Microsoft 365 price increase for consumers

wabbit · Jan 19, 2025

I currently have Microsoft 365 family plan. Since 2015, I was paying $99.99 per year. Upon visiting my Microsoft account, I noticed that my renewal of Microsoft 365 is now $129.99 per year. My renewal is not until December 2025.

I figured that after some time, the price may go up. Now that Co-pilot has been added to the apps, does that alone justify MS increasing the price of the annual subscription. I have 3 users on the family plan now and I can add 3 more. From what I can tell, my OneDrive storage will remain 1 TB for each family member. I just noticed the price increase, but when did MS make the official announcement?

PurSpyk!! · Jan 19, 2025

I think the price increase was announced near the end of last year. They also plan to eventually remove Publisher from the suite, so price increase programs removed, and more bloat added (copilot) Odd thing is the credit you receive for using the copilot features are only available to the main user. This is a bit idiotic.

I originally purchased my subscription in 2016, which then cost R530.00 (South African Rand), it's now up to R1999.99 which is quite an increase. The main reason why we really bother with this subscription version is the OneDrive 1TB of space per user.

There was some news about a version without copilot, at a reduced price for another year, but eventually the new prices will be forced onto all subscribers

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 19, 2025

It was first announced on the 31st of October 2024 as far as I can tell. The actual price increase announcement is buried on the page in the 3rd to last paragraph. See first weblink below.

To reflect the value we’ve added over the past decade and enable us to deliver new innovations for years to come, we’re increasing the prices of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family. The price increase will apply to existing subscribers upon their next renewal. The price increases vary in each market.

From:

https://news.microsoft.com/apac/2024/10/31/unlock-your-potential-with-copilot-and-designer-in-microsoft-365-personal-and-family/?form=MG0AV3

Local pricing here:

Compare All Microsoft 365 Plans (Formerly Office 365) - Microsoft Store

Find the right Microsoft 365 Family or Personal plan for all your devices. Includes AI-powered Office apps, 1 TB of cloud storage, and premium mobile features.

www.microsoft.com

IanMosley · Jan 19, 2025

Last year I paid UK£49.99 for MS365 Personal; my renewal (later) this year will be UK£84.99!!

I don't think so!!

I'm moving to Office 2024 Professional - don't need the cloud storage.

Steve C · Jan 20, 2025

I've never paid more than £15 for an Office licence going back 10 years and all license keys still work.

cereberus · Jan 20, 2025

IanMosley said:
Last year I paid UK£49.99 for MS365 Personal; my renewal (later) this year will be UK£84.99!!

I don't think so!!

I'm moving to Office 2024 Professional - don't need the cloud storage.

Something is a bit confusing here. MS Personal is £60 pa, so I cannot see how you got it for £49.99

Some users get 30% discount through a company scheme, so only pay £42. With 30% off £84.99, it will cost £59 pa.

Still either way, a hefty increase - and it is almost certainly the crapalot bs that is the root cause.

I am currently on family version and pay £55 with discount but now I am semi retired, I do not really need it, so I will revert to Personal, so overall increase with only be a few pounds.

Oddly enough I prepaid a few weeks back until 2026 at old price (in anticipation of not working fulll time), so I have a year before I need to do anything.

From 2026, I will probably buy MS Office, and possibly lease Onedrive 100 GB - I use around 140 GB but there is a lot of junk there - mainly image backups which can be deleted. I will investigate other cloud sources but I can live with 100 GB plus the 30GB I get free anyway.

TairikuOkami · Jan 20, 2025

Luckily I have Microsoft 365 Basic, which does not include this nonsense, yet.
MS should provide an option to opt out, but as if MS ever gives you a choice.

jimbo45 · Jan 20, 2025

This is always the problem with subscription based stuff. Once sufficient numbers get "locked in" then the supplier can increase prices at whim.

Unless you really need oodles of cloud storage, or need Ms Office apps on loads of PC's just use any of the "cheap bargains" out there - Office 2021 is a good one as some really cheap offers available. For those who still use publisher - it's still available in Office 2021 - but being deprecated in Office 2024 soon if not already.

I've had 3 of these licenses and they all update perfectly - no "illegal KMS" stuff etc required, Perfectly bog standard Ms activation.

Cheers
jimbp

Steve C · Jan 20, 2025

cereberus said:
Something is a bit confusing here. MS Personal is £60 pa, so I cannot see how you got it for £49.99

Some users get 30% discount through a company scheme, so only pay £42. With 30% off £84.99, it will cost £59 pa.

Still either way, a hefty increase - and it is almost certainly the crapalot bs that is the root cause.

I am currently on family version and pay £55 with discount but now I am semi retired, I do not really need it, so I will revert to Personal, so overall increase with only be a few pounds.

Oddly enough I prepaid a few weeks back until 2026 at old price (in anticipation of not working fulll time), so I have a year before I need to do anything.

From 2026, I will probably buy MS Office, and possibly lease Onedrive 100 GB - I use around 140 GB but there is a lot of junk there - mainly image backups which can be deleted. I will investigate other cloud sources but I can live with 100 GB plus the 30GB I get free anyway.

See this offer for starters for c. £46 Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License | StackSocial

bikemanI7 · Jan 20, 2025

I'll renew at the new price in December 2025, as I use daily Ms Ourlook, One drive, Ms Word, And Excel sometimes, Publisher and PowerPoint rarely.

Had Office 365 Family since 2017, no way I'd give it up.

I'll cut out in October 2025 doordash, and other things to make sure I'll get it renewed as well as Malwarebytes Premium.

Hazel123 · Jan 20, 2025

Glad I don't have it. I have two purchased copies of Word 2013 and one purchased copy of Office professional plus. And no subscriptions. Except to idrive which is about £80 a year and I feel is worth it, for full back up. Not quite sure how long Word 2013 will be supported though.

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 20, 2025

Hazel123 said:
Glad I don't have it. I have two purchased copies of Word 2013 and one purchased copy of Office professional plus. And no subscriptions. Except to idrive which is about £80 a year and I feel is worth it, for full back up. Not quite sure how long Word 2013 will be supported though.

Support for all of Office 2013 ended nearly two years ago.

End of support for Office 2013 - Microsoft Support

Support for Office 2013 ended on April 11, 2023. All of your Office 2013 apps will continue to function. However, you could expose yourself to serious and potentially harmful security risks. Upgrade to a newer version of Office.

support.microsoft.com

Hazel123 · Jan 20, 2025

Marcus Vinicus said:
Support for all of Office 2013 ended nearly two years ago.

End of support for Office 2013 - Microsoft Support

Support for Office 2013 ended on April 11, 2023. All of your Office 2013 apps will continue to function. However, you could expose yourself to serious and potentially harmful security risks. Upgrade to a newer version of Office.

support.microsoft.com

Lol. That's interesting. Microsoft still let me download a copy of Word 2013 the other day.

Edwin · Jan 20, 2025

wabbit said:
I noticed that my renewal of Microsoft 365 is now $129.99 per year.

That's why I won't rent software!

$30 bucks! Going on year number 4! Doesn't owe me a thing!

bikemanI7 · Jan 20, 2025

Well i myself see the benefits of Office 365

Onedrive 1TB of Cloud storage
MS Outlook Classic
Always on latest Version as long as subscription is active
Ability to share with 6 Family Members

Its something i use Daily since purchased it for 5 years with laptop purchase in 2017, then when the years ran out began paying for it

If i went back to Non Office 365 than i lose 1TB of OneDrive Space, And Latest Version aspect, and Ability to share with 6 Family Members.

But everyone has there preferences and way they use there Computers.

Hazel123 · Jan 20, 2025

I can see that point as I bought two separate copies of office for two different computers. However, I prefer it that way. It sits on my computer and no subscriptions or confusion. However I also don't use one drive so see no advantage to it particularly. I guess it depends what you need from office as well. I mainly only use Word.

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 21, 2025

The other options from MS are plans called Microsoft 365 Personal and Family Classic. These plans don't have Co-Pilot or AI Credits. Not sure what the pricing of these is.

Switching to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family Classic Plans - Microsoft Support

Learn how to switch to a Microsoft 365 subscription plan without AI features, which include Microsoft 365 Basic, Microsoft 365 Personal Classic and Microsoft 365 Family Classic.

support.microsoft.com

All about Microsoft 365 Classic

There are two new special Microsoft 365 plans for consumers called “Microsoft 365 Classic” that Microsoft only mentions in passing. We explain what it 'Clas

office-watch.com

Winuser · Jan 23, 2025

I'm good until next January. I do use OneDrive and share my subscription with my son. I don't need Copilot and I doubt he needs it. I'll wait until December and switch to Family Classic. I entered it into the One Calendar app so I don't forget.

Hazel123 · Jan 23, 2025

What the heck is copilot 365 by the way? Just saw that recently. Is that copilot integrated into office somehow?

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 23, 2025

Hazel123 said:
What the heck is copilot 365 by the way? Just saw that recently. Is that copilot integrated into office somehow?

I asked CoPilot what Microsoft 365 CoPilot is and it came up with:

I have a Microsoft 365 Business subscription that has CoPilot added (aka Microsoft 365 CoPilot) and it's nothing to write home about despite MS spin above.

Microsoft 365 price increase for consumers

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