[Cost Guide] 9 Ways to Get Microsoft 365 For Free or Under $20 - 2023

The original price of Microsoft 365 is $69.99/Year for Personal Plan, or $99.99/Year for Family Plan from the official Microsoft store (US Site).

I've searched many platforms and found 7 available options to get Microsoft 365 for free and also several platforms where you can get MS 365 at a low price for a maximum 83% off. Please scroll down and check each of them below.

💡 Platforms to get Microsoft 365 at a low price

The following Pricing Plan is the biggest discount you could get for each license.

Join a shared Microsoft 365 home plan - 83% Off

Works the same like a Netflix account.
Ask around, and to let you join the plan, in this way you can split the $99 per year with the other 5 users, so you can get office 365 for around $17 per year.

togetherprice
Or
shareit.sg
sharesub

Are my files private in OneDrive when I share MS 365 Family subscription❓
Each member gets an additional 1TB of OneDrive storage, and the files always remain private to each person, including kids in a family group as well. Others cannot access your personal files or folders on your OneDrive unless you share files with them.
Share your Microsoft 365 Family subscription [Microsoft]

Buy From E-commerce store

Nearly $10 off if you get Microsoft 365 subscription on Amazon, plus an additional $50 Amazon Gift Card if you're a first-time subscriber.

Amazon

Besides, we also found good deals of Microsoft 365 Personal/Family Plan on G2A with a nearly 50% discount. Available to purchase here Office 365 on G2A

💡 Methods to get Microsoft Office 365 For FREE

Microsoft Office 365 Free Online Version (free office for the web)

Microsoft currently provides a generous offer, free office popular online apps, and 5GB of cloud storage, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, OneNote, and Calendar on your PC or on the go, just any device with a browser.

All you have to do is to go to office.com and sign in with your Microsoft account. Once you log in, you will see it. (Free office for the web)

Office.com

Is there any difference between the online and desktop app versions of office 365❓
*The free web version doesn't come with a full set of features like the desktop app version. However, it’s still capable of using all the core functions, but not some advanced features.
*The online version provides only 5 GB of cloud storage, while the desktop app version has 1 TB.
*Does not support offline editing/viewing in the web version. Cannot directly select a document from your local disk.
*But the good thing about the web version is it can run through the browser, and transfer your documents from your PC to your phone or tablet so that you can work on the go.
*Also, it saves changes automatically with the online version.

Features that are missing from the online version:
*Missing some advanced features in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
*Can't add captions, citations, and bibliography, advanced page layout tools, and advanced printing tools in MS Word
*For more detailed info, you may refer to Office for the web service description

If you only need the basic feature of each app, the free version should work well enough for you.

Microsoft Office 365 Free Mobile apps

Similar to the web version of office 365, Office Mobile is available on phones and tablets.

Office Mobile

But editing in the office mobile app is limited to screens up to 10.1 inches, and 9.7 inches tablets. Thus, it's read-only for devices with a large screen, like iPad, or you have to get a subscription to make it editable.

Microsoft Office 365 Free Education Version

For students, and teachers, the entire office 365 suite is available for free in Office 365 Education (Requires .edu email address to qualify).

Office 365 Education

Any difference with the education version❓ Edu vs. Pro
You can access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Microsoft Team for free, but it doesn’t include the outlook, access, and publisher apps as the pro version has. For details, you may refer to Microsoft compare office 365 edu plans

Is Office 365 free forever for students❓
No, students can use the edu plan until they no longer study in a qualified school. It will expire shortly after graduating. Student eligibility may be re-verified at any time.

Can I share office 365 Education with others?❓
It’s individually licensed for use only by the eligible teacher. You may refer to office 365 education

Microsoft Office 365 Free from a new PC (1 Year)

Many new laptops and PCs come with a 1-Year Office 365 subscription. If you're thinking about buying one, ask the seller if it includes a Microsoft 365 subscription. For Example

Microsoft Office 365 Free through Microsoft For Startups

Microsoft is offering a range of support to help all startups grow their businesses at every stage of their journey. Startup Founders Hub members can get free access to Microsoft 365 Business Standard, including Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, receive Azure cloud credits and support, and more business-related software from MS. Check more detailed Microsoft For Startups benefits here.

Microsoft for Startups Requirements:
For companies that,
*Can provide an innovative solution
*Have less than seven years of existence
*Seed or Series B funding stage
*Revenue generating

For detailed info, you may refer to Microsoft for Startups success stories and Founders Hub FAQ.

Microsoft Office 365 Free with Office Deployment Tool (ODT)

The Office Deployment Tool provides several Microsoft Office apps to deploy, including Microsoft Access, Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, OneDrive, Skype for Business, and Teams. Besides, it enables users to select which apps and languages to install. First of all, you need to download the Office Deployment Tool from Microsoft Official here. Secondly, create and save the configuration file. Then, you may run the ODT in configure mode and install your selected MS programs in the Office. Here's a video tutorial and a detailed ODT info that you may find helpful to Configure and install Office 365 programs with the Office Deployment Tool.

Microsoft Office 365 E5 Free For Lifetime

Office 365 E5 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft Teams. You may check a video tutorial here about how to get Microsoft 365 E5 license for free for permanent use.

If you know some other good options to get Microsoft 365 at a low price, share them with us in the comments below!

References

How to get Microsoft 365 for Free | 2022 (Video)
Microsoft Office Web vs Desktop Apps: What is the Difference?
Office 365 Education for Students