Is It Dangerously Unsafe to Keep Using Microsoft Office After Support Has Ended?

What Are the Three Smartest Choices Now That Microsoft Office 2019 Support Is Gone?

On October 14, 2025, Microsoft stopped supporting Office 2016 and Office 2019. This is an important date. It means Microsoft will not release any more security updates for these products. Your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs will still open and work. But if criminals find a new security hole, Microsoft will not fix it. This leaves your computer and your personal information at risk.

You have a decision to make. This is not a moment to panic, but it is a time to act. You have several clear paths you can take. You can stay with Microsoft and upgrade. You can leave Microsoft Office behind for a different program. Or you can keep what you have and add a layer of security. Let’s walk through these choices so you can find the best one for your situation.

Option 1: Stay with Microsoft and Upgrade

For many people, staying with a familiar product is the easiest path. Microsoft offers two ways to do this. You can move to a subscription with Microsoft 365, or you can buy a newer, standalone version of Office.

The Microsoft 365 Subscription

Microsoft strongly encourages users to switch to Microsoft 365. This is not a one-time purchase. It is a subscription service, meaning you pay a fee every month or every year. In return, your Office apps are always updated to the latest version. You also get extra features, like a large amount of OneDrive cloud storage and access to other services.

However, this path has its downsides. The continuous payments can add up over time, becoming more expensive than a single purchase. Some users also feel that Microsoft 365 is filled with too many new features that are released before they are fully tested, leading to bugs and confusion. A major concern is privacy. Microsoft 365 is built around the cloud. It encourages you to save all your documents online. With the addition of AI tools like Copilot, Microsoft’s systems may have access to analyze your data. For any person or business concerned about data privacy, this is a serious point to consider. You are trusting Microsoft with your information.

The One-Time Purchase: Office 2021 or Office 2024 LTSC

If you want a newer version of Office but dislike subscriptions, Microsoft has other options. You could buy Microsoft Office 2021. It is a solid product, but its support also has an end date, which is October 13, 2026. This gives you only a short amount of time before you are in this same situation again.

A much better choice for a one-time purchase is Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC. The “LTSC” stands for Long-Term Servicing Channel. This version is designed for stability. It does not receive constant feature updates, which makes it very reliable for business environments and individuals who just want their software to work without surprises. It offers a long support window, with security updates provided until October 9, 2029. This gives you many years of security and peace of mind without a monthly fee.

Option 2: Leave Microsoft Office Behind

The end of support for your current Office version could be the perfect opportunity to explore other software. For decades, Microsoft Office has been the standard, but it is not the only choice. Powerful and free alternatives exist. Many large organizations are already making this switch.

A Powerful and Free Alternative: LibreOffice

The most popular alternative is LibreOffice. It is a free, open-source office suite developed by a worldwide community. It includes programs that are direct replacements for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Writer (for documents)
• Calc (for spreadsheets)
• Impress (for presentations)

LibreOffice is excellent at opening, editing, and saving Microsoft Office files. The transition is usually very smooth. Because it is free to download and use forever, you eliminate software costs completely. You are also not tied to a large corporation’s decisions or subscription models. For your email needs, Thunderbird is a fantastic and free replacement for Microsoft Outlook. This is especially relevant now, as Microsoft is pushing users toward a new version of Outlook that has raised significant security concerns by routing data through Microsoft’s servers.

This is not just a choice for individuals. The Austrian Armed Forces decided to phase out Microsoft Office in favor of LibreOffice. The German state of Schleswig-Holstein also successfully moved over 40,000 government employees from Microsoft Exchange and Outlook to open-source solutions. These examples show that leaving Microsoft is a realistic and effective strategy.

Option 3: Keep Office 2016/2019 and Make It Secure

What if you are happy with Office 2016 or 2019? The software does everything you need it to do, and you know how to use it well. You do not have to give it up. You can choose to keep your existing software and add a specialized security service to protect it.

This strategy involves using a “micropatching” service. Think of it like a small, precise bandage for a specific software wound. When a new vulnerability is discovered in Office 2016 or 2019, Microsoft will not issue a fix. But a company that provides micropatches will. They create a tiny piece of code that fixes just that one security hole and send it to your computer instantly.

A well-known provider in this area is ACROS Security with their 0patch service. Their service is designed to protect old software that is no longer supported by its original maker. They have committed to providing security patches for Office 2016 and 2019 for up to five years after Microsoft’s end-of-support date. This means you could safely use your current Office suite until 2030.

This is an excellent solution for many private users and small businesses. For personal use, the 0patch service is often free. For businesses, the cost is a small annual fee per computer, which is far less than buying new software or paying for a Microsoft 365 subscription for every employee. It is a practical, cost-effective way to extend the life of software you have already paid for.

How to Choose the Right Path for You

Your decision depends on your needs, budget, and comfort with technology.

• If you want the latest features and deep cloud integration, and do not mind a monthly fee or potential privacy trade-offs, Microsoft 365 might be for you.
• If you prefer to stay with Microsoft but hate subscriptions, and want a stable, long-lasting product, Microsoft Office 2024 LTSC is an outstanding choice.
• If you want to save money and gain independence from large tech companies, switching to a free alternative like LibreOffice is a powerful and proven path.
• If you love your current Office 2016 or 2019 and want to keep using it safely without spending much money, securing it with a micropatching service like 0patch is the most direct and efficient solution.

The one thing you should not do is nothing. Continuing to use Office 2016 or 2019 without any security plan is risky. The end of support is a deadline for a decision, and you now have a clear map of your best options.