Microsoft Office normally starts at $70 per year, but there are quite a few ways to get it for free. We’ll show you all the ways you can get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office applications without paying a cent. With Microsoft 365 for the web (formally Office 365) and edit, and share Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files on your devices using a web browser. Collaborate for free with an online version of Microsoft PowerPoint. Save presentations in OneDrive. Share them with others and work together at the same time.
We all realize that nothing is really free in today's world, yet we all look for free stuff all the time. Well, maybe we were partially wrong when we said 'nothing is free,' because you can get a free, or at least a cheaper copy of PowerPoint and Microsoft Office. When we say free or cheap, we do not refer to bootlegged copies, but genuine, original software. Here are some options for you to get a free or cheaper copy of Microsoft Office:
Get a Trial Copy of Microsoft Office
You can install and run this trial version for 30 days almost like a full copy. If you are doing a project that's going to be over in a small duration, such as a month, then, this is a great option. Of course, that is not the intent behind a free trial. Microsoftrightfully assumes that you will like the product after the trial period is over, and will buy a licensed copy. Trial copies are available for both the Windows and Mac versions of Microsoft Office (both as part of the Microsoft 365 trial).
Tip: Confused about why you need Microsoft 365 Home to get trial versions of Office for Windows and Mac? That’s because Microsoft actually is providing you with a 30-day trial of their Microsoft 365 Home subscription, which includes 5 licenses of Office (you decide whether you want to use Windows or Mac versions of Office). Learn more about Microsoft 365 in our Microsoft 365 or Perpetual Office? page.
Do you just want a trial version of Microsoft Office without signing up for anOffice 365 subscription? Yes, that’s still possible although Microsoft has sort of hidden this option in some corner of their TechNetsite. Yes, this page is still for Office 2013 for Windows! This is a standalone version that you can download and install on yourcomputer – also compared to the 30 day trial of Office 365, this one is a full 60 day trial. No such luck for Office for Mac usersthough – looks like the only way to get a trial of that version is through a trial of Office 365 Home.
Apparently, Microsoft has provided an option to extend the trial period of Microsoft Office to 180 days. The utility to extendthe license is included within the Office trial installation, and doesrequire bringing up the Command Prompt window, but you can also do it through third party tools. Note that this is not a crack but a legaloption provided by Microsoft to extend your trial period.
Explore Microsoft for the Web
Microsoft provides a free copy of the PowerPoint for the Web, a web based version of PowerPoint to anyone who has a Microsoft account. Similar web versions are available for Word, Excel, Outlook and OneNote. If you have a Hotmail, Live, Passport, or XBox account, then you already havea Microsoft account. Just head tothe OneDrive site, and you can use this free, web versionof PowerPoint and other Microsoft programs. These web versions are fairly limited in their capabilities than their full desktopcounterparts, but for most people, they work well. One caveat though is that you need to be connected online all the time.
PowerPoint and all other Office programs for the Web have some extra features up its sleeve that you may want to use even if you have a desktop version of theprogram. It lets you collaborate on a presentation, document, or spreadsheet so that more than one person can edit the same file at a time. Also, youcan embed your PowerPoint presentations on any web siteusing OneDrive embed options. Additionally, youcan share your PowerPoint slides on social siteslike Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Best of all, Microsoft Office for the Web uses the same file formats as the desktop version. So, the same presentations, documents, and spreadsheets can be edited on both platforms.
Consider Home and Student Versions
Microsoft provides Office in a Home and Student version that's cheaper than the regular version. Fairly often, you can get a copyof this version for around $150, and you can get even better deals typically during Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales. The licenseallows installation on one computer. Microsoft does limit the use of the Home and Student version to non-commercial activities.According to Microsoft, the Home and Student version 'cannot be used for any commercial, nonprofit, or revenue-generatingactivities, by schools or academic institutions, or by any government organization.'
Where Can I Get Microsoft Powerpoint For Free
Get Education Versions
In addition to the Home and Student version of Office retail products, Microsoft offers education versions of Office 365 subscriptions. In many cases, these versions are available for free as long as you are enrolled in an eligible educational institution. These subscription versions also get you Microsoft Teams and additional classroom tools.
For more information on both these offerings, you will find brief descriptions in our Microsoft 365 or Perpetual Office? page.
Additionally, Microsoft alsoprovides Office 365 Nonprofit that will get your qualified nonprofit organization a free of discounted licensefor Office 365.
How Do I Download Powerpoint
Free Software from Microsoft
Microsoft offers free software as part of its BizSpark, WebsiteSpark, and DreamSpark initiatives -- in addition, they also have aMicrosoft Faculty Connection program. You can check if you are eligible from this site:
Previous Version from eBay or Garage Sales
Auction sites such as eBay often sell older, used copies of Microsoft Office at a substantial discount. We suggest that you try andget a copy that is newer than Office XP (2002). Also, if you can, there are good deals available for Office 2007 for Windows, andOffice 2008 for Mac. Do check if any of these older versions are compatible with newer operating systems like Windows 7 (or newer) orMac OS X 10.6 (or newer).
Also if you buy from a garage sale, make sure that the product has not been activated. If activation fails, you can always call up Microsoft's activation phone support. Even better, try and get a shrink wrapped copy of an older version. Many users buy software that they never open, and these end up in auction sites and garage sales after a few years!