Yes, You Can Get Microsoft Word for Free: Here's How

Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world. However, the full desktop version and Microsoft 365 subscription can be expensive for some users. Fortunately, there are several legitimate ways to access Microsoft Word for free. In this article, we’ll outline step-by-step instructions to get Word at no cost using both web and desktop options.

Use Microsoft Word Online for Free

The easiest way to use Word for free is through the web-based Microsoft Word Online. Here’s how:

Go to www.office.com in any browser

Click “Sign in” in the top right corner
Sign in with your Microsoft account or create one for free
Click “Word” to launch the web-based Word Online app

Microsoft Word Online provides core word processing features for creating, editing and sharing documents. You get 5GB of OneDrive storage for free to save your files. The interface is similar to the desktop, so the learning curve is minimal. Best of all, it’s completely free!

The only catch is that Microsoft Word Online lacks some advanced features only available in paid versions. But it’s perfectly suitable for most basic document tasks.

Install Microsoft 365 and Use Word for Free for One Month

If you want to try the full-featured desktop version of Word for free, you can sign up for a 1-month free trial of Microsoft 365.

Here is the step-by-step process:

Go to Microsoft365.com
Click on “For home”

Click “Try free” to begin the trial
Sign in or create a new Microsoft account
Download and install Word on your desktop

Use Word free for 1 month before the trial expires

With Microsoft 365, you gain access to the robust desktop Word app including all advanced features. You also get 1TB of OneDrive storage, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more to use during your trial.

Just remember to cancel before the 1-month trial ends if you don’t want to pay. But Microsoft 365 Personal is only $6.99 per month if you do decide to continue the subscription.

Use Word for Free as a Student

Students and teachers can obtain Microsoft 365 Education for free, including full access to Microsoft Word.

Follow these instructions to get Word as a student:

Go to Microsoft Education

Click “Get Office 365 for free”
Sign in with your school email address for verification
Once approved, download and install Word

Now you can utilize the desktop version of Word completely free as long as you’re a student. It also comes with web versions of Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Microsoft Teams.

The only requirement is you must sign in with your valid school email address. But this grants students free access to Word for all their document projects.

Use Free Word Alternatives

If the above options don’t work for your needs, consider using a free alternative word processor similar to Word. Popular choices include:

Google Docs: Web-based word processor that runs in any browser. It lacks some advanced features but makes up for it with real-time collaboration.
LibreOffice Writer: Open source free word processing software for Windows, Mac and Linux. Provides a similar interface and features as Word.
WPS Office Free: Light-weight and customizable word processor for Windows with high compatibility for opening/saving Word documents.

These Word alternatives provide excellent free word processing options with no subscription required. Just keep in mind there may be some compatibility issues or missing features compared to Microsoft products.

Get Word Permanently for Free or Cheap

Lastly, you can obtain Microsoft Word permanently for free or cheap legally in a few cases:

Some companies provide employees with free Microsoft software licenses, including Word.

Students might have free access to Word using university-provided Microsoft software downloads.
Government or non-profit workers sometimes have legal free or discounted license access.
You can sometimes find unused Microsoft product key codes online for cheap.

These options grant full ownership of Word without an ongoing subscription. However, they are dependent on specific situations that might not apply to all users.