Free Microsoft 365 and Office Alternatives

Every outside fact here comes from Microsoft's, LibreOffice's and Google's own pages, checked November 10, 2026. We don't make an office suite, so this page points only to other people's free software.

What people pay Microsoft 365 for, job by job

Writing documents and opening Word files

You have three free options, and each edits .docx files:

Word for the web. Microsoft's free web apps page offers Word, Excel and PowerPoint in your browser with a free Microsoft account. To work on files with others, it says they "must be saved in and shared from OneDrive."
LibreOffice is an open source suite with Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math, at no cost. It runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 or newer, and Linux, and you install it on your own computer.
Google Docs. Google says "anyone with a Google Account can create in Docs," that you can edit Word files directly, and that you can work offline.

What you lose: Microsoft's own comparison page says Word for the web can't run macros, can't open password-protected documents, and can't create or change styles. LibreOffice's help says it loads and saves .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files. It also says some layout and formatting in "more complex Microsoft Office documents" is handled differently. Open anything important and check it before you send it back.

Spreadsheets

Excel for the web, LibreOffice Calc and Google Sheets all handle everyday spreadsheets without a subscription. Google says you can "directly edit Excel spreadsheets" in Sheets and work without an internet connection.

Macros are the weak spot. LibreOffice "cannot run Visual Basic Scripts," its help says, though recent versions can run some Excel macros if you turn on an option. If your work depends on Excel workbooks full of VBA, there isn't a good free option. Pay for the desktop app.

Presentations

PowerPoint for the web, LibreOffice Impress and Google Slides all make and edit slides for free. Google says you can edit PowerPoint files directly in Slides. If a deck came from PowerPoint, run through it once on the computer you'll present from, since layout can shift between apps.

Cloud storage

This is the hardest part to replace for free. Microsoft 365 Personal includes "1 TB of OneDrive storage." A free Microsoft account comes with 5 GB. A free Google Account includes up to 15 GB, shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. LibreOffice saves to your own computer, so it needs no cloud storage at all, but then backups are up to you.

What Microsoft 365 costs now

On November 10, 2026, Microsoft's plan comparison page listed these US prices:

Microsoft 365 Personal: US$99.99 a year or US$9.99 a month, for 1 person. A "limited-time offer" showed US$69.99 for the first year or US$6.99 for the first month. The page says it then "automatically renews at the regular price."
Microsoft 365 Family: US$129.99 a year or US$12.99 a month, for 1 to 6 people, with "2 TB of storage shared across the family."

Both include the Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote desktop apps with Copilot. The page says Family's AI features are for the subscription owner only.

If you only want more storage, Microsoft 365 Basic was US$1.99 a month or US$19.99 a year on November 10, 2026, for 100 GB, with web and mobile apps only.

When paying for Microsoft 365 is worth it

Paying makes sense when the free options cost you time:

You trade complex files with Office users every day. Contracts with tracked changes, heavily formatted reports, and shared templates are safest in the app that made them.
You rely on Excel macros. LibreOffice runs only some of them.
You want the cloud storage. 1 TB, or 2 TB shared on Family, is more than any free account here.
Several people in your home would use it. Six people on Family works out to about US$21.67 each per year at the regular yearly price.

If you mostly write letters, keep a budget sheet and open the odd attachment, the free options are enough.

How to cancel Microsoft 365

Microsoft's cancellation page, checked November 10, 2026, says to sign in at account.microsoft.com/services/microsoft365 and select Cancel subscription (it might say Upgrade or Cancel). If you bought it through Apple, Google Play or a store such as Amazon, cancel there instead, as our guide to canceling on iPhone and Android explains.

Back up first. The same page says your storage reverts to 5 GB, that over that limit you, or people you shared the subscription with, can't upload, edit or sync files in OneDrive or send or receive Outlook.com email, and that "after 6 months, we may delete your OneDrive and all files within it."

Common questions

Is there a free version of Microsoft Office?

Yes. Microsoft offers Word, Excel and PowerPoint for the web free with a Microsoft account, plus 5 GB of OneDrive storage. Files you share have to be in OneDrive, and the web apps lack some desktop features. Microsoft says Word for the web, for example, can't run macros.

Can LibreOffice open Word, Excel and PowerPoint files?

Yes. LibreOffice's help says recent versions load and save .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files. It also says complex layouts and formatting can come out differently, so check important files after opening them.

Is Google Docs free?

You can use it without paying for a plan. Google's Docs page says "anyone with a Google Account can create in Docs" and lists no price for that, while paid Google Workspace plans add business features. Docs files count toward the up to 15 GB of storage that comes with every Google Account, shared with Gmail and Google Photos.

What happens to my files if I cancel Microsoft 365?

Your storage drops to 5 GB. If you're over that, Microsoft says you can't upload, edit or sync files, or send or receive Outlook.com email, and after 6 months it may delete your OneDrive. Download what you need, or bring it under 5 GB, before you cancel.

Paying for something not listed here? Ask for a quote to replace it.

Free alternatives to Microsoft 365 and Office