Getting Microsoft Word for free is a dream come true. This is a great program that is used in most offices, home, and school, but it usually costs every year you want to use it. But you don’t really need to pay for Microsoft Word when there are multiple ways to use it for free.
Whether you want to open a Word document, edit it, or just view a document, these free Microsoft Word tools are exactly what you need.
Even if these strategies for using Microsoft Word for free are not what you want, there are other ways to use a Microsoft Word document without having to install or purchase Microsoft Word. See the bottom of this page for more details.
Microsoft Word Online: Free Browser Edition
The best way to use Microsoft Word for free is with the online version Just sign in with your Microsoft account to get started, or create one here
You can edit Word documents stored in your OneDrive account for free, upload new documents from your computer and create completely new Word documents without the need for an offline version of MS Word.
Word Online automatically saves all of your work, so you never have to click the Save button. You can easily share your document online with a dedicated link, let others collaborate with you, embed the document in your website, and upload your work when you’re done in Word, PDF, or ODT format.
Word Mobile: Free Microsoft Word for Windows 10
Another way to get Microsoft Word for free is through Word Mobile, a mobile app from Microsoft that works on the following Windows 10 devices:
- Windows 10 Mobile v15063.0 or higher.
- Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher.
However, there is an important caveat: full use (viewing, editing and creating documents) is only supported on phones, especially devices with a screen size of 10.1 inches or less. You can still use Word Mobile on large laptops, desktops, and tablets, but you can only view documents for free.
Free Microsoft Word App: Android and iOS
To use Microsoft Word for free on your Android or iOS device, you can install the official Microsoft Word app. Get the Android version here and Word for iOS here Full editing is supported, so you can use a realistic version of Word right from your mobile device.
You can pin documents to the home screen for quick access, share files as a link or email attachment, search documents, and open files from various locations such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, and Dropbox.
Microsoft Word Free Trial: Anyone Can Apply
Another way to get Microsoft Word for free is with an Office 365 trial Microsoft lets anyone use Office 365 for free for an entire month so you can test all the features before deciding if you want to pay for it.
The trial version is fully usable during the trial period, which means you can read and edit Word documents and create your own from scratch or from a template.
A free trial version of Microsoft Word even comes with other Office applications: Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and Publisher.
Council. See our list of the most helpful Microsoft Word tips and tricks.
Microsoft Word is free for students: EDU email required
If a trial isn’t enough because you’re a student who needs Microsoft Word year-round, know that Microsoft offers Office 365 at zero cost to students and teachers.
Visit their Office 365 Education page for all the details. You will need to enter your school’s email address to verify that you are working in education. You will need to open the email sent to this address from Microsoft and then enter the code from the message into the form to create your free account.
If your school is not recognized, you will have the option to request access, but this will not be an instant process like it is for schools already on the list.
Other ways to use Word documents
If you’re looking for free ways to use Microsoft Word, you don’t need to use a Microsoft approved program. In other words, Word files such as .docx and .doc can be opened, edited, and shared in other programs.
Google Docs is one of the best online Microsoft Word alternatives. You can use it like free MS Word as it allows you to view and edit Word files directly from your browser or via a mobile app. Learn how Google Docs compares to MS Word and notice any differences.
Another way to use Microsoft Word documents without Word is to install OpenOffice Writer Learn how to make it look and work like Word for an easier transition.
Some people who want to use Microsoft Word for free really need a free word processor; that is, what allows them to write documents and save them back to their computer or other device. There are many applications for this in addition to the two mentioned above, including LibreOffice, WPS Office, AbiWord and FreeOffice
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