The free version of Microsoft features a 15-second ad that plays every few hours and locks away useful features behind a paywall.

This version comes with a host of limitations and access is limited, but here's how you could try giving it a whirl.

Microsoft broke from a long tradition of only offering paid versions of the native Microsoft Office app (web having been free for some time) and silently introduced a free, ad-supported version of Microsoft Office exclusively for Windows 11 users.

Microsoft has introduced a free ad-supported Office app that brings access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without any subscription fee.

Macworld Paying monthly for apps you’ve used for years feels like a bad deal… because it is! With Microsoft 365 charging $10 every month, those fees add up fast. There’s a reason so many people are leaving the subscription service behind for the lifetime version of Microsoft Office.