Do You Need Microsoft 365 at Home on a Mac? Compared with Pages, Numbers and Keynote
Do you need Microsoft 365 at home on a Mac, or are Pages, Numbers and Keynote enough? Australian prices, what changes between the two and how to choose.
Many Mac users already have Apple’s Pages, Numbers and Keynote. For home use, whether you also need Microsoft 365 depends on what you do, who you share files with and whether you want cloud storage for the family. This guide compares the two so you can choose without overcomplicating it.
Where Apple’s apps work well
Pages, Numbers and Keynote are easy to use and fit neatly with iCloud, so your files follow you across your Mac, iPhone and iPad. They also run in a browser through iCloud. For letters, simple budgets, schoolwork and quick presentations, they are often all you need. Keynote in particular is quick to build good-looking presentations with.
If Apple’s apps already do what you need, there is no strong reason to change.
Where Microsoft 365 still makes sense
Compatibility is the most common reason. If you regularly send and receive Word or Excel files, using the same apps avoids formatting problems and extra steps. A Word document can change when it is opened in Pages. Unsupported fonts are substituted, some tab settings and text effects look different, and graphics such as SmartArt are imported as simple shapes. Some chart types are imported as different chart types.
Familiarity is another reason. Many people use Word and Excel at work and prefer the same tools at home. Students are a third case, since schools and universities often expect Microsoft formats.
Excel is often the deciding factor
For basic lists and budgets, Numbers is fine. If you track investments, build detailed budgets or work with templates you download, Excel gives you more room as your spreadsheets grow.
What Microsoft 365 costs in Australia
The current Australian prices are:
- Microsoft 365 Personal, A$159 a year1 (A$16 a month1). It is for one person, with 1 TB of cloud storage, and you can sign in on five devices at once.
- Microsoft 365 Family, A$179 a year1 (A$18 a month1). It is for one to six people, each on up to five devices, with 2 TB of shared storage. The AI features are for the subscription owner only.
- Microsoft 365 Premium, A$329 a year1 (A$33 a month)1. It adds more usage of the AI features.
All of them include the desktop versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, with Copilot. Prices can change.
Working with both
You do not have to choose one. Many people use Apple Mail for everyday email, Pages for quick drafts and Word for anything they will send to someone else. You can convert files either way. In Pages, Numbers or Keynote, choose Share, then Export and Send, and pick Word, Excel or PowerPoint. Your original file stays unchanged.
Family storage is not a backup
A family plan gives everyone cloud storage, and it keeps documents available on every device. It is not a backup, because deleted or damaged files can still be lost. Our guide to backing up your Mac with Time Machine and a NAS explains the difference.
Keep it simple
For most Mac users at home, Microsoft 365 is not essential, but it is often useful. The right choice depends on the work you do and who you share it with. If you run into compatibility problems, support schoolwork or want family storage, it becomes a practical extra. If your version of Office is old, see our guide to Office 2024, Office 2019 and Microsoft 365 on a Mac.
Need help choosing?
If you are not sure whether Microsoft 365 is worth it at home, or you want help setting it up alongside your Mac, see our Microsoft Office & Email for Home service, or contact Your Mac Tech.
1. Prices shown are current as at July 2026.
