Although you can download Office for free, there is more to know about this. Let’s see how to download Office for free.
You may have wondered if you can download Office for free at least once: it’s a bulky and expensive program, but it’s an essential suite everybody needs at least once in a while.
But, even if you CAN do it, can you install Office for free? Can you use it? Or do you need to buy Microsoft Office nevertheless? Let’s find out how to download Office for free.
Before we start
We always recommend you to install 100% genuine and legit software licenses. We’re aware that purchasing an Office Product Key from the official Microsoft Store can be costly; for this reason, we recommend you to visit Mr Key Shop, a reliable store where you can buy 100% genuine and legit licenses. Each order is delivered within a few seconds via email, with free, English-speaking technical support, and secure payments. You can read 100% positive feedback about this store on TrustPilot. At Mr Key Shop you can find Microsoft Office Packages, Windows Operating Systems and Antivirus programs.
Read more about Mr Key Shop.
Can you download and install Office for free on your machine?
Let’s answer the question: how to download Office for Free? Is it possible? Yes, you can. At least technically, since you need an official ISO file or an installation disk to use on your machine to actually install the suite on your machine.
But the problem is: where do you get an ISO file or a disk if you do not buy Microsoft Office anywhere? Maybe you’re lucky enough to find a genuine disk around, perhaps from an old PC of yours, bundled to a laptop, or maybe purchased second-hand on eBay or some thrift stores.
Or, you should rely on some shady software download sites, and download a ripped ISO image. Needless to say, here we’re talking piracy, and breaking the law. Something we recommend you to avoid. Not only for the possible (even if unlikely) criminal consequences but also because those websites are always a nice, comfy cradle for all the viruses, malware, and other cyber-creeps you can encounter on your way to getting your software paying zero for it. And, in the end, you may pay more than you’d shelled out for a genuine Microsoft Office license. Trust us, you’d never want to fall into a ransomware attack, especially if you keep your banking records and other sensitive data on your machine, or if you use your computer for professional purposes.
However, you can grasp a free copy of Microsoft Office, you’ll need a genuine license to use it anyway. Or you’ll face a short “grace period” of “free use”, after that your installation will be disabled and you won’t be able to use Word, Excel, etc. anymore. How inconvenient.
Why should you bother having Microsoft Office on your computer?
Let’s face the truth: Microsoft Office is one of the best productivity suites around. Yes, you can choose a free, open-source alternative like LibreOffice, but in terms of functionality and overall compatibility, you know how Microsoft Office can make a difference in your daily work routine, in your business presentations, and so on.
In years, Office became more and more a refined, well-designed, and fully functional suite allowing you to do everything, from the easy, basic task like writing a letter, designing a short pitch for your latest school assignment, or keep track of your income and outcome, to designing an entire website, create a database or even painting using your Excel cells!
And, think about all the times you formatted/restored your Windows PC. What is the first software you’ll want to install immediately after your OS? We bet it’s the Office suite! And if it’s not, we can tell it falls at least among the first 5 pieces of software you’ll need installing.
How to download Office for free and actually use it?
A legitimate question: since you can download Microsoft Office for free – even from the Microsoft Store itself – is there a way to use Microsoft Office without spending money?
In short: no. You’ll still need a product key, a relatively short combination of letters and digits you need to input during the installation (or when you want to download Microsoft Office from the official store) to be actually able to use your suite.
And if we look back, we know how eye-watering can the price tag be: think about those good old bulky boxes you could purchase at your local IT retail store. You had to shell out hundreds of bucks for your Office suite, and even now, the price list on Microsoft Store is quite expensive.
See also How to install Windows 11
So, how can you legitimately download and use Microsoft Office without breaking the bank?
Again, Piracy is not an option. But you can have your Microsoft Office installation without shelling out those aforementioned hundreds.
ESD licensing is the name of the game: a digital license that companies often purchase in bulk. Sometimes, an organization may want to activate the seats needed and then get rid of the surplus licenses by selling them, and get some budget back.
As stated by the European Court of Justice (C-128/11), this practice is 100% legit, so you can find some third-party stores selling those ESD licenses for a very good price, in comparison with the full price list asked by Microsoft through their official store.
Caution must be exercised, however, since not every third-party store is legit, authorized one. There are many shady gray-market operators selling keys for a very suspiciously low price, maybe via eBay or Amazon. And, although a good deal is a good deal, when it’s too good to be true, it always is. In fact, you may incur some counterfeit licenses, purchased using stolen or forged credit cards. And you may risk losing both your money and your product key.
Fortunately, there are a lot of legit stores, like Mr Key Shop, selling ESD licenses for a reasonable price, offering all the warranties you want to see from a store (secure payments, money-back warranty, and so on).
So, although you can’t actually download Office 2019 for free, you can do it for a cheap price, with a 100% legit, risk-free transaction.
In case of doubt, always check the feedback from other review sites, like TrustPilot. A good sign may be the presence of PayPal as a payment method.
Once again, although you MAY download Office 2016 for free if you need to, you will need your product key to be able to use your suite, so what you pay for is the license. Fortunately, most of the stores, just like Mr Key Shop, will send you an official download link, so that you can get your installation files without any infection risks to your PC.
And if you’re more of a vintage PC user, you will be able to download Office 2013 and 2010, but not for free! Take your time to sort through the many offerings you may find on the web and choose wisely. We bet you’ll enjoy your Microsoft Office Suite without burning your budget out!
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