Microsoft really doesn’t want you to buy Office — here’s a great free alternative

Microsoft 365 is now primarily sold as a subscription, which can frustrate people who want basic office software without recurring fees or bundled AI features. The article points to free options, especially OnlyOffice, as ways to work with common document formats without buying Microsoft Office.

Microsoft’s standalone Office Home 2024 costs $180 and is limited to one computer, while Office Online offers free, pared-back web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Office Online requires an internet connection, steers users towards OneDrive’s free 5GB storage and may struggle with complex files. OnlyOffice supports documents, spreadsheets, presentations and PDFs, uses familiar Office formats and offers many common editing tools, though it lacks some advanced features.