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Does Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac Need Parallels or Another Platform?
Question details
The user wants to know if Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs or requires an additional operating system or virtualization platform like Parallels.
- Product
- Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Installing and running Microsoft Office on a Mac computer without using Windows emulation.
- Observed behavior
- The user is determining system requirements and software dependencies prior to purchasing or installing the application on macOS.
Ensure your Mac is running one of the three most recent versions of macOS, as Microsoft requires this for installing and receiving updates for Office 2021.
Install Office 2021 as a Native Standalone Application
Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac is built to run natively on macOS and does not require Parallels or any other virtual platform.
Microsoft has optimized Office 2021 to run natively on both Intel-based Macs and newer Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs. You do not need to install Windows via Parallels, Boot Camp, or any other virtual environment to use the software.
Navigate to Office.com in your web browser, sign in with your Microsoft account, and redeem your purchased product key.
From your Microsoft account dashboard, select 'Install Office' to begin downloading the macOS standalone installer (.pkg file).
Open the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen prompts to install Word, Excel, and PowerPoint directly onto your Mac.
Try WPS Office for Mac as a Lightweight Native Alternative
If you want to avoid the high upfront cost of Office 2021 or prefer a lightweight suite that runs flawlessly on Apple Silicon Macs, WPS Office is the perfect free alternative.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website or the Mac App Store to download the native macOS application.
- 2. Install and Launch: Drag the application to your Applications folder and open it from your Launchpad.
- 3. Open Your Files: Open any existing Microsoft Office files directly in WPS Office with complete format retention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Microsoft account to install Office 2021 on my Mac?
Yes, you must link your one-time purchase product key to a Microsoft account at Office.com in order to download and activate the software on your Mac.
Does Office 2021 run natively on M1 and M2 Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes, Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac includes Universal binaries. This means it runs natively on both Intel processors and Apple Silicon chips without needing Rosetta 2 or Parallels.
Can I use my Office 2021 for Mac license on a Windows PC?
No, Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac is specifically licensed for macOS. You would need to purchase a separate PC license or a Microsoft 365 subscription to use the software on Windows.
What should I do if I already have older Microsoft software installed?
Before installing Office 2021, check compatibility with your existing Microsoft software. It is generally recommended to uninstall older versions of Office to prevent system conflicts.
