Microsoft now lets you use the basic Microsoft Office suite on your desktop PC without a subscription. Previously, you needed to sign in with a paid Microsoft account to use it directly on your computer, but now Microsoft offers a "Continue for free" option if you don't want to work in a browser or pay a monthly fee.
Microsoft 365 for Windows no longer requires a subscription
Previously, you had to pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription or buy Office 2024 if you wanted to use Microsoft's productivity suite directly on your PC. The company offers Office Online for free (and there are plenty of reasons why you should), but you have to use it in a browser and stay connected to the internet to do so.
However, the software giant is now making it easier for those who prefer to work with Microsoft Office directly on their computers (not through a browser). Instead of having to go through the trouble of getting a free Microsoft Office license, Microsoft will let you use the basic versions of its productivity apps — Excel, PowerPoint, and Word — for free.
To do this, simply download and install Microsoft 365 on your Windows computer as usual. Once the installation process is complete, launch any of the three apps mentioned above and when prompted to sign in, click Skip for now in the lower left corner of the Sign-in window .
You'll then see the "Welcome to free Word, Excel, and PowerPoint" dialog box and can select the Continue for free option . In the next window, click Save to OneDrive , which will save everything you do to your OneDrive account—then you can start using it.
Some notes when using Microsoft 365 free for Windows
While Microsoft is finally making its core productivity apps free, the service is actually worse than Microsoft 365 Online. That’s because it still requires you to be online to save your work to OneDrive, which is also limited to 5GB. This may not be an issue if you don’t use your computer for anything other than word processing.
But if you don't configure your OneDrive account yourself, and save photos and videos on your PC, you'll soon find yourself running out of storage space.
This means you'll need to free up OneDrive storage or buy more storage, which essentially defeats the purpose of free Microsoft 365. After all, if you sign up for a Microsoft 365 plan, you can get 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage (depending on your plan).
Additionally, you lose a lot of the advanced features that paid Microsoft 365 users get, including line spacing, tables, columns, etc. for Word. The free Microsoft Excel strips out conditional formatting, pivot tables, colors, etc., while the free PowerPoint strips out icons, SmartArt, charts, background formatting, etc. Additionally, all apps lose add-in features.
Since the app is free, Microsoft places a constant banner ad on top of the app to entice you to use the company’s other services. It even shows you a short video every few hours in the hopes that you’ll eventually buy something from the company. Also, the free version is only available on Windows—if you’re a macOS user, you’ll have to pay for it or use Apple’s built-in productivity suite.
Ultimately, you can only use these apps for the simplest of tasks, which is impractical for anyone who needs them for work or school purposes. Plus, the annoying ads might make you want to switch to free alternatives to Microsoft 365.
But if you prefer to work directly on Windows, have a terabyte of cloud storage, and save files locally, then an MS 365 subscription might be the smarter choice.
As you know, Chromebooks are different from regular Windows laptops and you can't install Windows apps on them. However, there is a way you can run Microsoft Office on Chromebooks for free.
The need to print double-sided paper is now much more popular. However, not all printers can support double-sided printing, or with printers that allow double-sided printing, how to do it?
What features do you get in the different versions of Office: Office 2016, Office 365, and Office Online?
Microsoft Office has a lot of features, but most people only scratch the surface. Even after a decade of use, people are still finding hidden gems that dramatically improve their productivity and workflow.
Removing photo background with web applications is very simple and the implementation is not complicated.
Dark mode is becoming an indispensable feature on any application platform.
Determining even and odd numbers is one of the regular jobs of the accounting industry. The following article will guide people to determine odd and even numbers in Excel.
WPS is considered a worthy replacement for Microsoft Office. So what is the reason? What is better about this tool that makes users forget the unique name in the office tool market for more than 20 years in Vietnam.
Microsoft Office 2019 is about to launch in 2018. But we can also sign up for Microsoft Office 2019 in advance to get Microsoft Office 2019 as soon as it appears.
Word, an indispensable tool for office workers when editing documents and editing documents to create professionally presented and arranged documents, Word often comes with Excel and PowerPoint in the Microsoft Office suite, caters to many types
Surely many of us when writing text in Word have encountered errors where the lowercase letter i automatically switches to uppercase, right? This error is quite annoying, just typing back to fix it is very time consuming.
OpenOffice is an office suite built on open source. Like Excel, this toolkit can be used on computer systems using Windows or Linux operating systems.
Thanks to its handy features, Microsoft Excel of Microsoft Office has become one of the most commonly used office tools today. One of the advantages not to be missed by this spreadsheet tool is the ch feature
When doing word processing or working on spreadsheets, one of the most important and essential things is page numbering. Not only helps users easily manipulate, but the number of Excel pages also helps us manage and work effectively
Tired of Microsoft Teams OneDrive Error blocking file sync? Follow our step-by-step guide to solve Microsoft Teams "OneDrive Error" File Sync issues quickly. Proven fixes for smooth collaboration in Teams channels. Get your files syncing error-free today!
Tired of Microsoft Teams workflows and Power Automate errors halting your productivity? Get step-by-step solutions to common issues like authentication failures, timeouts, and flow errors. Fix them in minutes and automate effortlessly!
Facing Microsoft Teams "Download Error" on MacBook? Discover proven troubleshooting steps to resolve download failures quickly, from cache clears to reinstalls, and get back to smooth teamwork.
Tired of the frustrating Microsoft Teams "Where is Teams" Folder Error? Discover proven, step-by-step troubleshooting fixes to resolve it quickly and restore smooth teamwork. Latest methods included!
Frustrated by Microsoft Teams JavaScript Error on desktop app? Discover proven steps to fix it fast: clear cache, update, reset, and reinstall. Get back to seamless collaboration in minutes!
Struggling with Microsoft Teams "Guest Login" Error? Discover step-by-step fixes, from quick cache clears to admin settings, to resolve guest access issues fast and collaborate seamlessly. Updated with the latest tips!
Tired of the Microsoft Teams "For PC" download error blocking your work? Follow our proven, step-by-step guide to resolve it quickly and get Teams running smoothly on your PC today.
Struggling with Microsoft Teams "Windows 7" login error? Discover step-by-step fixes for this frustrating issue on Windows 10/11. Clear cache, edit registry, and more – get back to seamless collaboration today!
Tired of Microsoft Teams Error Code 0x80070005 blocking your meetings? Follow this 2026 guide with step-by-step fixes for access denied issues. Get Teams running smoothly in minutes!
Master the installation of the Microsoft Teams Add-in for Outlook 2026 effortlessly. Boost your productivity with seamless scheduling and meetings. Follow our proven, up-to-date steps for instant success!
Struggling with Microsoft Teams "License Error" 2026? Discover proven, step-by-step solutions to resolve it fast. Clear cache, check licenses, and get back to seamless collaboration—no IT help needed!
Whether youre in your 50s, 60s, or even 70s, its not too late to prioritize your health and put yourself first. Here are the best exercises for people 50 and older.
Struggling with Microsoft Teams Error Caa50024 on Windows 10/11? Follow our step-by-step fixes to resolve crashes and launch issues quickly. Latest proven solutions for seamless teamwork.
Stuck with Microsoft Teams login error AADSTS50011? Discover proven, step-by-step fixes to resolve the reply URL mismatch issue and log in seamlessly. No tech skills needed!
Tired of the frustrating Microsoft Teams "Win 7" Compatibility Error blocking your meetings? Get instant fixes with our step-by-step guide, including workarounds for older Windows versions. Resolve it now and stay connected!
