There is no denying the fact that Microsoft Office is one of the best office suites ever made. Now, Of course, good software comes at a price to pay, and if you’re wondering how to get Microsoft Office without spending a penny, we’ve compiled a list of methods that could potentially get you Microsoft Office for free.
How To Get Microsoft Office For Free
1. Microsoft Office For Free Online
Yes! You heard it right. Microsoft’s Office Online needs no key to be accessed, and it is an excellent way to use the suite without paying anything. All you need to do is go to office.com, create a Microsoft account (if you don’t have one), and start using it.
Microsoft created Office Online to counter Google’s Office products like Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc. The Office online is just as good as the standard Office but, with free and easier accessibility, come few downgrades. Office Online misses out on a variety of tools and features that Office 365 has, and that too the useful ones which will have a significant impact on the outcome of your work.
ALSO READ: Windows 10 May 2020 Update: What’s New And How To Get It?
2. Mobile Office Apps For Android And iOS
Microsoft Office for Android and iOS is free. It’s not strictly getting an Office license, but it’s still advantageous if you want to save money legally. The experience with editing documents on a smartphone is going to be pretty bad because you will end up wasting a significant amount of time tapping the screen than editing.
However, if you’re going to edit documents on the go, then the mobile apps are a better choice. There is better software out there, but no one seems to care about it. You ask why? The answer is pretty straight forward. People never made an effort to know what lies on the other side, and as always, the power of open-source software always goes unnoticed.
3. Take The One-month Free Trial
Microsoft offers a ‘free’ one-month trial for people who want to try out the Office but, there is a catch here. To download the trial version, you will need to enter your credit card details and the rest of the stuff? (you know).
This is one more way to get Office for ‘free’ well! At least for a month. In this trial version, you get access to 1TB cloud storage and all the office apps, of course, for a month.
4. Snap Microsoft’s Student Office Plans
As a student, you can get Office 365 for free. But, to claim this, your institute needs to enroll with Microsoft to benefit from this plan. However, it’s worth giving it a shot to see if you can get Office for free.
All you need to do is go to the official Office 365 Education page and insert your institution’s email address to see the eligibility. If you’re eligible, you should receive a code for Office 365, which you can use right away. Microsoft Office 365 for students is not a lifetime gift. Once you graduate, Microsoft can check with your school, and you will lose access.
5. Using A Pirated Copy Of Microsoft Office
You can use the pirated Office if you can’t afford to pay for it or if you think it’s too pricey, but the only thing you should be worried about while doing so is the software that you’re going to use to activate it. A simple and safe alternative is to use the freeware mentioned below.
But, we suggest you not to do it unless you know what you’re doing. Pirated software contains viruses and malware, which, in the worst case, could render your PC useless. This is another way of getting Microsoft Office for free, though, we don’t recommend this. What we do recommend is to check out 5 ways to get Microsoft Office licenses for cheap.
Did Someone Say ‘Alternatives’?
Is your internet connection slow to load up Office online? Did you not like the Office Android app, or did your trial expire? We’ve got you covered with five best Microsoft Office alternatives, which are completely free that you can start using right away.
1. Google Docs
Google has built a vast ecosystem of applications that work outstandingly well. Google Docs is just another excellent application that works very well both on the web as well as on Android and iOS. The effort that Google’s engineers have put into designing the app is evident when you look at it.
Google also has Sheets, Slides, and Forms, and the apps synchronize very well with all your devices. Moreover, users can also choose from a variety of templates according to their work demands.
The online sharing feature lets you add more users to edit a document for a collaborative session. Overall, it is an excellent application for both beginners, as well as power users, and is a great, completely free alternative for Microsoft Office.
2. Libre Office
Libre is an open-source project maintained by thousands of developers. As a result, the software always keeps improving. It has docs, presentations, spreadsheets, drawings, and a database too, which is more than what Microsoft has got to offer. It is also the only office suite that comes pre-installed with Linux distributions.
The user interface might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it works. Open-source software has undoubtedly gotten populated with features from the past decade. Libre office is lightweight, so you don’t have to worry about running it on an old machine. It uses “.ODF” format, and you can open it using Microsoft Word.
DOWNLOAD LIBRE OFFICE
3. Apache OpenOffice
Yeah, you guessed it right. Apache Office is (again) open-source software that we had a pretty good time using. The app feels like Libre Office with six file types. Apache OpenOffice is easy to learn, and if you’re already using another Office Suite, you will not have any problem using Open Office.
There is support for a world-wide native-language community, meaning?, OpenOffice is probably available and supported in your language too. And if you already have files from another office package – OpenOffice will probably read them with no difficulty.
The UI is simple yet enjoyable, and the features work well. Overall, it is perfect for people looking for a simple yet feature-rich alternative to Word and Office.
DOWNLOAD APACHE OPENOFFICE
We have only listed three (3) alternatives, but if you know more, check out 5 best Microsoft Office alternatives available for free. Mind you, of all the Microsoft Office alternatives listed above, precisely delivers what they promise. All the software mentioned above is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg but should give you a good starting point.
So, these were some of the ways by which you can get Microsoft Office for free. How often do you use Microsoft Office or any other suite, let us know in the comments section below. If you found this article useful, do share it with people whom you think might need to know about this.
