Get Microsoft Office with Word, Excel and PowerPoint for free with these tips

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You can use Microsoft Office apps for free.

Josh Miller / CNET

Chances are you’ve needed to access a Microsoft Word document, PowerPoint presentation, or other basic Microsoft 365 tools at least once, for work, school, or personal use. While the software may seem like a necessity, its high price tag causes some people to run in the opposite direction. If you don’t want to spend your money on Microsoft 365, don’t stress out. There are a few ways to get the service for free.

Microsoft’s productivity software suite includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. Collection typically costs between $ 70 and $ 100 annually for subscription access across devices and family members (such as Microsoft 365). Microsoft also released a new stand-alone version of Microsoft Office for Windows and Mac, called Office Home and Student 2021, for a fixed price, with no subscription required, on October 5, the same day Windows 11 began its launch. .

Learn more: How to download Windows 11 for free

Here are the versions of Office 365, Microsoft 365 and related apps that you can find online for free right now.

How to get Microsoft Office 365 for free if you are a student or teacher

If you’re a student, teacher, or faculty member with an active school email address, chances are you have free access to Office 365 through Microsoft, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Microsoft Teams, and additional tools for the class.

All you have to do is enter your school’s email address on this page on Microsoft’s website: Get started with Office 365 for free. In many cases, you will be granted access immediately thanks to an automated verification process. If you are attending an institution that needs to be verified, it may take up to a month to confirm your eligibility.

Recent graduates who wish to stay with Office 365 can also get Microsoft 365 Personal for $ 12 for 12 months, with a valid school email address.

How to get the free Microsoft Office suite if you are someone else

Anyone can get a one-month free trial of Microsoft 365 to try it out. However, you must enter a credit card, and if you don’t cancel before the month’s expiration, you’ll be charged $ 100 for a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family (formerly called Office 365 Home).

The good news is that if you don’t need Microsoft 365’s full suite of tools, you can access a number of online apps for free, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Outlook, Calendar, and Skype. Here’s how to get them:

Go to Office.com. Log into your Microsoft account (or create one for free). If you already have a Windows, Skype, or Xbox Live sign in, you have an active Microsoft account. Select the app you want to use and save your work to the cloud with OneDrive.

Use the browser-based version of the Microsoft Word app for free.

Screenshot from Alison DeNisco Rayome / CNET So what’s the catch for the free version?

You might say, wait a minute – if I can get all those apps for free, why pay for Microsoft 365 in the first place? The reason is that the functionality of these apps is limited – they only run through your web browser, and you can’t use them if you’re not online. There are also fewer features than the full versions of Microsoft 365.

However, there are still a number of benefits, including the ability to share links to your work and collaborate in real time, similar to the tools in G Suite. If you’re looking for basic versions of each of these apps, the free version should work just fine for you.

For more information, check out all the best new Windows 11 features and what you need to know about upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

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