| Microsoft Office 95 | The first version of Microsoft Office that introduced multiple programs in a single bundle with a unified interface. The original programs in the suite were Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access. | Not designed for multi-user networks, used only single user licenses. | Included the ability to embed multimedia content into documents, charts and images in documents, enriched formatting capabilities, the ability to set bookmarks in documents and the introduction of OLE objects. | Microsoft Office 95 was released on 19 August 1995 and was the first version of the Office suite to include applications written using the modern Object Linking Embedding (OLE) technology. | August 19, 1995 |
| Microsoft Office 97 | Office 97 included extensively updated versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access. It also introduced Outlook as the mail client, replacing Microsoft Mail. | The user interface was too complex for beginners. It also lacked the ability to update over the internet. | It supported the ability to insert objects from many different applications, a task pane, data access pages in Access, smart tags, and macros in documents. | Office 97 was released in November 1996 and included extensive user interface updates and new features. | November 1996 |
| Microsoft Office 2000 | Office 2000 included a major overhaul of the user interface, replaced the old toolbar and menu structures with a new task-based “menu system”. It also included a major revision of Outlook. | It was not compatible with Windows 95 and was difficult to install. | It offered a new feature called the “Document Inspector” which allowed users to check for hidden data or private information that may have inadvertently been included in a document. | Office 2000 was released in June 1999 and included Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook. | June 1999 |
| Microsoft Office XP | Office XP offered a number of new features, including the ability to update over the internet, an easy to use task pane, enhanced formatting options, the ability to create dynamic web-pages, improved security and a new “Smart Tags” feature. | It was the first version of Office to require the use of product activation. | It introduced a new Office Assistant feature, software suites, support for “InfoPath” and the ability to open multiple files in multiple windows. | Office XP was released on April 19, 2001 and replaced the Office 97 version. | April 19, 2001 |
| Microsoft Office 2003 | Office 2003 included improved support for web services, a revamped user interface and improved compatibility with other Microsoft products. | It was not compatible with newer versions of Windows such as Windows 7. | It included improved support for working with XML documents, the ability to access documents from remote locations, new features for PowerPoint and the introduction of the “InfoPath” program. | Office 2003 was released on 21 October 2003 and included Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint. | October 21, 2003 |
| Microsoft Office 2007 | Office 2007 featured a new user interface, called the Ribbon, which replaced the traditional toolbar. It also included a “Compatibility Mode” which allowed documents created in previous versions of Office to be opened and edited without losing formatting. | It was not compatible with Windows XP, as it required Windows Vista. | It included a new “Live Preview” feature for formatting documents, improved support for creating and manipulating objects within documents, an improved search feature, and support for creating web-based applications. | Office 2007 was released on 30 January 2007 and included Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access 2007. | January 30, 2007 |
| Microsoft Office 2010 | Office 2010 included a redesigned user interface, called the Ribbon, which made it easier to use and to customize. It also included improved collaboration tools, support for the Office Web Apps, and improved accessibility features. | It was not compatible with the older versions of Office. | It included a number of new features, such as the ability to embed videos in documents, improved support for ODF documents, a SharePoint collaboration platform and support for the new Office Web Apps. | Office 2010 was released on 15 June 2010 and included Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access. | June 15, 2010 |
| Microsoft Office 2013 | Office 2013 included improved support for the cloud, improved audio and video editing tools, improved integration with other Microsoft services, and improved support for touch-enabled devices. | It was not compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista. | It included a new version of Outlook, improved support for the Office Web Apps, a new version of Word with support for “Reading Mode”, improved support for Open XML documents, and the introduction of Sway. | Office 2013 was released on 29 January 2013 and included Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access. | January 29, 2013 |
| Microsoft Office 2016 | Office 2016 included a number of new features, such as improved collaboration tools, improved support for Office 365, improved support for mobile devices, the introduction of “Tell Me” and improved accessibility features. | It was not compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista. | It included support for Open XML documents, the ability to share documents with other users, improved support for ODF documents, improved collaboration tools, the ability to access documents from OneDrive, and support for real-time co-authoring. | Office 2016 was released on 22 September 2015 and included Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access. | September 22, 2015 |
| Microsoft Office 2019 | Office 2019 included improved support for Office 365 and the cloud, a redesigned user interface, new collaboration features, improved support for data visualization, improved accessibility, and the inclusion of Microsoft Teams. | It was not compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista. | It included support for Open XML documents, improved support for Power BI, support for Office 365 Groups, improved Microsoft Forms, the ability to create add-ins, improved search features and the inclusion of the new “Insights” feature. | Office 2019 was released on 24 September 2018 and included Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access. | September 24, 2018 |
