What is Office license?
Office licenses are generally divided into two categories, namely retail licenses and volume licenses. Different licenses have different activation methods and correspond to different licensing periods.
Microsoft is also introducing vNext licenses for Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Retail license
Retail licenses can only be activated via a valid product key.
Most retail licenses are tied to a Microsoft account, you can log in to your Microsoft account in the Office application to activate it. So retail licenses are not usually activated via Office Tool Plus.
Volume license
Volume licenses can be activated using MAK or via KMS.
- Multiple Activation Key (MAK): can be used in multiple times within specific limits. Once activated, the activation will be permanent.
- KMS activation refers to activation using the Key Management Service. Usually, an activation is valid for 180 days unless KMS specifies another policy.
Warning
Office LTSC 2021 SPLA licenses do not support KMS activation, only MAK activation supported.
vNext license
vNext licenses are exclusive to Microsoft 365 subscriptions. These licenses are generated by Microsoft servers and issued to Office applications. These licenses are protected by digital signatures. vNext licenses contain the information of Microsoft account and specify the availability of Office applications.
Generally, vNext licenses have a three-month authorization period, so an Internet connection is required to use Microsoft 365 apps uninterruptedly. vNext licenses also have certain device limits. Microsoft 365 Apps for Personal and Family versions allow 5 devices to be used, and Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise versions allow 10 devices to be used.