The EcoKeys Office 2021 Professional Plus product includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher and OneNote for a compatible Windows PC.
Does Office 2021 Professional Plus include Word and Excel?
Yes. Both Microsoft Word 2021 and Microsoft Excel 2021 are included.
Does Office 2021 Professional Plus include Outlook?
Yes. Outlook 2021 is included. The licence supplies the Outlook application but does not itself provide an email account or Microsoft 365 mailbox.
Does Office 2021 Professional Plus include Access?
Yes. Access 2021 is included and is available for Windows.
Does Office 2021 Professional Plus include Publisher?
Yes. Publisher 2021 is included with the Office 2021 Professional Plus suite supplied by EcoKeys. Microsoft support and updates for Publisher 2021 end in October 2026, but users of the perpetual version can continue to install and use Publisher after this date. Publisher is not included with Office 2024.
Will Publisher 2021 stop working in October 2026?
No. The perpetual version of Publisher 2021 can continue to be installed and used after support ends, and existing .pub files can continue to be opened and edited. The change is that Microsoft will no longer provide support, security fixes or updates for Publisher 2021.
Is Publisher included with Office 2024?
No. Publisher is not included with Office 2024. Customers who specifically require the Publisher desktop application should take this difference into account when comparing Office 2021 Professional Plus with Office 2024.
Does Office 2021 Professional Plus include Teams?
No Teams licence is included with the EcoKeys Office 2021 Professional Plus product. Microsoft Teams can be obtained separately and used with an appropriate account or plan.
Is Office 2021 Professional Plus a subscription?
No. It is supplied as a one-time-purchase Office release rather than a recurring Microsoft 365 subscription.
When does Office 2021 support end?
Microsoft support for Office 2021 ends on 13 October 2026. Microsoft says there will be no extension and no Extended Security Updates.
Will Office 2021 stop working after October 2026?
No automatic shutdown occurs simply because support ends. The applications can continue to function, but Microsoft will no longer provide normal Office 2021 security updates, bug fixes or technical support.
Summary
Office 2021 Professional Plus includes a broad collection of Windows desktop applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher and OneNote.
Publisher remains an important part of the Office 2021 Professional Plus suite and can continue to be used after October 2026. However, Microsoft support and updates for both Office 2021 and Publisher 2021 end in October 2026.
Customers who specifically require Publisher should also be aware that Publisher is not included with Office 2024, making this an important difference when choosing between the two versions.
Still need Office 2021 Professional Plus?
If Office 2021 meets your requirements, including if you specifically need Publisher, you can review the applications, compatibility and licence information on our Office 2021 Professional Plus product page.
