How To Get Microsoft Excel For Free Windows 10. Although Excel has long been the industry standard for spreadsheet software, you don’t have to pay to use it.
Microsoft’s Excel has firmly established itself as the most popular spreadsheet programme, and there are no signs that this will change. It delivers a robust range of capabilities that can’t be found anywhere else as part of the phenomenally successful Microsoft Office productivity suite.
However, you’ll need to pay for a Microsoft 365 membership to get the full Excel experience. This includes Word, PowerPoint, and a number of other Office applications, as well as online storage and frequent upgrades.
However, paying a monthly fee when you just use one app makes little sense. It’s also tough to justify spending money on the latest standalone version of Microsoft Office.
When it comes to utilising Excel, paying full price isn’t your only option. In truth, there are certain methods that allow you to gain access to it for free.
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Option 1 – Web Version
All you need is a Microsoft account to use Microsoft Excel and other basic Office products online for free.
To sign in, go to Office.com and click the ‘Sign in’ button. If you don’t already have an account, select ‘Sign up for a free version of Office’ and follow the prompts.
You’ll be transported to your main office webpage after that’s done. To open a new spreadsheet, select ‘Create’ then ‘Workbook’ from the left pane.
As you can see, you can also use Word and PowerPoint to create documents, as well as Outlook and a free version of Microsoft Teams. These are all ‘Web Apps,’ which means you can only access them through your browser and not through a desktop application. When you work on a document here, it will be saved to Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage service.
Indeed, Google is likely to blame for this software’s availability as a web app, as its free Docs and Sheets software and integration with Google Drive made it difficult for Microsoft to continue charging consumers.
See how both stack up against the competition in our comparison of the best cloud storage options.
Because the web version of Excel is a more stripped-down version of the software than the full desktop version, the comparison to Google Sheets is more reasonable. Nonetheless, both services should be able to satisfy the needs of a casual user.
Option 2 – Use On Mobile
Microsoft’s Office mobile applications are fully free and available on most modern smartphones, tablets, and mobile devices, maybe in response to Google.
Also Read:How To Get Microsoft Powerpoint For Free On Windows 10
The Microsoft Excel app is available for Android and iOS. While Microsoft retains some premium capabilities for its Microsoft 365 subscription, the mobile apps are nonetheless highly capable and include OneDrive integration.
Option 3 – Check If Your School Or Workplace Gets It Free
Many organisations provide free Microsoft 365 apps to their employees. Even if your work email address ends in the company’s name, you can still use it to log into a Microsoft account. Of course, you may be employed in an office setting where Excel and similar programmes are already installed as defaults.
All employees and students should be able to use Office apps for free if your school has signed up for Microsoft 365 Education. To find out, go to the Microsoft website and type in your education email address.
Compare plans and start the sign-up procedure here if your school hasn’t yet signed up and you’re in a position to do so.
Option 4 – Pay Full Price
These free solutions, though, aren’t for everyone. If you require more than basic Excel operations and the programme is not available through your school or workplace, you must pay full fee.
The cheapest Microsoft 365 subscription at the time of writing is Personal, which costs £5.99/US$6.99 per month or £59.99/US$69.99 per year. For £7.99/US$9.99 per month or £79.99/US$99.99 per year, you can obtain access for 2-6 people on the Family plan. Both provide a free one-month trial period.
- In the United Kingdom, compare Microsoft 365 plans.
- In the United States, compare Microsoft 365 plans.
The other option is to purchase Office 2021, which is the most recent standalone release. This is a one-time payment of £119.99 in the United Kingdom and $149.99 in the United States. There’s no way to pay for Excel on its own, unfortunately.
Our complete Microsoft 365 buying guide will tell you everything you need to know.
