It is not always necessary to buy Office 365, there are legal ways to get it for free: here are how six ways to buy Word and Power Point for free
Do we constantly work with documents, Excel sheets or presentations? Microsoft's Office 365 program is a must-have for your computer. What if we don't want to or can't pay the annual subscription provided by Redmond for its application?
The most obvious alternative is to install a similar program, developed by other companies. There are several of them and some of them are also very well made, such as LibreOffice. It must be said, however, that if we have to work with a team of people who all have Office 365, using a non-Microsoft program could cause incompatibility problems or display errors on our documents in the long run. Luckily for us, there are ways to install Office 365 for free.
Use Office 365 for free: Microsoft's online app
In response to other manufacturers, such as Google who has developed Google Docs, Microsoft has also made a free online version of Office 365. Obviously this is a fairly basic application compared to the paid one, and furthermore without an Internet connection it can't be used to make or edit documents. However, if we work with an always-on Internet connection this will be the least of the problems. And while it's true that some Office 365 features are not available in the online version, the browser app works perfectly for basic tasks like writing a document, making a PowerPoint presentation or creating a database with Excel.
Get Office 365 for free: Office 365 mobile app
What if you don't work from a PC but use your tablet or smartphone to write Office 365 documents while you're out and about? Simple, instead of using Microsoft's online app we can download the mobile apps (for Android, iPhone and Windows Phone) developed by Redmond to be able to use Word and all the programs of the Office package from the phone. These apps are also completely free. Even in this case, some features are missing compared to the paid version and, above all, we can use them for free only according to the size of our screen. For example, if we own a tablet with a display larger than 10.1 inches, we won't be able to use Microsoft's free mobile apps but will have to download Office 365 for a fee.
Buy Office 365 for free: the "student versions" of Office 365
Are we students? Then it is possible that we will be able to request a free version of Office 365 to use on our computer. Microsoft has made several agreements with schools, libraries and universities to guarantee young students a free use of their Office package. In Italy this agreement is with La Sapienza University in Rome. If we are students in one of the many courses of La Sapienza, we will be able to ask for a free installation of Office 365 on our device.
Office 365 free: trial version
If we use Office 365 once in a while to write a text, or simply to check an Excel sheet, paying for an annual plan can seem really useless. What to do in this case? Simple, we use one of the trial versions that Microsoft makes available online for possible future customers. As with web and mobile apps, there are some missing features, but as a free alternative to use when needed, it's enough. The trial lasts for a month, you'll need to give us your details and your credit card, and of course remember to cancel the trial before the month expires and you're charged for the annual subscription plan.
Use Office 365 for free: trial version Plus from Microsoft
Weren't the 30-day trial of the "standard" version of Microsoft Office enough for you? No problem, Redmond offers you another 30 days of Office 365 Plus for free. This is the Office version designed for business profiles and therefore we'll also have several premium features available that the basic version doesn't have. Also in this case we'll have to provide our data and enter a payment method, which of course we'll have to cancel before the trial month expires to avoid being charged.
Office 365 free when you buy a new Windows 10 computer
Microsoft always has agreements with computer manufacturers. On many devices at the time of purchase we find in fact already installed not only the operating system Windows 10 but also Office 365 free for a year. If we are looking for a new PC pay attention to the programs that are offered with the purchase we will be able to save a year's subscription to Microsoft's Office package.