How to get Microsoft Office for free

If you want to use Microsoft Office and its suite of productivity tools, you don't always need the software installed locally on your device.

With a valid Microsoft account, the tech giant will let you use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more on the web. That means you can continue working on documents that you started typing up on another device linked to your email.

Below, our experts explain how to get started. Plus, we've got details on free Microsoft Word alternatives including Google Docs and LibreOffice.

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Question of the month: Can I use Microsoft Word and Excel for free?

'My subscription for Microsoft 365 office apps is due to expire and, although I find it useful, I'm cutting down on my outgoings and don't want to pay for it again. I only purchased it because I had Home and Office 2010 on my old PC and needed to know I could access my documents on my new, Windows 11 PC.

'Is there a way to get something similar for less money? I need to be able to open my existing Word and Excel documents.'

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Using Microsoft Office 365 online

The free version of Microsoft Office has a solid number of features. You can access all of your Office files at a glance, or see a feed that generates a history of your edits.

To try it for yourself, just follow these steps:

1. Head to the Microsoft Office 365 Online website.
2. If you need to create a Microsoft account, choose Sign up for free. Otherwise, select Sign in.
3. From the home screen, select Apps on the left-hand side and choose a service – we'll use Word for this example (shown below).
4. Now, you can choose Create blank document to start fresh or Upload a file to begin editing an existing document.

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Free Microsoft Office alternatives

Google tools – Drive, Docs, Sheets and more

If you'd prefer to use a service other than Microsoft Office, you can explore Google's version of Office online for free. Before you get started, you'll need a Google account (see: How to create a Google account).

Google has a host of apps you can add to your arsenal of productivity tools – the list includes Google Drive (OneDrive alternative,) Docs (Word alternative), Sheets (Excel alternative) and Slides (PowerPoint alternative).

To run Google Docs, work through the following steps:

1. Head to the Google homepage.
2. In the top-right corner, select the nine-dot square icon to access Google Apps.
3. Choose Docs to head to the app's home screen – you can start a new document using a template or edit an existing one.

When working on a document, choose Share in the top-right corner to send it to somebody else. Enter the person's email in the Add people and groups box to generate a link, but note that you should configure file permissions under the General Access heading before selecting Done. That way, you can decide if the document is view-only, whether you want to allow your recipient to add comments or even edit it, or not.

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LibreOffice

If you prefer a standalone program that works like Microsoft Office, and lets you open its files, take a look at LibreOffice.

LibreOffice is a free, full office suite – you get Writer (Word), Calc (Excel) and other programs. It's very similar to older versions of Office, so you should feel at home if you're used to older versions.

Notable features include an icon-packed toolbar for dealing with formatting, pre-made templates for CVs and letters, plus the ability to convert documents from their original file type.

To try LibreOffice for yourself, do this:

1. Head to the LibreOffice website.
2. Choose your operating system and select Download.
3. When the download is complete, double-click the file and follow the installation wizard – choose Typical when prompted.

For more details on what LibreOffice has to offer, see our overview: Best LibreOffice features explained.

Other Office suites

• Etherpad (free) – This is an online collaboration tool rather than a full suite. Etherpad is like a shared Google Doc in which you add your team, family, or whoever you want to work with. Everyone can read and edit the file, wherever they are, so you can build a document together.
• Freeoffice (free with subscription version) – Has three powerful apps that are compatible with Microsoft file formats. The free suite comes with PDF tools, and a macro editor that's a little like Microsoft's VBA, while a subscription (SoftMaker Office NX Universal at £3.99/month) can net you ChatGPT integration.
• Polaris (free with paid-for features) – You can pay $119.99 (about £90) for a lifetime licence to use Polaris Office, or you could use the free version. The latter has all the basic features you'll need for one PC, plus the ability to sync files to mobile devices.
• WPS (free with paid-for features) – Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. It makes much of its lightweight apps, claiming they’re faster to download and use less memory, making them a good choice for older machines.
• Zoho (free with paid-for features) – This web-based office suite is free for individuals but more focused on corporate team use. It has the usual applications, which run in a web browser the same way as Google Docs or the web version of Microsoft 365. A subscription is $30 (£22.50) per person per year, but outside of a company you could get similar features for free.

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