Office mac 2021 from https://macadmins.software/

The software bits you download regardless of whether you're downloading "version 16.xx" or "Office 365" or "Office 20xx" are the exact same. Those are three different ways of referring to the same software, but each means something specific.

First, every month, Microsoft releases an update with a version number like "16.xx". It's been 16.xx.0 for the past several years and that "16" isn't going to change any time in the near future.

The "xx" is just a sequential number and you can associate that with a specific month/year. 16.57 refers to January 2022. 168.58 will be February 2022, etc. 16.9 refers to January 2018 when Microsoft first publicly used that version. (16.1-8 were beta versions).

"Office 365" is still the exact same software as the "16.xx" software. It just means the customer is subscribing to Microsoft's monthly service to get the software. Releasing updates monthly allows Microsoft to show its "Office 365" subscribers some new value each month. One of the important features for Office 365 subscribers is they can take advantage of online services Microsoft integrates with their products like language translation, creating rich PDFs, etc.

"Office 2019" and "Office 2021" both relate to Volume License customers. Each of these is considered a "product". You buy it once and it's yours forever. The difference is the "Office 2019 product" won't include features of the "Office 2021 product". If you have the "Office 2019 product" but want the new features that are part of the "Office 2021 product", you'll have to buy the "Office 2021 product". There's no upgrade path.

But the literal difference in features between Office 2019 (v16.52) and Office 2021 (v16.53) is just one month's worth of updates and features.

If your organization opted not to upgrade its volume license from Office 2019 to Office 2021, the software continues to work and it will receive security updates for another couple of years, but new features stop.

If your organization did upgrade its volume license from Office 2019 to Office 2021, the software receives all new security and feature updates for the life of Office 2021.

A neat thing Microsoft did with the latest releases of software is they still release just one installer each month that works for both Office 2019 customers and Office 2021 customers. The features your users see are controlled just by the license you apply. Therefore, your organization can remain on Office 2019 for a year after 2021 was release, but once you install the 2021 license file, your end users will immediately receive all the new Office 2021 features immediately without having to install anything.

Sorry for the long explanation and hope I didn't cause any confusion. In a nutshell: Each month releases a new version for everyone. Depending on the license you apply, you will see different features light up. Office 365 subscribers always see all features. Volume License customers may see those new features light up only by purchasing the next generation of the software.

@sdagley  so if I have the 2021 LTSC serializer and serialize 16.57.0 with it it will be 'version 2021' and have additional features?

Yes, because of the LTSC serializer.

I should add that Volume Licensing is typically renewed annually between organizations and Microsoft. It's rare that in the renewal an org wouldn't get the next generation of a product (like going from Office 2019 to Office 2021).

@talkingmoose   ok, so from what you're saying  if i have existing macs running Office 2019 then I can just apply the 2020 LTSC serializer and it will basically upgrade it from Office 2019 to Office 2021

Only if the installed software version supports that license.

16.53 was the first of the Office 2021 generation, so it any version higher than that you can apply the 2021 LTSC serializer.

And you should be able to simply install the serializer over your 2019 serializer. There's no removal needed. I would imagine the apps would need to be restarted too for the license to apply. You can check the About window in any app to be sure.

@talkingmoose  great, so any computer running Office 2019 16.53 or higher can have the Office 2021 LTSC applied?

based on my records looks like

16.54.0 minimum macOS = 10.14.0

16.57.0 minimum macOS = 10.15.0

This page confirms the Office LTSC for Mac 2021 installer supports v16.53 and later. Supported operating system would be determined by the version of the Office software itself.

This is around the time Apple is expected to release the next major macOS version, but it's always a guess when that will exactly happen. In keeping with Microsoft's N-2 policy for supported macOS versions, it's understandable this will be a fuzzy period.

Hello, I am having issues with the Serializer. It won't take the serial. I have tried multiple times. Deleted the Ofiice and reinstalled it few times still the same issue "License not Activated"