Microsoft goes out of its way to sell Office subscriptions. Understandable, because that brings in a lot of money. But what if you don’t want an office software subscription at all? Office without a subscription is therefore an option. These are the possibilities!
Under the name Microsoft 365, the American software giant is promoting two subscriptions. Allows customers to use the office apps Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Install OneNote, and Outlook on all their devices. During the subscription, customers receive updates and upgrades. In short, always work with the latest version.
Microsoft 365 Personal costs 69 euros per year. In addition to the office apps, this subscription gives you access to 1 TB of cloud storage with Microsoft OneDrive. Families should consider Microsoft 365 Family. After 99 euros has been tapped, up to six people have access to the apps for a year. In addition, the online storage capacity is 6 TB.
Those who do not want cloud storage are relatively expensive with a Microsoft 365 subscription. Do you prefer to store personal data elsewhere? Then take a look at the possibilities of using Office without a subscription.
Office as a one-time purchase
Instead of the two subscription types mentioned, you can also purchase the office software once. This costs 149 euros via Microsoft’s own website, but the product is also for sale at various (web) stores. This concerns the 2021 versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The Outlook mail program is therefore not included. You may be able to overcome that with the Mail app in Windows 10 or 11.
There are two other important limitations. For example, you may only install the office software on one PC or Mac. Furthermore, this version has no upgrade option. If a new edition of Office for Home Use and Students appears in the future, you will pay the full price for it.
Web versions of Office
In fact, you don’t need an expensive subscription or expensive software to use Office on a computer. Try the free Office web versions. They offer a surprising number of options!
Once you’re signed in with a Microsoft account, edit documents directly in the browser. Compared to a subscription or the paid Office package, the web versions do contain fewer functions. Fortunately, it is fine for most users. Plus, you can collaborate in real-time with other people in a shared document.
Free Microsoft Office App
The Microsoft Office app is available for both Android and iOS. Get instant access to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. You use these applications for free. Create text documents to your heart’s content, process data in spreadsheets and create beautiful presentations. If you only use common functions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you can get started with the basic version of the Microsoft Office app.
Microsoft 365 subscribers have access to various so-called Premium functions within the Microsoft Office app. So, these options are hidden from free users. This concerns, for example, a writing aid during the elaboration of texts. In addition, Microsoft 365 subscribers can collaborate more easily within documents.
Alternatives to Office
In addition to Microsoft, other software developers also manufacture office programs. Many publishers even do this for free. For example, LibreOffice and Zoho Suite are full-fledged alternatives to Microsoft Office. Use it to your advantage!
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