Subscriptions Can Add Up. Here’s How You Can Get Microsoft 365 for Free

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Microsoft 365 is a productivity suite that includes Word for writing, PowerPoint for creating presentations, Outlook for email and OneDrive for cloud storage. Whether for work, school, personal use or all of the above, chances are you’ll want access to these apps -- we definitely find them helpful.

A paid Microsoft 365 membership starts at $2 a month or $20 a year for Microsoft 365 Basic tier, so you’ll pay anywhere from $20 to $100 annually, depending on the plan you pick. While that may not sound too bank-breaking, subscription services can add up. Luckily, you can get Microsoft 365 at no cost if you're a student or teacher. If you don't have a school email address, you've got options, including a free trial or relying on the zero-dollar but limited functionality online-only versions of apps like Word.

Here’s how you can get Microsoft 365 for free. 

Students and teachers can easily get Microsoft Office 365 Education for free

Say you're a student, teacher or faculty member with an active school email address. You're probably eligible to get access to Office 365 for free through Microsoft, with access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Teams, plus other classroom tools.

All you have to do is punch in your school email address on this page on Microsoft's website: Office 365 Education. In many cases, you'll be instantly granted access thanks to an automated verification process. If you attend an institution that needs to be verified, it might take up to a month to confirm your eligibility. 

College students can also get Microsoft 365 Personal for $3 a month with a valid school email address.

You can still use many Microsoft 365 apps for free if you're not a student or faculty member

Not everyone can take advantage of an email address through an academic institution to get the Microsoft Office suite at no cost. Thankfully, anyone can get a one-month free trial of Microsoft 365. You do need to enter a credit card number. If you don't cancel your subscription before the month is up, you'll be charged $100 for a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family (formerly called Office 365 Home). 

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

1. Go to Microsoft365.com.

2. Click Sign up for the free version of Office under the "Sign in" button.

3. Log in to your Microsoft account or create one for free. If you already have a Windows, Skype or Xbox Live login, you have an active Microsoft account.

4. Select the app you want to use and save your work in the cloud with OneDrive.

So what's the catch for the free version?

You might be saying, "Wait a minute, if I can get all of those apps for free, why pay for Microsoft 365 in the first place?" The functionality of the free apps is limited, so they only run in your web browser and you can only use them while you're actively connected to the internet -- there’s no offline version. They also have fewer features than the full Microsoft 365 versions. For instance, Microsoft Teams calls are limited to group calls of 100 participants for 60 minutes per month with the free app, and calls of up to 300 participants with a 30 hour monthly allowance for the paid version of Microsoft 365 Personal or Family.

There are still benefits to the free version, including the ability to share links to your work and collaborate in real-time, similar to what the Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) productivity tools allow. If you're looking for basic versions of each of these apps, the free version should work well for you. 

For more productivity coverage, check out what Microsoft 365 Basic offers customers, all of the best features in Windows 11 and how to take screenshots in Windows 10 or 11. You can also take a look at CNET's list of the best Windows laptops.