Microsoft just lately elevated the worth of the Microsoft 365 subscription, justifying the change by including extra AI experiences to the service. After all, that upset fairly a number of customers, so Microsoft is now making a transfer in the wrong way by letting Home windows prospects use Workplace apps free of charge.

Customers seen that it’s now doable to make use of Workplace apps on Home windows with no license. Upon the primary launch, the immediate asking you to sign up together with your Microsoft Account reveals a “Skip for now” button. Clicking it will get you to a different window the place you may press “Proceed free of charge”—no Microsoft 365 or a perpetual license required.

What does this get you? Rather a lot. Many of the options work, and you’ll view and edit paperwork with out main limitations. Nevertheless, Microsoft will solely allow you to save information to OneDrive (as explicitly acknowledged on the ultimate immediate earlier than you can begin utilizing the app), so no luck for you if you wish to retailer information regionally or edit native information (it’s important to add them to OneDrive first). Additionally, you may be greeted with advertisements in a sidebar with a button to take away advertisements by subscribing to Microsoft 365.

As for the lacking options, here’s a checklist of stuff you can’t do in free Workplace apps, courtesy of Beebom, who noticed the brand new plan:

For now, it seems that Microsoft is testing a brand new plan with a restricted set of customers and areas. We couldn’t get it on our machines—the introductory banner would present “Shut Phrase” as a substitute of “Skip for now.” This would possibly clarify the shortage of any announcement from Microsoft up to now.

Would you employ ad-supported Workplace apps on Home windows free of charge? Share your ideas within the feedback.