Microsoft Office 2019 vs. Office 2016: what are the differences?

Difference Office 2016 and 2019

On February 1, 2018, the most recent version of Microsoft Office was introduced, Office 2019. We look at the differences between Office 2016 and Office 2019 and we tell you why you should upgrade.

First things first: Office 2019 is a one-time release and while it was suspected that this could be the last perpetual license for Office, this is not the case. Microsoft has stated that there will likely be at least one more.


A Microsoft Office 2019 license never expires

That's why once you buy an Office 2019 license, it will never expire, just like any version there will come a point when no more updates will be made – for users who don't want or can't use the cloud, and don't need advanced options or working alone, an Office suite such as Office 2019 is a good purchase.

Office 2016 vs 2019: What's New in Microsoft Office 2019?

New to Word

  • Text to speech
  • Translator
  • Improved ink & accessibility
  • Focus mode
  • Dark Theme

New for PowerPoint

  • Zoom options for ordering slides in presentations
  • Morph transition function
  • Ability to insert and manage icons, SVG and 3D models

New for Excel

  • Funnel Charts, 2D Maps and Timelines
  • Ability to publish Excel to Power BI
  • PowerQuery improvements
  • New Excel functions and connectors
  • PowerPivot improvements

New for Outlook

  • Targeted inbox
  • Updated contact cards
  • Office 365 Groups (requires Exchange Online)


Is my computer suitable for Microsoft Office 2019?

First, your operating system must be Windows 10, Windows Server 2019. For example, Office 2019 will not work on Windows 7, 8, or Windows Server 2016.

Your processor must have 1.6 GHz or more or processing power and 2 cores or more. For macOS, any Intel processor will do. With RAM, you need 4 GB for Windows (or 2 GB if you're using a 32-bit version) and 10 GB on a Mac.

Read more about Microsoft Office standard vs. Professional Plus here.

Read more about the differences between Office 2019 Home & Business, Home & Student and Professional.

Read more about the newest release of Microsoft Office: Office 2021.

Learn more about the differences between Office 2021 and Office 2019.

Do you have questions? Contact us!

For more information about which Microsoft software and licenses are best for you, please contact us. We are available from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.