Forget pesky paywalls, download and use Microsoft Word for free and get access to the familiar experience you know and love anytime, anywhere
(Image: © Shutterstock / monticello)
When it comes to word processing, Microsoft Word continues to reign supreme over alternatives like Google Docs and Adobe Acrobat. Although these alternatives are getting better and better, making the market more competitive for Microsoft, Word still shines above the rest because it is user-friendly, feature-packed, and allows you to work with documents quickly and effectively.
In our review of Microsoft Word (opens in new tab), we’re clear that this application is completely indispensable because of its features, support, and intuitive interface. As mentioned in that article, Word’s current capabilities extend far beyond text formatting, to encompass features like web page formatting, instant translation, and 3D model insertion.
When it comes to Microsoft, Word (along with the whole Microsoft 365 (opens in new tab) suite) offers everything you could possibly want when it comes to productivity, communication, and collaboration. The Microsoft 365 suite, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and Teams, provides you with a comprehensive set of tools to help you stay productive, connected, and organized.
With the suite of apps, you can create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, manage contacts and emails, store and share files, and collaborate with colleagues in real time. Microsoft 365 also includes a variety of security features to help keep your data safe and secure. With Microsoft Word and the Microsoft 365 suite, you have everything you need to stay on track.
However, the cost is a major deterrent for most people to take advantage of what it has to offer. Even without the entire Microsoft 365 suite, Word on its own is fantastic, having very little to leave you frustrated.
The most upsetting thing about Word is that it’s been hidden behind a paywall for most of the past 30 years. This has left the door open for Google Docs and other word processors and document editors to offer their subpar services for free, which is an extremely compelling offer considering Word and Docs are somewhat similar on the surface.
As previously mentioned, Microsoft Word has more competition than ever, especially beyond the paywall. Alternative applications, like Google Docs (opens in new tab), are on the scene, forcing Microsoft to offer Word for free just to compete.
While it’s true that you’re more limited in scope and some features aren’t available, on the whole, the free version of Microsoft Word will get the job done sufficiently for most people. You can still create professional documents, edit and format text, and insert images and tables.
Additionally, there’s no longer any requirement to buy a copy or sign up for Microsoft 365 to use Microsoft Word, which is a huge relief if you’re on a budget. However, if you decide you’d like to make the purchase, the best Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 deals (opens in new tab) will ensure you get the lowest price possible, especially if you are trying to avoid a hefty price tag.
If you’re currently shopping for the best MacBook and Macs (opens in new tab) and feel like that’s going to be enough of a financial outlay for now, or you already have a laptop and just can’t justify any extra expenses at the moment, the straightforward step-by-step instructions below will help you download and use Microsoft Word for free.
Best Microsoft 365 and Office deals
How to use Microsoft Word for free on Windows 10, Mac, Chrome OS, and Linux
The easiest way to download and use Microsoft Word for free is right in your web browser. Whether you’re on Windows 10 (opens in new tab), Mac, Chrome OS, or Linux, using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, or any other major browser, you can access a free-to-use version of Microsoft Word.
All you need is a Microsoft account and a data connection to access the free version of Word. Open t (opens in new tab)he official Microsoft Office website in your browser (opens in new tab) of choice to gain access to Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and other Microsoft products.
Using Microsoft Word online is a lot like Google Docs in that you have automatic cloud backups of your work with OneDrive. You also have the ability to collaborate with other people in real time. This isn’t the full version of Microsoft Word, but it has the same interface, is just as safe, and has all the basic suite of features that the majority of people will need access to.
How to use Microsoft Word for free on iOS and Android
More advanced features are available to users with a Microsoft 365 subscription, but if all you’re looking for is basic access to Microsoft Word on your smartphone or tablet, this will do the job very well. You can download and use Microsoft Word for free from either the Apple App Store (opens in new tab) or Google Play Store (opens in new tab).
Using Microsoft Word on a smartphone or a tablet might not be your first choice because of how small and difficult phones can be to deal with and type on, but it is free. Previously, Microsoft had a standalone Word app for both iOS and Android, but it has now merged Word with Excel and Powerpoint on mobile in a single Microsoft Office application.
This allows for better access to any Excel spreadsheets or Powerpoint presentations that you might need while using Word, as all three are integrated into this one application.
To use it, you only need to log in with a Microsoft account for free access to basic features, as well as online collaboration, backup to OneDrive, and the ability to create PDF files from your documents.
Summary
Not only is there no requirement to pay to use Microsoft Word anymore, but there’s also no requirement to even install it if you’re using it on a PC. The development of the browser-based application for Windows 10, Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS users makes it easy and convenient to work solo or in collaboration.
The mobile application also provides free on-the-go access to basic editing features from your pocket, and all of this only requires a Microsoft account to keep everything in sync.
Microsoft Word is great because it is an easy-to-use word-processing program that allows users to create and edit documents quickly and effectively. It has a wide range of features, such as a spell-checker, grammar checker, table creation, and text formatting. Additionally, Word is compatible with a variety of other Microsoft Office programs, making it a great tool for collaboration, allowing you to stay on target with all of your projects and tasks.
We’ve listed the best Microsoft Office alternatives.
Ray is a Staff Writer for TechRadar, having previously contributed numerous pieces to other technology websites such as Makeuseof and Thesweetbits. He has been writing about a multitude of topics within the tech industry for years, and now lends his experience to variable content on TechRadar. In his free time, you’ll likely find Ray riding trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on his mountain bike.
Most Popular
For decades, Microsoft released major new versions of Word and its other Office apps once every few years. That’s when the bulk of new features were added, with security and bug fixes prioritised at other times.
However, that all changed with the release of Office 365 (now
Microsoft 365). This subscription gets you Word, Excel, Powerpoint and many other services, all for a single monthly cost. New features are added to these apps all the time, despite Microsoft continuing to make standalone versions.
Microsoft 365 is undeniably good value if you use multiple Office apps each month, but it could be harder to justify if you just use Word occasionally.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other options if you’re looking to get started with Microsoft’s classic word processor. You can access it across all your devices, whether you’re working on a phone, tablet, laptop or PC.
In this article, we’ll run through some free workarounds for accessing Microsoft Word, plus where to find some big discounts. But if you’d rather not pay a penny, there are plenty
free alternative office suites that are still compatible with Microsoft’s software.
Download the free Office apps for iOS, Android and Windows
Microsoft’s aim is for all your files to seamlessly sync between devices via OneDrive. With that in mind, its Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps are free to download for
Android and
iOS. All the relevant links are below.
iOS apps
- Word for iOS
- Excel for iOS
- PowerPoint for iOS
Android apps (links only work on devices with Google Play Store installed)
- Word for Android
- Excel for Android
- PowerPoint for Android
Windows apps
- Word for Windows 10/11
- Excel for Windows 10/11
- PowerPoint for Windows 10/11
While these are free for any device, they don’t simply allow you full access to all the features, with the full functionality held back for
Microsoft 365 subscribers. See our
full Microsoft Office buying guide to learn more.
You’ll always be able to open and read documents for free, but can only create and edit them for free on a device with a screen smaller than 10.1 inches. That means you can edit Word documents from a smartphone or small tablet, but if you’re on a larger tablet, laptop, or desktop PC you can only view them.
On iOS, the distinction is simpler at least: you can create and edit documents for free on any iPhone, regular iPad, iPad Air or Mini, but iPad Pro users can only view files.
It’s worth noting that even on a device with a smaller screen, you only get what Microsoft calls the ‘core’ Office experience, with some editing tools and features not available to free users.
Try Microsoft 365 for free
Being able to view documents alone is of limited use, so if you’re using a device with a screen bigger than 10.1in you’ll want some extra functionality.
The easiest solution is to sign up for Microsoft 365, the company’s cloud-based subscription service, which starts at
£5.99/
US$6.99 per month or
£59.99/
US$69.99 per year for a Personal account. It offers the same apps listed above, but simply unlocks their full feature set on any device, while saving your work in the cloud so that you can access it wherever you are. You also get access to programs like
Exchange Online and
SharePoint Online.
Several new features were added in the April 2020
rebranding of Office 365 to Microsoft 365, but none are likely to fundamentally change the way you use the apps. They include a consumer-focused Teams subscription, new Family Safety app and a handful of new features across the core Office programs.
The good news is there’s a
one-month free trial of Microsoft 365, so you can test it out without committing to paying a penny.
Get Microsoft Teams for free
If you often collaborate with other people you can also
sign up for Microsoft Teams for free which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote Online apps. Teams lets you chat, share files and start video calls from within the platform. There are premium plans as well starting from
£3/
US$4 per user per month.
Microsoft is offering a one-month free trial of all the subscriptions.
Get Microsoft 365 Education for free
Teachers and students can get Microsoft 365 Education for free, which includes Office Online (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) and Microsoft Teams, as well as unlimited personal cloud storage.
You need to be a full-time or part-time faculty or staff member or student with a valid school email to be eligible.
Check if you qualify here by entering your school email address at the bottom of the page.
You can find additional information about
Microsoft 365 Education here, while schools can sign up
using this link.
Learn more in our separate guide:
Do students get Office 365 for free?
Microsoft Home Use Program Discount
While it’s not completely free, you can save 30% on a Microsoft 365 subscription through your employer via
Microsoft’s Home Use Program for 365 Family or Personal subscriptions.
You just need to check your eligibility by entering your corporate email address. If your employer qualifies, you would receive a verification link via email to authenticate your Microsoft account which enables access to the 30% discount.
See if you qualify here.
Free Office alternatives
If you need more functionality than the Office apps give you for free, but don’t want to pay for Office 365, there are various alternatives to Microsoft Office out there that are completely free.
Our recommendation is LibreOffice – it’s a full suite that’s regularly updated and allows you to open and save documents in Microsoft formats.
Should you happen to dislike Libre Office, you can also check out free alternatives such as
WPS Office,
Free Office and
Google Drive, which includes
Docs,
Sheets and
Slides.
Related articles for further reading
- Microsoft 365 buying guide
- How to get Microsoft Excel for free
- How to get Microsoft PowerPoint for free
- Does Windows 11 come with Microsoft Office?
How To Get Microsoft Word For Free Windows 10. You don’t have to pay the full fee for a Microsoft 365 subscription. In order to use Word and other office products; here are some alternatives.
Microsoft has launched major new versions of Word and its other Office programmes every few years for decades. The majority of new features implemented during that time, with security and bug fixes taking precedence at other times.
With the arrival of Office 365, however, everything changed (now Microsoft 365). For a single monthly fee, you can obtain Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and a variety of other services. Despite Microsoft’s continued development of standalone versions, new features constantly introduced to these programmes.
If you use many Office products each month, Microsoft 365 is unquestionably fantastic value. But if you only use Word infrequently, it may be more difficult to justify.
If you’re seeking to get started with Microsoft’s traditional word processor, there lots of other possibilities. It’s available on all of your devices, whether you’re using a phone, tablet, laptop, or PC.
We’ll go through some free solutions for getting access to Microsoft Word in this article. As well as where to get some great deals. If you don’t want to spend a dime, there are a slew of free alternative. Office suites that work with Microsoft’s software.
Get The Office Apps For iOS, Android, And Windows For Free
The goal of Microsoft’s OneDrive is for all of your files to sync smoothly between devices. With that in mind, the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint applications for Android and iOS are all free to download. Below are all of the pertinent links.
iOS Apps
- Word for iOS
- Excel for iOS
- PowerPoint for iOS
Android Apps (Links Only Work On Devices With Google Play Store installed)
- Word for Android
- Excel for Android
- PowerPoint for Android
Windows Apps
- Word for Windows 10/11
- Excel for Windows 10/11
- PowerPoint for Windows 10/11
While these are available on any device for free, they don’t give you complete access to all of the capabilities; full capability reserved for Microsoft 365 users. For more information, see our Microsoft Office buying guide.
You’ll always be able to open and read documents for free, but only on devices with screens less than 10.1 inches will you be able to create and modify them for free. That means that you can edit Word documents on a smartphone or small tablet, but you can only view them on a bigger tablet, laptop, or desktop PC.
On iOS, the distinction is at least clearer: any iPhone, ordinary iPad, iPad Air, or Mini can create and edit documents for free, but iPad Pro owners can only read them.
It’s worth noting that even on a smaller screen, you’ll only get the ‘core’ Office experience, which includes several editing tools and capabilities that aren’t available to free users.
For A Limited Time, You Can Try Microsoft 365 For Free
Simply seeing documents is insufficient, so if you’re using a device with a screen larger than 10.1in, you’ll want some further features.
The most straightforward option is to subscribe to Microsoft 365, the company’s cloud-based subscription service, which costs £5.99/US$6.99 per month or £59.99/US$69.99 per year for a Personal account. It provides access to the same apps listed above, but it just unlocks their entire feature set on any device while preserving your work in the cloud so you can access it from anywhere. You’ll also have access to online tools like Exchange and SharePoint.
Also Read:How To Get 1 Million Credits In Gran Turismo 7
The renaming of Office 365 to Microsoft 365 in April 2020 adds a few new capabilities, but none of them expected to impact the way you use the apps fundamentally. A consumer-focused Teams subscription, a new Family Safety app, and a slew of new features across Office’s core applications are among them.
The good news is that Microsoft 365 offers a one-month free trial, so you may try it out without spending any money.
Microsoft Teams Is Available For Free
If you frequently collaborate with others, Microsoft Teams, which contains Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote Online apps, is a free option. From within the platform, Teams allows you to talk, share files, and conduct video calls. Premium options are also available, beginning at £3/US$4 per user per month.
All subscriptions are available for a one-month free trial from Microsoft.
Microsoft 365 Education Is Available For Free
Microsoft 365 Education is available for free to teachers and students, and includes Office Online (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote), Microsoft Teams, and unlimited personal cloud storage.
To be eligible, you must be a full-time or part-time faculty or staff member, or a student with a valid school email. Enter your school email address at the bottom of the page to see whether you qualify.
More information about Microsoft 365 Education can found here, and schools can join up using this link.
More information can found in our separate guide: Is Office 365 free for students?
Discount For Microsoft’s Home Use Program
While not fully free, Microsoft’s Home Use Program for 365 Family or Personal memberships allows you to save 30% on a Microsoft 365 subscription through your workplace.
All you have to do now input your company’s email address to see if you eligible. If your company qualifies, you’ll receive an email with a verification link to validate your Microsoft account and gain access to the 30% discount. Check to see whether you’re eligible.
Alternatives To Microsoft Office
If you require more functionality than the free Office apps provide, but do not wish to pay for Office 365, there are a number of free Microsoft Office alternatives available.
LibreOffice is our pick; it’s a comprehensive suite that’s routinely updated and can open and save documents in Microsoft formats.
If you don’t like Libre Office, there are more free options like WPS Office, Free Office, and Google Drive, which contains Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
Related Articles For Further Information
- Purchasing Microsoft 365
- How to Get Free Microsoft Excel
- How to Get Free Microsoft PowerPoint
- Is Microsoft Office included with Windows 11
How To Get Microsoft Word For Free Windows 10
As far as word processors go, Microsoft Word is still the king. But you don’t have to pay for the expensive Microsoft Office suite to use it. Here are all the ways to get Microsoft Word free.
Of course, MS Word is more than a simple word processor. It has a wide selection of tools and applications. Whether it’s on a computer or on a phone, it’s the best software for creating, editing, and managing documents. And you can download Microsoft Word for free.
Word Mobile for Windows
For a long time, Microsoft offered a free program called Word Viewer to open any DOCX file without paying for the full version of Office. But Word Viewer was retired a few years back. What you have instead is the new Word Mobile.
You can install Word Mobile on any Windows laptop, desktop, tablet, or phone. If your screen is larger than 10.1 inches, however, you can’t create nor edit files with the free Microsoft Word Mobile. Unless you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you can only open documents and read them on larger screens.
To grab the app, head to the Microsoft Store and search for Word Mobile. Otherwise, follow the link below and click the Get in Store app button to open it in the Microsoft Store on your Windows computer. Proceed to download it like any app.
Download: Word Mobile for Windows (Free)
Microsoft Office for Android and iOS
Microsoft’s all-in-one Office suite for Android and iOS combines Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Forms, and a host of PDF options in a single app, and it’s completely free.
Perhaps the best part about the free Microsoft Office mobile app is how well it represents documents filled with charts and graphics. This has historically been a problem on most mobile office suites, but such files show up perfectly on this app, scroll through smoothly without lagging, and are smartly optimized for mobile screens.
The app also features a strong dictation mode. Apart from turning your voice into text, you can make lists, add punctuation, change lines, and much more. Not bad considering you’re getting Microsoft Word for free.
Download: Microsoft Office: Edit & Share for Android | iOS (Free)
Use the Android App on Chromebooks
Microsoft Office: Edit & Share is also the best method to get Microsoft Word free on Chrome OS. All Chromebooks now run Android apps, so go to the Play Store and download the same app for the Android linked above.
It will work as if you were using a tablet. The app works fine with a keyboard, and you can keep using the regular keyboard shortcuts you are accustomed to. But in the end, that’s a mobile version of Word, not the proper desktop one. For something closer to the desktop Word experience on a Chromebook, you’re better off using our next option; Office Online.
Office Online
If you have an active internet connection, you can use the free Office Online instead in your browser. All you need is a Microsoft account, which you can register for free, and then choose the Word app.
We can think of a few reasons why you should use Office Online instead of paying Microsoft to use Word. For starters, you can access documents anywhere through the 5GB of free OneDrive storage you get with a Microsoft account. It also accurately retains Microsoft Word formatting, unlike other apps. And it automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose it.
Office Online also makes it easier to share documents and work with others. Like with Google Docs, you and your friends can collaborate on the same document in this free Microsoft Word online app. It’s an easy step to cloud computing for anyone who is already hooked into the Microsoft Office ecosystem.
However, you can’t use Office Online without an internet connection. When you need an offline office suite, fully installed on your own PC, then the good old Office is still your best bet.
Microsoft 365
If you temporarily need the full version of Microsoft Word for free on your PC or Mac, get a trial subscription to Microsoft 365. Until a few years ago, buying Microsoft Office was a one-time cost, but a hefty one.
Now, Microsoft has embraced the subscription model, which actually increases the price but makes a lot of sense if you are using Office on multiple computers for your whole family. Plus, there are some cool freebies packaged with it.
Once you have finished your trial period, you need to make a decision whether to stick with one of the aforementioned Microsoft Word free versions or pay for the full version. The new Microsoft 365 subscription model not only gets you Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, and Outlook, but if you opt for the Family package, it also adds 1TB of OneDrive storage per person, which is a total of up to 6TB.
The Microsoft 365 Family package is available for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. If you plan on sharing your Office with members of your family, this is the best value-for-money deal you can get.
It basically applies to six users; so you can install Office offline on six computers (PC or Mac), six tablets, or six phones, and get the aforementioned 1TB storage for six users each. And you also get some additional safety features for Word Mobile on your smartphone:
The cheaper Microsoft 365 Personal package costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year but supports only one user for 1TB of storage, offline installation on one computer, one tablet, and one phone.
BUY NOW
MICROSOFT 365If you don’t like the new subscription model, you can purchase Office at a one-time cost varying from $149.99 to $399.99.
Before you make a decision, check out these methods to get cheap Microsoft Office and Word licenses.
For Students and Non-Profits
Students can get Office 365 Education for free if your school supports it. You can check out eligibility on the official site. However, be warned that the 1TB of OneDrive storage is associated with your school’s account, which means a school administrator can change permissions and access.
Like students, non-profit organizations can get Microsoft 365 Business Premium for free.
Still Nothing? Try Microsoft Word Alternatives
Microsoft Word has always been a fantastic word processor. Maybe you have moved away from it because of its price. Though these alternatives aren’t the full-fledged Office suite that you expect to grab for free, you can still rely on these methods and use them for your productivity.
Otherwise, you might want to consider these fresh alternatives to Microsoft Office. You never know which of those free or cheap alternatives will work out for you.
Get more with Microsoft 365 Basic. The web apps you love, plus 100 GB of secure cloud storage and ad-free email. Only $1.99/month.
Get started
Use Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more for free on the web
Office is now Microsoft 365
Get the Office (Microsoft 365) mobile app
Enter your mobile number or email address and we’ll send a download link.
How your phone number or email address is used.
Microsoft will use your phone number or email address only for this one-time transaction. Standard SMS rates may apply.
Anywhere access
Whether you’re at work or on the go, create your best work on your favorite browser.
Familiar experience
The familiar Microsoft 365 experience you know and trust, so there’s nothing new to learn.
Work with anyone
Share your documents with anyone and work together in real-time.
Word for the web
Craft great-looking resumes, newsletters, and documents while inviting others to review and coauthor in real time. Plus, access free Word templates, formatting tools for APA, MLA, and Chicago style, and add functionality with free add-ins.
Excel for the web
Organize your data in familiar spreadsheets and workbooks, with all changes saved automatically. Create modern visuals that turn numbers into valuable insights. Work together in real time knowing that everyone is on the same page.
PowerPoint for the web
Turn your ideas into compelling presentations using professional-looking templates. Use animations, transitions, photos, and videos to tell one-of-a-kind stories. Co-author team presentations at the same time, from anywhere.
Start now at Microsoft365.com
No installation required. It’s free.