I have the online application version. Can I download the desktop version of Office 365?

Yes. Open your Windows 11 VM in Parallels Desktop, open Edge, and go to office.com. Sign in with the Microsoft account that has an active Office 365 subscription, click Install Office, and select Other install options to download the full Windows desktop suite. Run the installer and your license activates automatically.

Can I install the same Office 365 license on the Mac and Windows sides of Parallels Desktop?

Yes. Your Office 365 subscription covers both installs. Install Office on macOS the normal way, and install the Windows version inside your Parallels Desktop Windows VM. Signing in with the same Microsoft account activates both.

Run the Full Windows Version of Office 365 on Mac

Q: Can I use one Office 365 license on both Mac and Windows?

Yes. Your Office 365 subscription covers concurrent Office installs on Mac and Windows. When you install Office 365 inside a Parallels Desktop Windows VM on your Mac, signing in with the same Microsoft account activates Office on both sides no second subscription is required.

Q: Does Microsoft Access work on Mac?

No. Microsoft Access has no Mac version. There is no Mac client and no Macspecific web version that matches the desktop feature set. The only way to run Microsoft Access on a Mac is through Parallels Desktop, which runs the full Windows version of Access using your existing Office 365 subscription.

Q: Does Office 365 Copilot work on Mac?

Yes, largely. Office 365 Copilot works across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook on Mac. Excel Copilot Agent Mode went generally available on Mac in January 2026. Some PowerPoint Copilot features continue to roll out on Windows first and reach Mac weeks later. Pythonpowered Advanced Analysis in the consolidated Copilot Chat and Agent Mode interfaces is pending on both platforms as of early 2026.

Q: Do you offer educational discounts on Parallels Desktop?

Yes. Parallels Desktop offers exclusive discounts to students and faculty. Students enrolled in a qualified institution, or professional educators employed at an eligible institution, can save up to 50%. Verify eligibility on the Parallels education page.

If you’ve ever run into limits with Office for Mac, you’re not imagining it. Some features—like Microsoft Access, advanced Excel tools, or certain enterprise add-ins—are still Windows-only.

Parallels Desktop lets you run the full Windows version of Office 365 directly on your Mac, side by side with macOS. You can open Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote, and Teams exactly as they behave on a PC.

Even better, your existing Office 365 subscription works across both environments. Sign in once, and Office activates on macOS and inside your Windows virtual machine. No second license required.

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Find your app: deeper answers for Office 365 apps on Mac

Excel	Use Excel on Mac without losing Power Pivot, Data Model, or advanced VBA workflows.
PowerPoint	Access full-feature PowerPoint, including Morph, full Copilot Agent Mode, complete VBA, and other advanced animation tools.
Outlook	Run Outlook with full COM add-in support and enterprise automation capabilities.
Word	Work with the Windows version of Word, including full VBA and advanced document automation
Access	Microsoft Access isn’t available on Mac. The only way to run Access is through Parallels Desktop.
OneNote	Use the Windows version of OneNote for advanced integrations and scripting scenarios.
Teams	Teams runs on Mac, but certain deeper Office integrations (such Outlook Calendar COM add-ins) depend on Windows.
SharePoint Designer	A Windows-only tool for SharePoint workflows. Accessible on Mac with Parallels Desktop.

Why Choose Parallels for Office on Mac

Missing the full functionality of your favorite Microsoft Office apps and plugins?

Your solution is here — running a virtual machine with the Windows OS on your Mac enables you to use the plugins and features you need for peak productivity. Maximize the value of your Microsoft Office subscription with Parallels Desktop.

Preserve your Microsoft Office 365 perpetual licenses

Use the Office 365 keyboard shorts and interface you prefer

Use macros for advanced automation

Use the full Windows VBA object model to automate repetitive work across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Office for Mac supports a more limited subset, so macros built for Windows can break or behave inconsistently. Running the Windows version through Parallels Desktop ensures your macros work exactly as intended.

Run Visual Basic Scripts

Experience the full functionality of Windows-based scripting including access to libraries and APIs not available on Mac and enjoy enhanced productivity without needing to switch devices.

Run Microsoft Office apps on your Mac

Get the complete Microsoft Office experience on your Mac, including tools that aren’t available in Office for Mac. Microsoft Access, for example, has no Mac version—running Windows through Parallels Desktop is the most practical way to build, edit, and use Access databases on a Mac. You can also work with features like ActiveX controls and other Windows-only capabilities without changing your workflow.

Use Windows-only plugins

Office integrations often offer more complete functionality on Windows than on Mac. This includes support for COM-based add-ins, advanced automation tools, and enterprise use cases such as CRM integrations, grammar and style add-ins, and workflow automation plugins. Running the Windows version of Office through Parallels Desktop gives you access to the full add-in surface—without switching devices.

Windows PowerShell integration

PowerShell integration for task automation and configuration management is available in some Office applications on Windows, it is not available on Mac.

Preserve your Microsoft Office 365 perpetual licenses

Use your existing Microsoft 365 subscription across both Mac and Windows. When you install Windows with Parallels Desktop, Office activates there just like it would on a PC—no additional subscription required. If you’re using a perpetual version like Office 2021 or Office 2024, you can install and activate it on the Windows virtual machine while continuing to use Office on macOS separately. Your licenses stay valid, and your setup stays flexible.

Get the full SharePoint experience

The Mac and Windows versions of Office 365 both support integration with SharePoint and other Microsoft services, but the Windows version offers a deeper integration and the complete feature set, including SharePoint Designer.

Use the Office 365 keyboard shorts and interface you prefer

Certain keyboard shortcuts are optimized for the Windows keyboard layout and do not directly translate to the Mac keyboard layout. Interface elements like menu layouts, ribbon design, and contextual menus differ between the Mac and Windows versions to accommodate platform-specific conventions and user expectations.

Where Office 365 for Mac falls short

Use one Office 365 license across Mac and Windows

Microsoft 365 isn’t limited to a single operating system. The same subscription covers installs on Mac, Windows, and the web.

With Parallels Desktop, your Windows environment on Mac counts as a standard Windows install. When you sign in, Office activates just like it would on a PC.

That means no additional subscription, no duplicate licenses, and no switching between devices. For individuals, families, and IT teams, it’s a straightforward way to get full platform coverage from one plan.

The full Office automation stack runs on Windows

Windows Office supports a larger VBA object model than Mac, full COM add-ins, full ActiveX and Form Controls, and PowerShell integration across Word, Excel, and Outlook. On Mac, these capabilities exist in a more limited form—or not at all.

For example, a finance team using Excel macros tied to external reporting tools, or an operations team running Outlook automation scripts, will typically depend on the Windows feature set to keep those systems working as expected.

Microsoft Access has no Mac version

Microsoft Access, the database application included with Office 365, has no Mac version. There’s no native Mac version, no equivalent desktop app, and no web-based replacement that matches its functionality. If your work depends on Access —whether that’s inventory databases, internal tools, or reporting systems—you’ll need a Windows environment. Running Access through Parallels Desktop lets you open, edit, and build databases exactly as you would on a PC, without changing your workflow or migrating data.

Power Pivot and the Data Model aren’t part of Excel for Mac

Power Pivot and the Data Model—used for combining large datasets, building relationships, and writing DAX formulas—aren’t included in Excel for Mac. If you’re working with Power BI datasets, financial models, or multi-source analysis, those features are essential. Running the Windows version of Excel fills that gap. For a deeper breakdown, see the Excel page.

Enterprise Office features still live on Windows

Some tools and administrative capabilities remain tied to the Windows platform. Examples include SharePoint Designer for workflow creation, certain Information Rights Management (IRM) configurations, and enterprise-level Office add-in environments. If your organization depends on these, they typically need to be configured or managed from Windows—even in Mac-first environments.

Copilot is now available on Mac—with a few differences

Office 365 Copilot has expanded significantly on Mac, and most core features are now available across platforms. That said, some features still roll out on a slightly different timeline. For example, Excel Copilot is largely at parity. PowerPoint features may arrive on Windows first. Advanced analysis capabilities continue evolving across both platforms. The gap is smaller than it used to be—but for teams that need full, immediate access to new features, Windows still tends to lead.

Office 365 vs. Windows 365: what’s the difference?

Office 365

Office 365 is the Microsoft productivity software suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Teams, and more. It runs locally on your device or in the browser.
Windows 365

Windows 365 is a cloud-hosted. Instead of running Windows locally, you stream a full desktop from Microsoft's servers.

If your goal is running Office on a Mac

Office 365 provides the apps. Parallels Desktop provides the Windows environment. Together, they let you run full Windows Office locally using the same subscription.

If your goal is accessing a remote Windows environment from anywhere

Windows 365 may be a better fit, especially for IT-managed or always-connected setups.

Cost considerations

Windows 365 is a monthly, per-user subscription that scales based on performance needs. Parallels Desktop, by contrast, is an annual subscription that lets you run Windows locally on your Mac. For individuals or small teams primarily focused on Office, running Windows locally is often the simpler and more cost-effective approach. For organizations with strict cloud or compliance requirements, Windows 365 serves a different purpose.

Trusted by over 7 million Mac users worldwide

"Parallels Desktop is the go-to app for the new MacBooks. It helps me use Microsoft Office 365."

Student

"Great to use other OS seamlessly on Parallels Desktop. I can run Microsoft Office and PC gaming natively. I tried VirtualBox, but Parallels Desktop is much more seamless and value for money."

Parallels Desktop Customer

"I am a long time Windows user as CIO in corporate environments and wanted to try Mac OS and hardware but not willing to give up certain Windows apps, like Microsoft Office, that either did not exist on Mac OS or were not as full-featured on Mac OS. I used VMware Fusion for years, and their product updates were relatively infrequent, and overall product quality seemed to be deteriorating. I got Parallels Desktop and found it to be more reliable, faster, and full-featured."

Retired CIO/Software Developer

Office 365 for Mac vs. Office 365 for Windows: feature comparison

Feature	Office 365 on Mac	Office 365 on Windows
Visual Basic Scripting capabilities	No	Yes
Ability to use macros	No	Yes
Microsoft Access Database	No	Yes
ActiveX Controls	No	Yes
Sharepoint Designer	No	Yes
PowerShell	No	Yes
Full Salesforce feature integration	No	Yes
Full Adobe Acrobat feature integration	No	Yes
Grammarly APIs	No	Yes
Full Evernote feature integration	No	Yes
Full Zapier feature integration	No	Yes
Microsoft Access Mac	Not available	Yes
SharePoint Designer Mac	Not available	Yes
Full COM addin support Mac	No	Yes
Full Windows VBA object model Mac	Partial (smaller object model)	Yes
License portability (same subscription, both OSs) Mac alone	No	With Parallels Desktop: Yes.
Office 365 Copilot Mac	Yes	Yes. (Largely at parity; PowerPoint Copilot remains Windowsfirst.)

Parallels Desktop for Mac

Authorized by Microsoft

Optimized for Mac M-series

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Billed annually

Use 200,000+ Windows apps
Access the full range of Microsoft Office 365 features
No need for a second Windows machine
Switch between macOS and Windows effortlessly

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The verdict: Office 365 for Mac vs. Office 365 for Windows

For everyday work, Office 365 for Mac is often enough

If your work centers on documents, presentations, email, and basic spreadsheets, the Mac version of Office handles those tasks well. For many users, it covers everything they need without adding complexity.

For advanced workflows, Windows Office 365 through Parallels Desktop still leads

If you rely on tools like Microsoft Access, Excel Power Pivot, complex VBA automation, or enterprise add-ins, those features are built for Windows. Running the Windows version through Parallels Desktop lets you keep those workflows intact while staying on a Mac. It’s especially relevant for finance teams, analysts, developers, and anyone bringing established Windows-based Office processes to macOS.

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On Apple silicon

Parallels Desktop is the only Microsoft-authorized way to run Windows 11 on Apple silicon Macs (M1 through M5, MacBook Neo). For Office 365, this means licensed access to the full Windows version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, alongside your Mac apps, using the same Office 365 subscription.

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How to set up Office 365 on your Mac with Parallels Desktop

Download and install Parallels Desktop

Download Parallels Desktop and run the installer. Setup takes just a few minutes on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs, and you don’t need to configure anything before moving on.

Install Windows 11 automatically

Parallels Desktop handles the Windows installation for you. On Apple silicon Macs, Windows 11 downloads and installs automatically. No ISO to find, no manual driver setup. You can start using Windows right away, even before activating a license.

Install Office 365 inside Windows

Once Windows is running, open a browser (Edge is already installed), go to office.com, and sign in with your Microsoft account. Click Install Office, and the full Windows suite will download—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote, and Teams. When you open an app and sign in, Office activates automatically using your existing subscription.

Turn on Coherence mode to work across Mac and Windows

Switch to Coherence mode in Parallels Desktop to make Windows apps behave like Mac apps. Your Office apps appear in the Dock, App Switcher, and Mission Control just like native Mac apps. You can open Excel or Outlook alongside your Mac tools without seeing the Windows desktop at all.

Add the tools and files you already use

Install any add-ins you rely on inside Windows Office—Power Pivot in Excel, PowerPoint add-ins like ThinkCell and ClassPoint, Outlook COM add-ins, or any enterprise Office Addin distributed by your organization. If you use Microsoft Access, you can open existing databases or build new ones directly inside the Windows environment. Your Office 365 subscription covers all of this at no additional cost.

*Windows license and Microsoft Office 365 licenses required.

Who runs Windows Office 365 on Mac with Parallels Desktop

Mac users switching from Windows

If you’ve moved from a PC to a Mac but still rely on familiar Office workflows, Parallels Desktop lets you keep using your Office 365 subscription. Macros, add-ins, and Access databases continue working without needing to rebuild anything.

Office 365 Family households with mixed hardware

Microsoft 365 Family plans cover multiple people and devices across platforms. In mixed Mac and PC households, Parallels Desktop gives Mac users access to the Windows version of Office when they need it through shared subscriptions.

Enterprise IT teams standardizing on Mac hardware

Organizations adopting Macs often still need Windows-based Office features, such as Power Pivot, Access, full VBA, and enterprise COM add-ins for finance, BI or operations team. With Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 licenses covering both platforms, Parallels Desktop provides a practical and Microsoft-authorized way to support those workflows without introducing separate Windows machines.

Students and educators

Students and faculty often run into assignments or research tasks that depend on tools like Access databases, Power Pivot analysis, or other extensions. Running Windows Office through Parallels Desktop ensures those requirements are covered—without leaving macOS.

Why choose Parallels Desktop?

Authorized by Microsoft

Parallels Desktop is the only virtualization tool Microsoft has authorized to run Windows 11.

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Parallels Toolbox included in the Pro Edition

Gain access to 50+ free productivity tools designed to simplify tasks.

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Live support

24/7 phone, chat and email support for subscribers. Get in touch anytime, anywhere.

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30-day money back guarantee

Request a refund any time during your initial month if you aren’t completely satisfied.

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Using Microsoft Office on Mac FAQs

Can I use Microsoft Office on a Mac using Parallels Desktop?

Yes. Parallels Desktop runs the full Windows version of Office 365 on Mac, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote, and Teams. Sign in with your Microsoft account, and Office activates on both macOS and your Windows VM—no additional subscription required.

Will I get Word and Excel on my Mac?

Yes. Your Office 365 subscription includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, and Teams on both macOS and Windows. Running the Windows version gives you access to features that aren’t available in the Mac apps, such as Access, Power Pivot, and full VBA.

Can I use one Office 365 license on both Mac and Windows?

Yes. Office 365 plans support installs across multiple devices and platforms. When you sign in on both macOS and Windows (inside Parallels Desktop), your apps activate without needing a second subscription.

What is the difference between Office 365 and Windows 365?

Office 365 is the Microsoft productivity software suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote, Teams. Windows 365 is a cloud-hosted Windows desktop streamed from Microsoft servers. If you want to run Office locally on your Mac, Microsoft 365 combined with Parallels Desktop is the typical setup. Windows 365 is designed for remote desktop environments.

Does Microsoft Access work on Mac?

No. There’s no native version of Microsoft Access for macOS. To use it on a Mac, you’ll need a Windows environment. Parallels Desktop provides a straightforward way to run Access without changing your workflow.

Does Office 365 Copilot work on Mac?

Yes, most Copilot features are available on Mac across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Some features may arrive on Windows first, but overall availability is now similar across platforms.

I have the online application version of Microsoft Office. Can I download the desktop version?

Yes, you can download and use the desktop version of Microsoft Office on your Mac with Parallels Desktop. Just follow these steps:

Open your Windows 11 virtual machine in Parallels Desktop.
Open a web browser inside the Windows 11 virtual machine and navigate to the Microsoft Office website.
Sign in with your Microsoft account that has an active Microsoft 365 subscription.
Once signed in, click on the "Install Office" button.
Select "Other install options" from the drop-down menu and then click on "Download" under the "Office for Windows" section.
Choose the desired version of Office to download and click on "Download".
Once the download is complete, locate the downloaded file and double-click to begin the installation process.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.

Once the installation is complete, you are ready to use the desktop version of Microsoft Office on your Windows 11 Parallels virtual machine. Note that you may need to activate the software using your Microsoft account credentials for full access to all the features.

an I install Office on both macOS and Windows in Parallels Desktop?

Yes. Install Office on macOS as usual and install the Windows version inside Parallels Desktop. Signing in with your Microsoft account activates both.

Do you offer discounts to students or faculty?

Parallels Desktop offers exclusive discounts for students enrolled in a qualified institution or professional educators employed at an eligible institution. Educational discounts can save users up to 50%. Start by verifying your student discount eligibility.

See what you are capable of — with Parallels

200,000+ apps and integrations

Run all your favorite Windows apps on Mac.

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Outlook

Enjoy the full functionality of Microsoft Outlook on your Mac.

Excel

Get all the Excel features you require on your Mac.

Learn more about Excel

Learn more about Microsoft Office 365 and Parallels Desktop

What’s the difference between Microsoft Excel on Mac vs. Windows?

Windows Excel offers more features, better support, and a more comprehensive feature set compared to the Mac version.

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What’s the difference between Microsoft Office 365 on Mac vs. Windows?

The primary difference between Microsoft Office 365 on Mac and Microsoft Office 365 on Windows is that the Windows version offers more features, functionalities, and integrations. In addition, there are variations in the user interface based on the underlying OSs.

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Can I ensure that Windows file types (e.g., .xlsx or .docx) are automatically opened by the appropriate Microsoft Office 365 program?

Yes, here’s how to automatically open a file from Finder in a Windows program:

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Access the full power and capability of Microsoft Office365 on your Mac for only a year with Parallels Desktop

Enjoy Microsoft Office365 on Mac, plus other key Windows applications without the need for a PC.

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