A frequent question is whether this or that Microsoft 365 plan/subscription includes Access. Microsoft marketing likes to hide Access in niches or on the back pages. This makes it difficult to find in many plans and unsettles the consumer. Therefore, here is a current list that we will try to keep up to date, even if plans, names, etc. change again.
Access is included in
these Home plans:
Microsoft 365 Family
Microsoft 365 Single
Access is listed in the feature comparison table.
these Small Business plans:
Microsoft 365 Business Standard
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Apps for Business
Access is listed+pictured in the price comparison + listed in the feature comparison table (expand the item "Installable desktop apps").
these Enterprise plans:
Microsoft 365 E3
Microsoft 365 E5
Access is listed+pictured as one of the Microsoft 365 Apps in the feature comparison table.
Access is NOT included in
Microsoft 365 Business Basic (includes only online apps)
Microsoft 365 Frontline plans (F1, F3)
There are further M365 plans for special customer groups. If you can't find Access on the first page or in the feature listings of a plan, the following will help with some plans:
Go to the details page (Learn more) for the plan.
Scroll way down on the details page to a "Summary of benefits" section.
In this listing of secondary features you should find the Access logo with the label Access (PC only).
The latter is the reason and/or answer for another common question in Access forums. By "PC only" Microsoft means that there is a) no online version of Access and b) that it is only available for Windows, not Mac OS. As a result, many Apple users look in vain for Access in their M365 downloads, even though their plan includes Access.
Note on Perpetual Versions
If you don't want an M365 subscription, up to Office 2021, Access was part of the Office Professional editions. For Office 2024 there is no longer a Professional edition (except with LTSC=volume license). Access is NOT included in Office Home 2024 and Office Home & Business 2024.
You can continue to install Access on its own or in addition to these perpetual Office editions by purchasing Access as a standalone application on this page. Microsoft does not mention a version there, but it is always the latest perpetual version, currently Access 2024. (for details see our article on Access 2024)