Microsoft Excel 2021 | Windows

Microsoft Excel 2021 for Windows – spreadsheets without a subscription

Excel 2021 is the tool for calculations, budgets, analyses and charts. As a standalone program you get Excel permanently for one Windows PC, without programs you don’t need.

Excel 2021 brought some of the most important innovations in years: XLOOKUP and dynamic arrays make many complicated formulas unnecessary.

Typical uses

• Household budget, financial planning and cost comparisons
• calculations and bookkeeping for the self-employed
• Analyses with PivotTables and charts
• Importing CSV data from online banking and shop systems

What Excel 2021 offers

• XLOOKUP and XMATCH for flexible lookups in any direction
• dynamic arrays: UNIQUE, FILTER, SORT, SEQUENCE
• LET function for named intermediate results
• Sheet Views for undisturbed shared filtering
• support for OpenDocument 1.3

Tips for everyday Excel

• Format as Table: ranges grow automatically and filters are available instantly.
• PivotTables: summarise large amounts of data in seconds.
• Conditional formatting: highlight overdue invoices in colour.
• Power Query: prepare CSV exports once and refresh them with one click in future.
• Data validation: drop-down lists prevent typing errors during input.

File formats and compatibility

Excel 2021 saves in XLSX format, and workbooks with macros as XLSM. Older Excel versions also open these files but don’t calculate new functions such as XLOOKUP or FILTER. Bear this in mind if you share spreadsheets with colleagues who still use Excel 2016 or 2019. You import CSV files from online banking, inventory systems or online shops via “Get Data”, and save as ODS for LibreOffice.

Who is Excel 2021 as a standalone program worth it for?

Buying Excel 2021 on its own makes sense if you mainly use this one program at a workstation, for example at reception, in accounting or in the home office. It also works well as an addition: if you already own an older Office version, you can upgrade the program you use most often to a newer version.

Standalone program or Office suite?

If you mainly work with Excel, with the standalone program you only pay for what you really use. If you later need more programs, a suite is usually cheaper than several standalone programs.

You will find further editions under Microsoft Office 2021.

Excel 2021 or 2024?

Both versions are perpetual licences and save in the same file formats. Excel 2021 is mature, cheaper and still the standard in many offices. If you want the latest features, choose Excel 2024.

Buy once instead of subscribing

Microsoft 365 costs money every year and in return provides cloud storage and a steady stream of new features. You pay for Office 2021 once; the programs stay on your computer permanently and continue to receive security and quality updates via the Office update function. If you don’t need cloud extras and store your files on your own PC, on the network or with a cloud provider of your choice anyway, the perpetual licence saves you a considerable amount over the years.

System requirements

• Operating system: Windows 11 or Windows 10. For new computers we recommend Windows 11 Pro
• Processor: 1.1 GHz or faster, at least 2 cores
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Hard disk: 4 GB of free space
• Display: resolution of 1280 × 768 or higher
• Graphics: DirectX 9 or later, with WDDM 2.0 driver on Windows 10
• Internet: required for download, activation and updates
• Other: some features require .NET 3.5 or 4.6 or later

Installation and activation

1. Download the installation file using the link in our e-mail.
2. Start the setup and follow the installation. Uninstall older versions of the same program first.
3. Open the program and activate it online with the product key – without a Microsoft account.

Frequently asked questions

Will my macros still work?

Yes, VBA macros from earlier Excel versions work in Excel 2021. Save such files as XLSM.

Do I need a Microsoft account?

No, Excel 2021 is activated with the product key.

Is this a subscription?

No. You pay once and use Excel 2021 permanently on one Windows PC.

Can I transfer the program to a new PC?

Yes. Uninstall it on the old device, install it on the new one and activate it with the same key. If you run into problems, our support team will help.

Can I use Excel 2021 alongside Office 2016?

The safest option is to uninstall the old Excel version first. Your workbooks are kept.

Will I receive updates?

Yes. Security and quality updates are installed automatically.

Delivery, invoice and support

• Delivery by e-mail: you will usually receive the product key, download link and installation guide within 5 to 30 minutes of payment (daily 09:00–21:00 CET). More under Shipping & payment.
• Invoice: every order comes with a proper invoice, with your company address on request.
• Origin of the licence: we source our licences from distributors and wholesalers in Europe. We explain exactly how this works on the page Buying legal software.
• Support: if you have questions about installation or activation, we help by e-mail (Mon–Sun 09:00–21:00 CET), phone (Mon–Fri 09:00–14:00 CET), live chat or remote support with TeamViewer.

Our goodwill promise

Should the ordered Office version ever no longer be available, we will supply the next higher version at no extra charge. You never pay more than the price at which you ordered.