Big Sur and Office aps

You cannot buy just Word. Microsoft only bundles it with Excel and other Office apps.

Microsoft does not provide free upgrades between major versions of their Office products (unless you subscribe to Microsoft 365) and older versions of Office are not compatible with macOS Catalina or Big Sur.

If you have a version of Microsoft Office that is not compatible, you can either subscribe to Microsoft 365 or you can make a one-time purchase. See: https://products.office.com/en-us/buy/compare-microsoft-office-products-for-mac?ms.officeurl=mac-compare-redir

Or use the free Microsoft Office on the web: https://products.office.com/en-us/free-office-online-for-the-web

or Google Docs: https://www.google.com/docs/about/

or the free and very good Libre Office https://www.libreoffice.org/

or Apple’s Pages and Numbers

AnimalHeadedDeities wrote:

I updated to Big Sur. Do I have to buy Microsoft 365? Can't I just update Word, which is all I use? If so, how?

Big Sur compatibility—Microsoft recently announced that it was officially ending support for Office 2016 for Mac on October 13, 2020. Apple Silicon compatibility in Office 2016 is questionable. Office 2019 no issues.

the App Store apps will require you to subscribe to Microsoft 365. Buy from Microsoft for one time purchase:

Office for Mac running macOS Catalina

If you have Office 2011 for Mac or before WILL NOT run, For Catalina Office 2016 for Mac needs to be v15.35 or later.

Update the software : https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/update-history-office-for-mac


ref: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252033401?answerId=253949182022#253949182022

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/endofsupport/office-365-services-connectivity

The current Office for Mac; Office 365 or Office 2019 (One-time purchase) are OK with Catalina/Big Sur

How do I upgrade Office?

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/how-do-i-upgrade-office-ee68f6cf-422f-464a-82ec-385f65391350

compare:

https://products.office.com/en-us/compare-all-microsoft-office-products?&activetab=tab:primaryr1

Office Home & Student 2019:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/office-home-student-2019/cfq7ttc0k7c8?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

Office Home & Business 2019: This stand alone includes Outlook—

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/p/office-home-business-2019/cfq7ttc0k7cq?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

To activate a Microsoft Office 365 subscription you simply enter the email address you used when you extended the subscription with Microsoft.


32 bit apps do not run on Catalina or Big Sur. Office 2019 and Office 365 are 64 bit apps and they both run on Catalina and Big Sur.