Numbers aren’t deceiving. Microsoft Office has a market share of 47.5 percent in productivity software. 1.3 billion Windows 10 devices are also in use. It’s understandable that a significant portion of these people would prefer to use Microsoft Office for free – if you’re one of them, you’re not alone. Even Microsoft has created a number of loopholes to assist you in achieving your goal. Let’s look at the six different methods you may get from Microsoft Office for free.
- Free Office Online
- Microsoft Office for mobile devices
- Free Office for students, faculty, and staff
- 30 day-free trial for Office 365
- Microsoft Evaluations for Office apps
- Preview future Microsoft Office
1. Free Office Online (formerly Office Web Apps)
You can use any of the popular Office apps for free if you have a Microsoft account (creating one is simple and free). And you can use Word, Calendar, PowerPoint, OneNote, Excel, and more programs for free with your account. You can register here.
Your subscription gives you access to specialty programs in addition to Microsoft’s free Office Online apps. You can use Docs.com to upload and share documents, people to keep contacts and even access them on Skype, and Sway to create interactive reports and presentations.
Although you have access to OneDrive for cloud storage, you only have a limited amount of space. A subscription is required to gain full access. You may download and utilize Office apps on mobile platforms like iOS and Android with your account.
Office Online is free, but you can only utilize the most basic features. Office Online isn’t for you if you want to do more than write letters and term papers. Users don’t have access to advanced capabilities like those included in Office 365. Second, Office Online is a web-based application. You won’t be able to access your work if you don’t have access to the Internet. These restrictions are removed with the free alternatives, as we’ll see later.
2. Microsoft Office for mobile devices
On desktop computers, Office is not preinstalled; nevertheless, certain mobile devices come with Office programs for mobile. If your mobile device didn’t arrive with preloaded bundles, Microsoft offers free downloading options on their website. Convertibles like the Asus Transformer Book T100 and Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 10 are compatible with Office Mobile. You may get them by clicking here.
- Free Word Mobile
- Free Excel Mobile
- Free PowerPoint
- Free Outlook
- Free OneNote
You may also immediately download the iOS and Android apps. There is, however, a minor size issue. While most Android and iOS smartphones come with Microsoft Office, you won’t be able to edit documents on screens greater than 10.1 inches. On screens larger than this, you can use the apps to view documents, but you can’t create or modify anything. Instead, use the browser version on larger displays.
3. Free Office for students, faculty, and staff
Microsoft provides Office 365 for free to students and employees of educational institutions who meet certain criteria. For you to be able to use it, your school must be signed up – Microsoft provides the offer to all pupils. If your school isn’t already signed up for this program, an administrator can sign you up directly. The main differences with an Office 365 trial version are:
- Class management using Class Notebook
- Options for intranet customization
- Unlimited meetings (online)
4. 30-day free trial for Office 365
For the first 30 days, Office 365 is free. It’s available for download here. If you see promotional offers like “Try Office 365 Personal for free,” keep in mind that it’s the same software. The trial version can be installed on up to five laptops or PCs at the same time. As part of the trial, each user receives one terabyte of cloud storage on OneDrive. There are two drawbacks to this option:
This plan is unsuitable for long-term use because you only get 30 days free.
Before you can download the software, Microsoft gathers your credit card information.
5. Microsoft Evaluations for Office apps
You are welcome to take part in Microsoft’s evaluation program. The program allows you to try out a number of Office apps for a set length of time. These programs come to a halt once the evaluation period has passed. Some items you’ll be testing include:
- Test Office 365 ProPlus for 30 days
- 2016 version of Project Professional for 60 days
- 2016 version of Visio Professional for 60 days
6. Preview future Office (and other Microsoft products)
With their products, Microsoft offers public previews. Something might not always be available, or it might only be offered in Enterprise editions with volume licensing. However, you may check by going to the Microsoft Support site and looking for “public preview.”
Bonus:
Another approach to get Microsoft Office for free is to have a generous friend or relative with a family subscription. They can have up to six users per subscription as a result of this. While you are required to live with those in your household, you are not required to do so. At the very least, they may be willing to divide the cost with you in order to significantly lower the annual subscription rate.
There are, of course, Microsoft Office alternatives. No one needs to know you’re not using Office if you choose one that saves in common Office formats. If you’re a Mac user, you’ll find lots of options as well.
You may also interested in Top 11 Microsoft Teams Apps to Improve Productivity.
Conclusion
You probably won’t need most of the capabilities of a full Office suite, so Office Mobile or the free Office Online should suffice. Sign up for trials or use the other choices if you ever need more than the basics. If you’re a student, faculty member, or employee at a university, you’re eligible for a free version of Office 365. Inquire about enrollment at your school or speak with an administration.