Getting Microsoft Word for free sounds like a dream. It's an awesome program and is a staple in most office, home, and school environments, but it normally costs each year you want to use it. But you actually don't have to pay for Microsoft Word when there are several ways to use it for free.

Whether you want to open a Word document, edit one, or simply view a document, these free Microsoft Word tools are exactly what you need.

Even if these Microsoft Word free-use strategies aren't what you're after, there are other ways to use a Microsoft Word document without ever needing to install or buy Microsoft Word. See the bottom of this page for more on that.

Microsoft Word Online: Free Browser Version

The absolute best way to use Microsoft Word free is with the online version. Just log in with your Microsoft account to get started, or create one here.

You can edit Word documents for free that are stored in your OneDrive account, upload new documents from your computer, and create brand-new Word documents without ever needing the offline version of MS Word.

Word Online saves all your work automatically, so you never have to hit the Save button. You can easily share your document online through a special link, let others collaborate with you, embed the document on your website, and download your work when you're done, in the Word format, a PDF file, or ODT file.

Word Mobile: Free Microsoft Word For Windows 10

Another way to get Microsoft Word free is through Word Mobile, which is a mobile app from Microsoft that works on these Windows 10 devices:

  • Windows 10 Mobile v15063.0 or higher.
  • Windows 10 v15063.0 or higher.

There's an important caveat though – full use (viewing, editing, and creating documents) is supported only on phones, specifically devices with a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller. You can still use Word Mobile on larger laptops, desktops, and tablets, but you'll only be able to view documents for free.

Microsoft Word Free App: Android & iOS

To use Microsoft Word for free on your Android or iOS device, you can install the official Microsoft Word app. Get the Android version here, and Word for iOS here. Full editing is supported, so you can use a realistic version of Word straight from your mobile device.

You can pin documents to your home screen for quick access, share files as a link or email attachment, search through documents, and open files from various places like OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, and Dropbox.

Free Microsoft Word Trial: Anyone Can Apply

Yet another way to get Microsoft Word for free is with an Office 365 trial. Microsoft lets anyone use Office 365 absolutely free for an entire month so you can test all the features before deciding if you want to pay for it.

The trial can be used to its fullest capacity during the trial period, meaning that you can read and edit Word documents and make your own from scratch or a template.

The Microsoft Word free trial even comes with other Office applications: Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and Publisher.

Tip: See our list of the most useful Microsoft Word tips and tricks.

Free Microsoft Word for Students: EDU Email Required

If a trial isn't enough because you're a student who needs Microsoft Word all year long, please know that Microsoft offers Office 365 at zero cost for students and educators.

Visit their Office 365 Education page for all the details. You'll need to enter your school email address to verify that you're someone in the education field. You'll be required to open an email sent to that address from Microsoft, and then enter the code from the message into the form to create your free account.

If your school isn't recognized, you'll have an opportunity to request access, but it won't be an instant process like it is for schools already on the list.

Other Ways To Use Word Documents

If you're looking for free ways to use Microsoft Word, you don't actually have to use a Microsoft-approved program. In other words, Word files like .docx and .doc can be opened, edited, and shared in other programs, too.

Google Docs is one of the best online alternatives to Microsoft Word. You can use it as a free MS Word because it lets you view and edit Word files right from your browser or through the mobile app. Learn how Google Docs compares to MS Word for all the differences to take note of.

Another way to use Microsoft Word documents without needing Word is to install OpenOffice Writer. See how to make it look and function like Word to ease your transition.

Some people looking to use Microsoft Word for free really just want a free word processor; that is, something that lets them write documents and save them back to their computer or other device. There are lots of applications for that in addition to the two mentioned above, including LibreOffice, WPS Office, AbiWord, and FreeOffice.