For decades, Microsoft Office has been a mainstay for business and productivity tools. Every time a new version comes out, users get to try out new features and improvements that are meant to make work faster, easier, and more productive. If you're thinking about buying or upgrading Microsoft Office, you might be wondering which version is best for you. In this article, we'll look at three well-known versions of Microsoft Office: Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus, Microsoft Office 2019 Professional, and Microsoft Office 2021 Professional. We'll look at their main features and differences and help you figure out which one is best for you.

What does Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus do?

Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus came out in 2015 and is one of the most popular versions of Office. Office 2016 is still a good choice for many people because it has a lot of useful features, even though older versions of Microsoft Office may not have some of the newer cloud features.

Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus's main features

Better tools for working together: One of the biggest changes in Office 2016 was the addition of cloud services. Users can easily share and edit documents on different devices thanks to features like real-time collaboration and cloud storage through OneDrive.

Excel 2016 added new data analysis tools like Power Query and Power Pivot. These tools make Excel a very powerful tool for managing and analyzing data.

Outlook Improvements: The newest version of Outlook made it easier for business users to manage their email and calendars by adding features that made scheduling and communication easier.

Office 365 Integration: Office 2016 was not part of the subscription-based Office 365, but it was compatible with it. This meant that users could use cloud-based features without having to pay for a full Office 365 subscription.

Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus is still a great choice for people who need a reliable, feature-rich Office suite. It has a lot of tools and features.

Microsoft Office 2019 Professional: A Better Way to Work and Get Things Done

Microsoft Office 2019 Professional came out in 2018 and builds on the features of Office 2016 by making them work better and making it easier to work together. This version is for people who want a more polished experience with modern features while still feeling like they're using the classic Office suite.

Important Features of Microsoft Office 2019 Professional

Better Collaboration: Office 2019 doesn't have all the cloud-based features of Office 365 yet, but it does have better tools for working together, which makes it easier to share files across devices and platforms.

PowerPoint Updates: Office 2019 adds new tools to PowerPoint, like Morph and Zoom, that let users make

professional presentations with smoother transitions and moving pictures.

Excel 2019 adds new features like PowerQuery and PowerPivot, which make it easier to analyze data. This makes it more useful for people who do a lot of work with data.

Microsoft Teams Integration: Microsoft Office 2019 works with Microsoft Teams, which makes it easier for people in different organizations to talk to and work with each other.

Microsoft Office 2019 Professional has better performance and features than the previous version, but it still doesn't fully work with the cloud-based, subscription model that Microsoft has moved to with Office 365.

The newest and most advanced version of Microsoft Office is 2021 Professional.

Microsoft Office 2021 Professional, which came out in 2021, has the most up-to-date improvements in performance, features, and integration. It has a lot of the best parts of Office 2016 and Office 2019, plus new tools and features that are focused on the cloud.

Important Features of Microsoft Office 2021 Professional

Office 2021 is fully integrated with Microsoft 365. This means that collaboration, cloud storage, and real-time editing are all easier to do across different devices than they were in previous versions.

Better Excel Tools: Excel 2021 has even more tools for visualizing and analyzing data, like XLOOKUP and dynamic arrays, which make it easier to handle and analyze data.

Better PowerPoint Features: PowerPoint 2021 has better features for multimedia presentations, like the ability to record slides and better inking tools.

Modernized UI: Office 2021 has a more streamlined user interface that makes it easier to move between apps and improves the overall experience for users.

Microsoft Office 2021 Professional has the newest tools for a smooth, cloud-connected workflow for both businesses and individuals who want the newest Office features.

The main differences between Microsoft Office 2016, 2019, and 2021

All three versions of Microsoft Office have great features, but there are some important differences that may help you choose which one is best for you.

Joining the Cloud:

Some cloud-based features were added to Office 2016, but it doesn't fully embrace the cloud experience.

Office 2019 made it easier to work together in the cloud, but it still depends a lot on local storage.

Office 2021 works perfectly with Microsoft 365, giving you a better cloud experience and better tools for working together.

New Tools and Features:

Excel 2019 and 2021 have better tools for analyzing data, such as Power Query and XLOOKUP, which make them more useful.

PowerPoint 2021 also adds advanced presentation features like tools for recording and better inking.

The user interface:

The user interface in Office 2021 is more modern and sleek, while the designs in Office 2016 and 2019 are still the same.

Subscription vs. a license that lasts forever:

Office 2021 has more cloud-based features and works well with Microsoft 365.

You don't need to keep paying for Office 2019 and 2016 because they are mostly perpetual licenses.

Which Version Should You Pick?

Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus is a good choice for people who don't need cloud integration and want a stable, classic version. Perfect for people who don't need to get updates often.

Microsoft Office 2019 Professional is great for people who want a newer version of Office with more modern features, like better Excel and PowerPoint functionality, but don't need full cloud integration.

Microsoft Office 2021 Professional is the best option for people who need the most up-to-date tools. It works with Microsoft 365, has more advanced Excel and PowerPoint features, and makes it easier to work together.

So, which version of Microsoft Office is best for you?

It depends on what you need to choose between Microsoft Office 2016 Professional Plus, Microsoft Office 2019 Professional, and Microsoft Office 2021 Professional. Office 2021 is the best choice if you want the newest features and the ability to work in the cloud. If you don't need all the cloud features, though, Office 2019 or 2016 might be a better choice because they have reliable tools and don't focus as much on subscriptions and cloud services.

Microsoft Office is still the best productivity software, no matter which version you choose. It has powerful tools for both businesses and individuals.