Microsoft recently increased the price of the Microsoft 365 subscription, justifying the change by adding more AI experiences to the service. Of course, that upset quite a few users, so Microsoft is now making a move in the opposite direction by letting Windows customers use Office apps for free.
Users noticed that it is now possible to use Office apps on Windows without a license. Upon the first launch, the prompt asking you to sign in with your Microsoft Account shows a “Skip for now” button. Clicking it gets you to another window where you can press “Continue for free”—no Microsoft 365 or a perpetual license required.
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What does this get you? Quite a lot. Most of the features work, and you can view and edit documents without major limitations. However, Microsoft will only let you save files to OneDrive (as explicitly stated on the final prompt before you can start using the app), so no luck for you if you want to store files locally or edit local files (you have to upload them to OneDrive first). Also, you will be greeted with ads in a sidebar with a button to remove ads by subscribing to Microsoft 365.
As for the missing features, here is a list of things you cannot do in free Office apps, courtesy of Beebom, who spotted the new plan:
| Word | Excel | PowerPoint |
|---|---|---|
| Dictate, Add-insLine spacing, Shading, BordersCover Page, Tables, Shapes, Icons, SmartArt, Chart, Online VideosBookmark, Cross-reference, Header, FooterText Box, Quick Parts, WordArt, Signature LineDate & Time, Object, Equation, and SymbolColumns, Line Numbers, Hyphenation, Wrap TextPosition, Align, Bring Forward/BackwardAll Draw and Design toolsAll References and Mailing tools | Add-ins, Analyze Data, FillConditional FormattingPivot Table, Recommended PivotTablesIcons, SmartArt, ScreenshotRecommended ChartsPivotChart, Line, Column, Win/LossSlicer, TimelineHeader and Footer, WordArt, Signature LineObject, Equation, SymbolThemes, Colors, Fonts, and EffectsBreaks, Background, Print TitlesDefined Names, Formula Auditing, Watch WindowMacros, Custom Views, Workbook StatisticsAll Data tools | Dictate, Add-ins, Designer, and SmartArtScreenshot, Photo Album, CameoIcons, SmartArt, Chart, Power BI, ActionHeader and FooterDate and Time, Slide Number, ObjectEquation, Symbol, and Screen RecordingFormat BackgroundCustom Slide Show, Set Up Slide Show, RecordRehearse Timings, Play Narrations, Use TimingsShow media controlsMacros, Slide Master, Notes MasterAll Draw, Animations, and Record tools |
For now, it appears that Microsoft is testing a new plan with a limited set of users and regions. We could not get it on our machines—the introductory banner would show “Close Word” instead of “Skip for now.” This might explain the lack of any announcement from Microsoft so far.
