Recently Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Office 2013 and the Microsoft Office 365. So what exactly is the difference between the Office 2013 and the Office 365? So which one of these two would be better for you and which one should you go for?

Well first of all, the difference is that the Microsoft Office 2013 is a desktop software whereas the Microsoft Office 365 is a subscription based software that can be used remotely. But to be honest, it seems that Microsoft has given Office 365 a clear advantage over Office 2013.

So as mentioned before, Office 2013 consists only of the desktop applications. The Office 365 on the other hand is a web based software that works along with cloud storage and cloud technology to give you a totally different experience.

Previously the tables were the other way round, Microsoft Office 365 was the weaker between the two, so the desktop version of Microsoft Office had an upper hand. But with the advances in cloud storage and cloud technology, things are different now.

Office 2013 is much more expensive as compared to the Office 365. And on to of that, Office 2013 can be used only on one single machine. Here is a list of the different versions of Office 2013 for a clear understanding:

1. Office 2013 Student Edition

CONTAINS – Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote

COSTS – $140

2. Office 2013 Business Edition

CONTAINS – Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote and Outlook

COSTS – $220

3. Office 2013 Pro Edition

CONTAINS – Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Access and Publisher

COSTS – $400

The Office 365 on the other hand can be used on five different machines. The billing is also done on per user per year basis. Office 365 comes in two editions. The Office 365 Home Premium which costs $100 per year and the Office 365 Business Premium which costs $150 per year.

But do not forget that this is the yearly fee you have to pay, whereas the Office 2013 will be a one time purchase. So you should choose between the two depending upon what suits you best.