Office Licenses for Business: How Many Do You Need?
Buying Office for one computer is simple. Buying it for a whole office raises questions: Do you count people or computers? What about the person with a desktop at work and a laptop at home? Can one Microsoft account hold all the licenses?
This guide answers those questions using Microsoft’s own licensing descriptions, then walks through a quick way to count what your business needs.
The quick answer
One-time Office 2024 licenses are counted by computer. Microsoft describes Office Home & Business 2024 as a one-time purchase “for 1 PC or Mac,” and Office LTSC Standard 2024 and Professional Plus 2024 as installed on one PC. One computer, one license.- Microsoft 365 business plans are counted by person. Plans that include the desktop apps, such as Microsoft 365 Business Standard, let each licensed user install the apps on up to 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets, and 5 phones.
Office Home 2024 isn’t for business. Microsoft labels it “for non-commercial use.” For work, choose Office Home & Business 2024, Office 2024 Standard or Professional Plus, or a Microsoft 365 business plan.
Step 1: List every computer that needs desktop Office
Write down each PC and Mac where someone uses Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook as installed desktop apps. Include:
- desktops at people’s desks
- laptops, including ones that travel between the office and home
- shared computers, such as a front-desk PC or a shop-floor workstation
- the owner’s or manager’s own computers
With one-time licenses, you count computers, not people. A shared front-desk PC is one computer. A person with a work desktop and a laptop has two computers.
Step 2: Note what each computer runs
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is it a PC or a Mac? | Office 2024 has separate Windows and Mac versions. Make sure each product page says Windows or Mac before you order. |
| Does this person need Outlook? | Office Home & Business 2024 includes Outlook. Office Home 2024 doesn’t, and isn’t for business use anyway. |
| Does anyone use Access databases? | Access is only in Office 2024 Professional Plus, and only on Windows. Microsoft doesn’t offer Access for Mac. |
| Is it managed by an IT provider? | Office LTSC 2024 editions (Standard and Professional Plus) include administrator Group Policy and volume activation, according to Microsoft. |
For a full edition-by-edition breakdown, see Office 2024 Home vs Home & Business vs Professional Plus.
Step 3: Decide between per-computer and per-user
This is where the count can change a lot.
One-time Office 2024 (per computer) tends to fit when:
- most people use one computer each
- you want to pay once rather than subscribe
- you only need the desktop apps
A Microsoft 365 business plan (per user) tends to fit when:
- people regularly work on two or more computers, or on tablets and phones
- you also want business email, cloud storage, and Teams from Microsoft
- you add and remove staff often
Microsoft’s business plans are charged per user and are designed for organizations with up to 300 users. Note that Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes only the web and mobile versions of the apps. For installed desktop apps, Microsoft lists Business Standard and Business Premium.
For a deeper comparison of the two approaches, read Office 2024 vs Microsoft 365 for small businesses.
Step 4: Add up your licenses
- Going one-time? Your number of licenses equals your number of computers from Step 1, split by edition and by PC or Mac.
- Going Microsoft 365? Your number of licenses equals the number of people who need the apps. Each person covers up to 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets, and 5 phones.
- Mixing both? That’s fine too. For example, one-time licenses for shared office PCs and Microsoft 365 for staff who work across several devices.
Three worked examples
Example 1: A four-person office, one PC each
A small accounting office has four staff, each with one Windows PC, and everyone uses Outlook. There’s no Access and no Mac.
Count: 4 computers, so 4 Office Home & Business 2024 licenses for Windows.
Example 2: Three people with a desktop and a laptop each
A consultancy has three people. Each has a desktop in the office and a laptop for client visits.
Count: 6 computers. With one-time licenses, that’s 6 licenses. With Microsoft 365 Business Standard, it’s 3 user licenses, since each user can install on up to 5 PCs or Macs. Compare the two options over the time you expect to use them, or ask us for a quote on both.
Example 3: A mixed Mac and PC office with an Access database
A design studio has five Macs for designers, two Windows PCs in the office, and one Windows PC that runs the studio’s Access job-tracking database.
Count:
- 5 × Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac
- 2 × Office Home & Business 2024 for Windows
- 1 × Office 2024 Professional Plus (for the Access PC)
That’s 8 licenses across three products.
Managing several licenses on one Microsoft account
Office Home & Business 2024 is redeemed to a Microsoft account, then installed from that account. Microsoft says you can activate up to 25 licenses of Office Home 2024, Office Home & Business 2024, and Office Professional 2021 on the same Microsoft account.
That makes it practical for a small business to keep its Office licenses together under one company account. Keep a simple record of which product key went on which computer. Microsoft notes that if you have several one-time installations under one account and need to reinstall one, you’ll need to work out which product key belongs to each PC.
Office 2024 Professional Plus works differently. It’s installed with Microsoft’s Office Deployment Tool and activated with its product key, as our Professional Plus install guide explains step by step.
Don’t forget Windows
Each new or rebuilt PC also needs a licensed copy of Windows. If you’re setting up machines for the office, see Windows 11 Pro, and add it to your count alongside Office.
Remote desktop and virtual machines
If staff use Office through Remote Desktop Services or on virtual machines rather than on their own PCs, licensing works differently. Microsoft lists “terminal services for remote computers and virtual machines” as part of the Office LTSC 2024 volume editions. Setups like this vary, so request a quote and describe your environment.
Shop Office for your business
- Office Home & Business 2024 for Windows
- Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac
- Office 2024 Standard for Windows
- Office 2024 Professional Plus (includes Access, Windows only)
Browse all Office 2024 licenses
Buying for several computers, or want a Microsoft 365 business plan? Request a quote and tell us how many PCs and Macs you have, who needs Outlook or Access, and whether people use more than one computer. Not sure what’s installed today? Here’s how to check which version of Office you have.
Frequently asked questions
One. Microsoft describes Office Home & Business 2024 as a one-time purchase for 1 PC or Mac, for use at home or work. Each additional computer needs its own license.
Microsoft says you can activate up to 25 licenses of Office Home 2024, Office Home & Business 2024, and Office Professional 2021 on the same Microsoft account. For Microsoft 365 Personal and Family, it’s one subscription per account.
It depends on the product. One-time Office 2024 editions are licensed per computer: one license for one PC or Mac. Microsoft 365 business plans are licensed per user, and each user can install the apps on up to 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets, and 5 phones.
No. Microsoft labels Office Home 2024 for non-commercial use, for home or school. For business, choose Office Home & Business 2024, Office 2024 Standard or Professional Plus, or a Microsoft 365 business plan.
With one-time Office 2024, yes. Each license covers one computer, so a desktop and a laptop need two licenses. With a Microsoft 365 business plan that includes desktop apps, one user license covers up to 5 PCs or Macs.
Choose an Office 2024 product made for Mac, such as Office Home & Business 2024 for Mac. Windows editions don’t install on a Mac, and Professional Plus is Windows only. Microsoft doesn’t offer Access for Mac.
No. Microsoft 365 Business Basic includes the web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook only. Business Standard and Business Premium include the desktop versions too.
Need help counting?
Send us a list of your computers and who uses them, and we’ll recommend the right mix of licenses.
- Business or volume orders: request a quote.
- Questions or help with an order: email support@solveditservices.com (fastest), or call (447) 223-5297.
- More answers are on our FAQ page.