What’s Included in Microsoft 365 Personal? Complete Breakdown
EsmailShare
Reviewed 19 October 2026 by Esmail, Technical Support Advisor at Nerdused. Prices checked on microsoft.com the same day.
Microsoft 365 Personal costs $99.99 a year (or $9.99 a month) in the US and gives one person Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote on up to five devices at once, 1 TB of OneDrive storage, Microsoft Defender, premium templates and a Copilot AI allowance. It cannot be shared with other people — for that, Microsoft 365 Family covers up to six.
Many people think Microsoft 365 Personal is just Word, Excel and PowerPoint. In reality it bundles cloud storage and security features too, so this guide breaks down exactly what is included in Microsoft 365 Personal, app by app, so you know what you are paying for before you buy.
| Microsoft 365 Personal at a glance | Detail (checked 19 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month, direct from Microsoft |
| People | 1 (no sharing) |
| Devices | Install on all your devices, signed in on 5 at once (PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android) |
| Apps | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, Microsoft Defender |
| Cloud storage | 1 TB OneDrive |
| Copilot | Included for the account holder, usage limits apply |
| Cheaper alternatives | Office 365 Pro Plus 1-year account $29.99; Office Professional Plus 2024 $29.99 once |
What is Microsoft 365 Personal?
It is Microsoft's one-user subscription: premium Office applications plus cloud storage and security, paid monthly or yearly and kept up to date for as long as you subscribe.
It runs on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android. A single person uses the subscription on all of these under one Microsoft account, signed in on up to five at the same time. Unlike a one-time Office purchase, Microsoft 365 Personal is subscription-based: usually billed yearly, with continuous feature and security updates, and it stops working when you stop paying.
Sharing it with other people in your household is not possible on this plan; for that Microsoft sells a six-person version, compared in our Microsoft 365 Family vs Personal guide.
What is included in Microsoft 365 Personal: the apps
One of the biggest benefits of Microsoft 365 Personal is access to the full desktop versions of the Office apps, not the cut-down web editions.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is included with full premium features. You can create and edit documents, use advanced formatting tools, access professional templates, and save and share files easily. This is useful for writing assignments, reports, CVs and business documents.
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is also included, for data organisation, calculations, charts and reports, and budget tracking. Whether you are managing personal expenses or office data, Excel is one of the most useful apps in the package.
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft PowerPoint helps you build slides, add visuals and animations, use ready-made templates and present professionally. This is ideal for students, teachers and professionals.
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is included for email and calendar management: managing emails, organising schedules, tracking appointments and syncing calendars, without adverts in the inbox.
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote is included for note-taking: writing notes, organising notebooks, saving ideas and syncing notes across devices.
Copilot and Defender
Microsoft's comparison page also lists Copilot (an AI allowance in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, with usage limits) and Microsoft Defender for your devices. Copilot is for the account holder only.
Key benefits of Microsoft 365 Personal for everyday productivity
1 TB OneDrive cloud storage
One of the most valuable features in Microsoft 365 Personal is 1 TB of cloud storage through Microsoft OneDrive — enough for documents, photos, videos and backups, with access from anywhere, sync across devices and secure sharing. For most users, 1 TB is more than enough for everyday personal and work files.
Works across multiple devices
Although Microsoft 365 Personal is for one user, that user can install it on a desktop PC, laptop, tablet and smartphone. This flexibility means you can start a document on your laptop and continue editing it on your phone or tablet — one of the major advantages over older one-time Office licences.
Always updated software
With Microsoft 365 Personal, your apps are always updated: new features are added automatically, security updates are included, and performance improvements happen regularly. You do not need to buy a new version every few years.
Advanced security features
Microsoft 365 Personal also includes built-in security features that help protect your files, your email and your cloud storage, including ransomware detection in OneDrive, file recovery options, security alerts and Microsoft Defender.
Premium templates and creative tools
Subscribers also get access to premium templates for professional CVs, reports, presentations, budgets and planners, saving time and helping users create polished documents quickly.
Microsoft 365 Family plan: what changes if you need to share
If a second person in your home needs Office, Personal is the wrong plan — it cannot be shared at all. The Microsoft 365 Family plan costs $129.99 a year (or $12.99 a month) and can be shared with up to five other people through your Microsoft family group; they do not have to live at your address. Each shared member gets the same desktop, web and mobile apps as you, their own private files and mailbox, and sign-in on five devices at once. What they do not get is Copilot: AI features stay with the subscription owner. Storage also works differently — Family subscriptions bought from 8 October 2026 share 2 TB across the whole group rather than giving 1 TB per person. The per-person maths, the sharing steps and the storage rules are in our Microsoft 365 Family vs Personal comparison.
Microsoft 365 Personal vs a one-time Office purchase
Some users compare Microsoft 365 Personal with a lifetime Office purchase. Microsoft 365 Personal is an annual subscription that includes updates, 1 TB storage and multi-device access; a one-time Office purchase is paid once, with no feature upgrades, no cloud storage, and limited to one version.
Our Office lifetime licence vs Microsoft 365 cost comparison runs the numbers over one, three and five years, and our Microsoft 365 cost guide lists every plan's price.
Want the subscription apps for less? Buy a genuine Office 365 Pro Plus 1-year account from Nerdused.
Delivered to your inbox in about 60 seconds. 30-day refund promise: full refund within 30 days if your key hasn’t been used or won’t activate.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in Microsoft 365 Personal?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote for one person on up to five devices at once, plus 1 TB of OneDrive storage, Copilot AI features, Microsoft Defender, premium templates and ransomware-protected cloud backup. It is billed $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month in the US.
Can I use one Microsoft 365 Personal subscription on multiple devices?
Yes. One person can install and sign in to Microsoft 365 Personal on up to five devices at once — PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android — and switch between them freely. The plan cannot be shared with a second person; for that you need Microsoft 365 Family.
Can I share Microsoft 365 Personal with my family?
No. Microsoft's sharing page states that sharing is not available on Microsoft 365 Basic or Personal. Two people each need their own Personal subscription, or one Microsoft 365 Family plan shared through a family group.
Is Office 365 Personal the same as Microsoft 365 Personal?
Yes. Microsoft renamed Office 365 Personal to Microsoft 365 Personal in April 2020; the apps, 1 TB of storage and single-user limit are the same plan under the newer name.
Does Microsoft 365 Personal come with a student or nonprofit discount?
Not directly. Microsoft 365 Personal is a consumer plan with no student pricing. Students with a valid school email often qualify for free Office through their institution instead, and registered nonprofits can apply for discounted Microsoft 365 Business plans through Microsoft's nonprofit programme — neither applies to the Personal plan itself.
What happens if I stop paying for Microsoft 365 Personal?
According to Microsoft, you can still open, view and usually print your documents, but you cannot create, edit or save them until you renew. Your OneDrive storage falls back to the free 5 GB tier, so move large files off before the subscription lapses.
Is Microsoft 365 Personal worth it?
Microsoft 365 Personal is worth $99.99 a year if you use OneDrive storage, Copilot, or Office on a phone and tablet as well as a computer. If you only need the desktop apps on one or two devices, it is not. Either way it is much more than basic Office software. It gives one user access to premium apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, along with 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage, advanced security and regular updates — a complete productivity package for students, professionals, freelancers and personal users. If you want the same desktop apps without Microsoft's yearly price, Nerdused sells a genuine Office 365 Pro Plus 1-year account ($29.99, 5 devices) and the one-time Office Professional Plus 2024 licence ($29.99), both delivered by email in about 60 seconds with a 30-day refund promise.
Need a licence key? Buy a genuine Office Professional Plus 2024 licence from Nerdused.
Delivered to your inbox in about 60 seconds. 30-day refund promise: full refund within 30 days if your key hasn’t been used or won’t activate.
Sources (opened 19 Oct 2026): Microsoft — compare Microsoft 365 plans, Microsoft Support — share your Microsoft 365 subscription, Microsoft Support — what happens when your subscription expires.