On 11 April, Microsoft will end support and security updates for Office 2013. Robert Irvine explains the options available to you to keep using office software securely
If you’re one of the millions of people who still use Office 2013, you may have received a reminder from Microsoft that support for the popular office suite will end on 11 April 2023. This means it will no longer receive security updates and technical support, leaving the software exposed to security risks and performance problems.
Although no new features have been added to Office 2013 for nearly 10 years, you may be reluctant to abandon it, because it still works well and satisfies your word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation needs. Here we explain the best options available to you after 11 April, whether you want to stick with Microsoft Office or switch to a free alternative.
Option 1 Upgrade to Microsoft 365
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft’s official advice to Office 2013 users is that you upgrade to its Microsoft 365 suite, which has now replaced the Office brand. This offers the same applications as Office 2013, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, as well as 1TB of online storage (per user) with OneDrive, spelling and grammar checker Microsoft Editor, survey creator Microsoft Forms and more.
Subscribers also get access to online video editor Clipchamp with “premium filters and effects” and the new version of antivirus tool Microsoft Defender, which works across desktop and mobile devices. Indeed, one of the main advantages to Microsoft 365 is that many of its apps are web-based, so you can use them on your PC, phone or tablet, and access your files from anywhere.
However, you don’t need to be connected to the internet to use core Office tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, because these are fully installed on your Windows 10 or 11 computer.
Another big difference from Office 2013 is that Microsoft 365 requires paying for a monthly or annual subscription, rather than a one-off purchase. Its Personal plan (for one person) costs £5.99 a month or £59.99 a year, while its Family plan (for up to six people) costs £7.99 a month or £79.99 a year.
You can try Microsoft 365 for free for one month (www.snipca.com/45236 – see screenshot below), but you need to enter your payment-card details so remember to cancel if you decide not to subscribe.
Option 2 Switch to Office 2021
If you prefer using traditional Office software to a partly web-based suite and would rather buy it outright than subscribe, consider switching to Office Home & Student 2021. This cost
