Microsoft has begun testing a free version of Office for Windows that is supported by ads.
The company has quietly introduced a free ad-supported Office that allows access to desktop Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without any subscription.
Previously, the free version was only available on the web. Those who access the free desktop version of the app will see an advertising banner on the righthand side of the app and 15-second videos that plays every few hours.
Any documents must also be stored in One Drive, rather than in local files. Free users get 5GB of OneDrive storage. To download the documents, you can open the OneDrive app on your PC or go to its website.
There will be some other restrictions with the free version too. Word, for example, wouldn’t have drawing and design tools or dictation.
Excel will not feature conditional formatting, recommended charts and more.
PowerPoint will lose all draw, animation and record tools.
“Microsoft has been conducting some limited testing,” a representative for the company told Engadget.
“Currently, there are no plans to launch a free, ad-supported version of Microsoft Office desktop apps.”
Microsoft’s decision to offer a free ad-supported version of its Office App for Windows comes at a time when the company is raising the prices of its subscriptions and offering AI features built into its apps.
This May, Microsoft will increases the subscription prices of its Personal and Family 365 accounts.
In Australia, a Personal account will go from $109 yearly to $159. A Family sub rises from $139 to $179.
“Since we launched Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) to consumers in 2013, we’ve steadily delivered new apps, features, and benefits to our subscribers. These include advanced security with Microsoft Defender, creative tools like Microsoft Clipchamp, and countless enhancements to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook,” said Microsoft last month when confirming the price increases.
“We’re building on those 12 years of innovation by bringing Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Designer to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers in most markets worldwide. These changes bring the transformative power of AI to the personal productivity tools that millions of people use every day.”
