How to Use Microsoft Office for Free
Microsoft offers Office 365 licenses from $70 to $150 depending on the service pack. However, it may be unaffordable for someone to purchase the subscription of this software package, so here are four ways to use Microsoft Office 365 for free.
1. Use Office 365 on Your Phone
Microsoft allows users to download its mobile applications for free, and most of the basic applications are accessible. You should expect differences between applications on Android and iOS, as well as between the iPhone and iPad.
You can download, access, and share files with anyone thanks to cloud storage, and though Office apps may use a bit of memory on your device, the number of documents you have won’t affect your device. This means you won’t have to worry about your device getting overwhelmed when you need to access large stored files.
The downside of the mobile apps is that some editing features are limited to Office 365 users. Additionally, you won’t be able to edit text if the device screen is larger than 10.1 inches. Therefore, with an iPad Pro device, you will have to buy Office 365 or use Office.com on a web browser.
You may not be satisfied with the limitations of editing text on a small device, but if you just need to read some documents, then this is a good way to save some money.
2. Use Office 365 on Web
If you have a Microsoft account and you are connected to the internet, you can use the Microsoft Office Suite on Office.com without any cost. Most users of the Windows operating system already have a Microsoft account when buying a license, but you can also register a new account at any time without charge. Just sign in to office.com with your Microsoft account and you’ll be able to use any Microsoft Office Suite application you need (as long as your computer is connected to the internet).
The disadvantage here is that you cannot use the Office application or access created documents without the internet. Similar to Google Docs, data will be stored in the cloud where you can save them in various Microsoft formats.
As with the previous option, some features are only open to Office 365 users; however, if you can ensure that your computer will always be connected to the internet, then this is considered the best way to use the Microsoft Office Suite: it is free, and it can save some memory on your device. In addition, you can access your documents on any device using your Microsoft account!
3. Go Back to School
You can get a version of Office 365 for free if you are working for or studying at an educational organization. Microsoft has launched Office 365 Education, a system that allows students with school email addresses to access and download all applications in Microsoft Office Suite for free during their time at school.
Office 365 Education grants students access to share documents and applications between devices so that they can work from anywhere. Moreover, students can also use the Microsoft Teams or Skype applications for meetings. Recent graduates should be aware that service usage expires one month after graduation, at which point they will have to sign up for an Office 365 license.
So, if you are a student, take advantage of this program from Microsoft. The program is available for those in both high school and college, and it applies to both undergraduate and graduate programs.
4. Use the Free Trial of Office 365
If you only need Microsoft Office Suite for a single project, then a free 30-day trial of Microsoft Office Suite might be your best option. To get the free trial, just go to this page and sign up. The trial version allows you to download Office 365 on multiple PCs, Macs, and mobile devices.
You can work both online and offline, and you get 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage. The trial version of Office 365 includes the latest Office apps, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
You can only use the Microsoft Office Suite trial once, and when it expires, you will not be able to use Office 365 unless you purchase a subscription of the service. If you do not need to use Microsoft Office Suite for an extended period of time, then this is a great choice.
The above options are very easy to install and are completely free. Although there are some limitations when using the free version, you should strongly consider the available choices — you might find that one of them covers just what you need.
Reference: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/use-microsoft-office-free/
Read more: Office 365 — How to Publish a Room Calendar
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