You can get Microsoft 365 for free legally by signing in with a personal Microsoft account and using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in your browser. This ongoing free option includes 5 GB of OneDrive storage, but it does not include a desktop Office subscription. Start here if you need to create and edit documents without paying.
For installed apps, your options include basic editing on eligible mobile devices, a shared subscription, an assigned school or work license, or a temporary trial. Check the conditions before choosing, especially whether access expires or renews for a charge.
The short version
- Ongoing free access: Use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in a supported browser with a personal Microsoft account.
- Mobile editing: Free basic editing generally covers eligible devices with screens of 10.1 inches or less, but iPad Pro requires a qualifying subscription.
- Desktop apps: Use a valid shared subscription, trial, included subscription, or gifted entitlement.
- Trial billing: Stop renewal before the expiration shown in your account to avoid a subscription charge.
| Option | What you get | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Free web apps | Browser editing and 5 GB of OneDrive storage | Personal Microsoft account |
| Shared document link | Browser editing of a particular document | Owner permits anonymous editing |
| Eligible mobile apps | Basic Word, Excel, and PowerPoint editing | Device size, account, and feature restrictions |
| School A1 access | Core web apps | Eligible student or educator at a qualifying institution |
| Assigned school or work license | Desktop apps when included in the plan | Assigned entitlement and permission to use the device |
| Nonprofit Business Basic grant | Web and mobile apps | Qualified organization and eligible personnel |
| Family subscription sharing | Licensed apps, including desktop apps | Invitation from an eligible subscription owner |
| Consumer trial | Selected plan's licensed features for one month | Eligibility and renewal terms |
| Business trial | Selected business plan for 30 days | Eligible evaluation and renewal terms |
| Developer sandbox | E5 development environment | Restricted eligibility and development use only |
| Included PC subscription | The subscription sold with the device | Actual entitlement beyond preinstalled apps |
| Gifted subscription code | The subscription supplied by someone else | Valid, unredeemed code compatible with your account and region |
Start with the free Microsoft 365 web apps
Open Microsoft's free Microsoft 365 web apps page and select Sign in or Sign up for free. Use your personal Microsoft account, or create one through the free signup route. You can then use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in your browser without starting a paid subscription.
For future visits, sign in at Microsoft365.com, open the app launcher, and select Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. A Free badge identifies an account without an active qualifying personal subscription. The free web apps have no trial expiration.
This route works in supported browsers on Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, and other compatible devices. On a Chromebook, use the browser route because Microsoft does not support Android Office apps on Chromebooks. Downloading the Windows or Mac desktop apps does not grant a free desktop editing license.
Create a document or upload an existing file
To start writing, select Word from Microsoft365.com, then select Create blank document. To open a document already on your device, select Upload a file. A free personal account supports standard editing in Word for the web.
For existing Office files, sign in at OneDrive.com, select Add new > Files upload or Folder upload, and choose your documents. Select an uploaded Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file to open it in the corresponding web app. Edits save automatically, and uploaded files count toward your free account's 5 GB storage allowance.
If you need to add page numbers in Word or double space a Word document, follow the instructions for your Word version. For collaborative revisions, use the matching instructions to track changes in Word.
You can edit a supported document without creating an account when its owner provides a link that permits anonymous editing. The owner opens the document in its web app, selects Share > Copy link, and supplies an editing-enabled link. Open that link and select Edit in Browser; Microsoft identifies unsigned-in collaborators as Guest. Some features require signing in, and organization policies can prevent anonymous access.
Give the web apps their own window
Installing a website as an app gives you a separate window for the same free web service. In supported desktop versions of Microsoft Edge, open the Microsoft 365 web app, then select Settings and more > More tools > Apps > Install this site as an app. Launch the installed shortcut when you want to return.
In desktop Chrome, open the desired Microsoft web app and select More > Cast, save, and share > Install page as app.... On supported sites, you can also select Install in the address bar. The installed app retains the web service's free account limits.
On a Mac running macOS Sonoma 14 or later, open the web app in Safari and choose File > Add to Dock, or select Share > Add to Dock. Enter a name and click Add. These shortcuts retain the web app's account and feature limits; they do not grant desktop Office licensing or change its offline capabilities.
Use basic editing on an eligible phone or tablet
On a supported Android phone or tablet, install the individual Word, Excel, or PowerPoint app and sign in with a personal Microsoft account. If offered a subscription upgrade, select Maybe later, then open your documents through the app. Free basic editing generally requires a screen of 10.1 inches or less and personal, non-business accounts and files.
For an iPhone or eligible iPad, install the individual app and sign in with your personal Microsoft account. Microsoft specifies free basic editing on screens of 10.1 inches or less and requires a qualifying subscription for editing on iPad Pro.
You can find the installers on Microsoft's product pages. On the Word page, find Download the app and select Download Word for Android or Download Word for iOS, or select Download for mobile in the mobile section. The Excel and PowerPoint pages also offer Download for mobile; their browser options are Open Excel and Open PowerPoint.
Check each app's current store listing for supported operating system versions. If your device falls outside the free editing conditions, use the browser option on a compatible device or an appropriate subscription entitlement.
Check your school or workplace benefits
If you attend or teach at a qualifying institution, open Microsoft's education page, select Get started, and use your eligible education email address to enroll. If self-service enrollment is unavailable, ask the school's administrator to assign Office 365 A1, then sign in to the web apps with your school account. A1 supplies core web apps and does not generally include the full desktop Word, Excel, and PowerPoint suite.
For desktop access, ask whether your institution's Microsoft 365 A3 or A5 agreement includes a student use benefit and whether a license has been assigned to you. Your employer may also provide a plan with desktop apps. A work or school email address alone is insufficient, and the organization must permit installation on your personal computer.
Once you have an appropriate license, sign in to the Microsoft 365 apps portal with the licensed work or school account. Select Install apps, then Microsoft 365 apps; if needed, select Apps in the left navigation first. Install the downloaded package and activate it with the licensed account.
If you administer a qualified nonprofit, find Microsoft 365 Business Basic (Nonprofit Staff Pricing) on Microsoft's nonprofit pricing page and select Get started. Complete qualification, obtain the grant, and assign licenses to eligible personnel. The grant covers up to 300 users with web and mobile apps, but excludes full desktop Office apps.
To assign an existing entitlement as an authorized administrator, open the Microsoft 365 admin center and select Billing > Licenses. Select the product, choose Assign licenses, add the eligible user or group, and select Assign. You need the appropriate License or User Administrator role and available licenses; assignment distributes an entitlement rather than creating one.
Accept a family member's shared subscription
A family member with Microsoft 365 Family, Premium, or Pro can share their subscription with up to five additional people in their Microsoft family group. You receive licensed access, including desktop apps, at no additional charge to you. Microsoft 365 Basic and Personal cannot be shared.
The owner signs in at account.microsoft.com/services/office/sharing and selects Share. They select Email invite, enter your email address, and select Invite, or select Create link followed by Copy link. Accept the invitation within 48 hours.
In the invitation email, select Accept, then select Join now. Next, select Start using Microsoft 365 apps, followed by Install, and use your own Microsoft account. If the invitation uses Get started instead, select that label to begin.
If you belong to another Microsoft family group, resolve that membership before joining the owner's group. The owner's AI benefits and extended storage add-ons are not shared.
Use a one month trial for temporary desktop access
Open Microsoft's consumer trial page. Under Family, select Start your free trial, or select Try free for 1 month beneath Personal or Premium. Sign in and complete the eligibility and checkout process for the offer available to your account and market.
The trial renews for a charge unless renewal is stopped. After signing up, open your Microsoft account subscriptions using the same account. Under the Microsoft 365 subscription, select Cancel if that link is shown.
If you see Turn on recurring billing instead, renewal is already off. Check the Expires on date and use that account-specific deadline. Microsoft says cancellation within 30 days avoids the charge, so stop renewal before your actual expiration.
After the trial ends, the installed apps keep working for a short time and eventually run in View Only mode, where you can still open and print documents, but creating and editing documents requires an appropriate entitlement. Return to the free web apps to keep editing without paying. Removing an app does not stop subscription renewal.
Use business evaluations only when they fit your work
For a business evaluation, open Microsoft's business plan chooser, choose the required plan, and start its free one-month trial. Set up the business account and check the selected plan's terms. Business Basic lacks desktop Office apps; Business Standard, Business Premium, and Microsoft 365 Apps for business include them. The 30-day trial normally converts to a paid annual-term subscription unless recurring billing is disabled.
For an eligible existing tenant with an MCA billing account, open the admin center and select Billing > Add more products in Simplified view, or Marketplace in Dashboard view. Select the product's Details, then under Select a plan, choose the trial and specify the post-trial license quantity. Select Start free trial and complete the billing-profile checkout. This sequence applies to MCA accounts; Microsoft documents a separate checkout for MOSA accounts.
To stop business-trial renewal with the required billing permissions, open the admin center and select Billing > Your products in Dashboard view, or Billing in Simplified view. Select the trial subscription, then Edit recurring billing. Select Off, then Save; access remains active until expiration.
A free E5 developer sandbox is restricted to qualifying Visual Studio Professional or Enterprise standard subscribers, eligible ISV Success or Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program participants, and qualifying Premier or Unified Support customers. If you are already registered and qualify, sign in to the Developer Program dashboard and select Set up E5 subscription when offered. Complete the eligibility, identity, and required billing verification, then create the sandbox administrator credentials. Its 25 licenses are for development; ordinary personal productivity and production use are prohibited.
Activate a subscription already supplied to you
A new Windows PC may include a genuine Microsoft 365 subscription as part of its purchase. Open a preinstalled Office app and sign in with your Microsoft account; when the device includes an entitlement, activation adds it to that account using the device's digital product key. Check whether the offer is a one-year subscription or merely a trial, because preinstalled apps alone do not establish a license.
If someone supplies a legitimate subscription code, open setup.office.com and sign in with your own Microsoft account to redeem the product key. The code must be valid, unredeemed, and compatible with your account and region. Microsoft associates the entitlement with that account for the subscription supplied by the giver.
When you need the desktop installer, open Microsoft's Microsoft 365 download page and choose Download for Windows or Download for macOS. Activate desktop editing with your valid trial, shared subscription, included subscription, or organizational entitlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use OneNote for free without a Microsoft 365 subscription?
Yes, supported OneNote versions provide free core functionality on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and the web, although some premium features require a license. Install the supported app and sign in with your Microsoft account; on Windows, use the Microsoft Store link in Microsoft's OneNote migration page, and on Mac, use the Mac App Store. On the OneNote product page, select Sign in or Sign up for browser access, or use the Mobile download section.
Is Outlook also free?
You can use free versions of Outlook.com, new Outlook for Windows, and Outlook mobile apps; Outlook for Mac is free for personal accounts, while organizational Mac accounts require suitable licensing. On Microsoft's Outlook product page, select Sign in or Create free account for web email, or choose the appropriate Download Outlook for Windows, Download Outlook for Android, Download Outlook for iOS, or Download Outlook for MacOS option. These versions do not unlock classic Outlook for Windows.
Does free Copilot include paid AI features inside Word and Excel?
No, free consumer Copilot access does not grant paid Copilot features inside Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. You can use chat, image creation, and file uploads within the free allowance. If you reach a usage limit, return later to continue without upgrading.
Can the Copilot app launch Microsoft 365 apps?
Yes, open the Microsoft Copilot app, sign in with your personal Microsoft account, and use the waffle menu at the top of the navigation pane to launch available apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You can obtain the companion app from Microsoft's official Copilot download page for supported Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. Each launched app retains its own free or licensed capabilities.
Can you still enroll in Office 365 A1 Plus for free desktop apps?
No, Microsoft retired A1 Plus and says its existing licenses expired in 2025. If your school previously used it, ask the administrator which current entitlement has been assigned to your account.
Is the older student offer for 12 free months still available in the US?
Microsoft's US student pages currently differ: its college-student pricing page offers a paid 50% Microsoft 365 Personal discount, while its US education page still advertises 12 months of Microsoft 365 Premium with a college email for a limited time. If you already redeemed an earlier offer, your subscription follows the terms shown in your account.
Can a nonprofit still renew the free Business Premium grant?
No, the former nonprofit Business Premium grant no longer renews. If you administer an affected subscription, assign replacement licenses through the Business Basic grant or another valid nonprofit plan before the retired grant expires.
Why has OneNote for Windows 10 stopped allowing edits?
The retired OneNote for Windows 10 app reached end of support on October 14, 2025 and transitions to read-only operation. Install the supported OneNote app through the Microsoft Store link in Microsoft's migration page, sign in, and open your notebooks there.