Which version for my users: Office 2016 or Office 2019?

Microsoft has released different versions of the Office suite. To provide you with objective comparison elements and help you make your choice between Office 2016 or Office 2019 for equipping your collaborators' workstations, it is interesting to study the technological and functional differences between the perpetual license (on-premise) versions 2016 and 2019. The analysis of the technical prerequisites of the versions will also guide your choice depending on the hardware upgrades you may need to consider when choosing between Office 2016 or Office 2019. 

A brief history of Office 2016 and Office 2019 versions

The office suite Office 2016 is the oldest version, launched in 2015 with a planned end of standard support in 2020. Office 2019 is the most recent version; it was launched in 2018 with a planned end of standard support in October 2023. These two on-premise versions mark a turning point in the history of the Microsoft office suite. Optimized for Windows 10, Office 2016 offers a new experience with a more advanced collaborative dimension. It allows online collaboration with document co-editing, real-time document sharing with OneDrive, and access to shared documents from any environment and any device, whether desktop or laptop, mobile (smartphone and tablet), and via a web client. Office 2019 also has extended features and a rich application portfolio. It is noteworthy as it is announced as the last perpetual version of Microsoft's office suite.

What applications are available in Office 2016 and Office 2019 versions

Office 2016

Depending on the editions (only considering Standard, Professional, and Professional Plus versions), Office 2016, accessible via download, includes basic applications like Word (word processing), Excel (spreadsheet), PowerPoint (presentation software), OneNote (digital notebook), and specific applications like Outlook (email client), Publisher (DTP software), Access (relational database) and Teams (collaborative communication software deployed in SaaS mode). Real-time document sharing and collaborative work are possible thanks to online storage space in the cloud with the OneDrive application. The deployment of Office 2016 can be enhanced with related applications like SharePoint 2016 (collaborative platform), Project 2016 (project management software), and Visio 2016 (diagram software), etc.

Among the strengths of Office 2016, it is worth noting the implementation of automatic saving routines that improve application performance and limit system errors, universal compatibility of images and videos, and smart help and search tools.

Among the strengths of Office 2016, it is worth noting the implementation of automatic saving routines that improve application performance and limit system errors, universal compatibility of images and videos, and smart help and search tools. Office 2019

The Office 2019 license (only supported by Windows 10 and 11) is available in Standard, Professional, Professional Education, and Professional Plus editions. This approach only considers business versions. It is available for download, allowing simplified deployment to users within your organization. The main innovation of this Office 2019 version lies in the Click-to-Run installation function, which replaces the usual Windows Installer.

This Office 2019 version includes the same application portfolio as Office 2016, that is, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, Access, and Skype for Business (Teams). You can similarly complement the office suite with applications like SharePoint 2019, Project 2019, and Visio 2019. In each of these applications, new features are deployed, notably for real-time collaborative work, speech synthesis, new Excel charts. Despite its proximity to Microsoft 365, this 2019 version does not benefit from all the functional innovations implemented in the on-demand Office 365 version.  

The technical requirements of Office 2016 or Office 2019 versions

The choice between Office 2016 or Office 2019 is primarily dictated by a functional requirement, but the hardware component of your IT assets also needs to be considered. You can then evaluate the costs or benefits realized depending on whether you integrate Office 2016 or Office 2019.

The prerequisites for installing the Office 2016 license in 32 or 64 bits are, for Windows, an x86 or x64 bit processor, clocked at 1 GHz, 2 GB of RAM, and 3 GB of hard disk space. In terms of environment, the office suite can be installed on a PC equipped with Windows 7, 8, 10. For Apple, an Intel processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 6 GB of hard disk space are required.

The prerequisites for using Office 2019 are, for Windows, a processor clocked at 1.6 GHz 2 cores, 4 GB of RAM, and 4 GB of hard disk space. For Apple, an Intel processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 10 GB of hard disk space are required.

Given the proximity of the two versions and the required technical prerequisites, choosing between Office 2016 or Office 2019 should, in most cases, lean towards Office 2016. This version will allow you to save on second-hand licenses and extend the life of your IT equipment.