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Whether you're a student, a professional, a parent, an entrepreneur, a CEO, a writer, or an artist, chances are pretty good you need an office suite at your fingertips. But what do you do if money is tight? With costs constantly on the rise, everyone is having to pinch pennies on some level, and that doesn't stop with software.
You could always adopt a free service, such as Google Docs, LibreOffice, or any number of free alternatives, but if Microsoft Office is a must, there are ways to use that platform for free (without having to first buy a new PC that includes Windows).
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You might be thinking, "The free version is probably so limited that it's not useful." You'd be wrong. Even with the free version of Office, you get Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Copilot, Forms, Lists, Designer, Clipchamp, and even Microsoft Teams. Yes, there are some limitations (not every feature is available, and cloud storage is limited), but for average users, there's everything you need to get your work done.
Is there a catch?
There is, but it's one that most can live with. The biggest gotcha is that the free version is locked in the cloud (aka Microsoft 365), which means you must always be connected to the internet to use it.
If that catch is OK with you, continue reading to find out how you can access Office for free.
Method 1: Access through Office.com
A few years ago, I had to write an article about using Office 365 (now Microsoft 365). As someone who rarely uses Microsoft products, I was shocked to find out I could use the service for free. All I needed was a stable network connection and a Microsoft account. I had my old Skype (RIP) account and logged in with that. Once logged in, I had access to the free version of Office.com using the cloud-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint (and more), instead of installing them locally on my PC.
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