| Criteria | Score (out of 10) | |----------|------------------| | Stability | 9 | | Features (vs M365) | 5 | | Offline usability | 10 | | Security support | 8 (5 years) | | Value for money | 6 (unless you truly need LTSC) |
Overall: 7.5/10 – Excellent in its niche, but outdated for modern collaborative work.
If you tell me your use case (e.g., “I work offline in a factory” or “I want to avoid subscriptions for my small business”), I can give a more specific recommendation.
Microsoft Office LTSC 2024 is the newest perpetual-license version of the Office suite, released on October 1, 2024, as a follow-up to Office LTSC 2021. Designed for commercial and government customers, it provides a stable, "frozen-in-time" set of classic apps without the ongoing cloud-based feature updates seen in Microsoft 365. Comparison of Editions
The two primary volume-licensed editions differ mainly in their included application sets: Feature/App Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024 Office LTSC Standard 2024 Core Apps Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote Advanced Apps Access (PC only) Not Included Communication Skype for Business (optional install) Basic core apps only Licensing Volume Licensing (device-based) Volume Licensing (device-based)
Note: Microsoft Publisher is no longer included in any 2024 edition as it is being retired. Key Features and Improvements
According to Microsoft Support, the 2024 version introduces several productivity and performance enhancements:
Modernized Design: A cleaner interface with rounded corners and a more fluid ribbon. microsoft office ltsc 2024 pro plus standard top
Excel Enhancements: 14 new text and array functions (e.g., VSTACK, TEXTSPLIT), dynamic charts, and an IMAGE function for inserting images directly into cells.
Support for ODF 1.4: Improved compatibility with third-party applications through OpenDocument Format 1.4.
Improved Recovery: Word 2024 automatically reopens all documents if the program closes unexpectedly.
Accessibility: Significant updates for screen readers and voice typing. Support and Lifecycle
Office LTSC 2024 is supported under a Fixed Lifecycle Policy, providing exactly 5 years of mainstream support.
Release Date: September 18, 2024 (Commercial) / October 1, 2024 (General). End of Support: October 9, 2029.
Updates: Only receives security and quality fixes; no new features are added after release. Purchase and Availability | Criteria | Score (out of 10) |
As a volume-licensed product, LTSC versions are typically purchased through authorized resellers or Microsoft's sales department.
Pricing: Commercial versions are approximately 10% more expensive than the previous 2021 release.
Deployment: Uses Click-to-Run technology rather than traditional MSI installers.
Alternative: For individual users, the standard Office 2024 Home & Business is available as a one-time purchase at retail sites like Microsoft Store. Overview of Office LTSC 2024 - Microsoft Learn
Pro Plus is the flagship. This is what IT departments buy for power users. It contains everything in Standard, plus the enterprise-grade tools that IT pros search for under the keyword "top". Included Apps (All of Standard +):
Her senior architect, Joon, had a mantra: “The factory floor doesn’t need CoPilot. It needs consistency.”
When Microsoft announced Office LTSC 2024 Pro Plus, Joon read the fine print like scripture: If you tell me your use case (e
Mira signed the EA that afternoon. The PO line read: “Office LTSC 2024 Pro Plus Standard Top – perpetual, 4,200 seats.”
The LTSC channel is not recommended for every organization. Microsoft explicitly targets this product at specific scenarios. The "Top" question is not just about features, but about deployment philosophy.
LTSC is the right choice if:
LTSC is NOT the right choice if:
You need a file to tell the installer what to install. Create a new text file in your C:\Office2024 folder and name it configuration.xml.
For Office LTSC Professional Plus 2024: Open that file with Notepad and paste the following code. This specifically targets the "Pro Plus" volume license edition:
<Configuration>
<Add OfficeClientEdition="64-bit" Channel="PerpetualVL2024">
<Product ID="ProPlus2024Volume" PIDKEY="">
<Language ID="en-us" />
<ExcludeApp ID="Lync" />
<ExcludeApp ID="OneDrive" />
<ExcludeApp ID="Teams" />
</Product>
</Add>
<RemoveMSI />
<Display Level="Full" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
</Configuration>