Yes, Microsoft 365 has a free trial. Microsoft's trial page says up to six people get full access to Microsoft 365 Family apps and storage for 30 days, and Microsoft says you can cancel within 30 days of signing up without losing anything. Businesses get a separate one-month trial of plans such as Business Standard for up to 25 users.
The handy detail is that the home trial is a Family trial, not a single-user one, so you can bring five other people into the test. The less handy detail is what happens to Word and Excel on your computer once the trial is over. Here's how it all works.
Home trial vs business trial
| Home trial | Business trial | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Microsoft 365 Family | Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium or Microsoft 365 Apps for business |
| Length | 30 days | One month (30 days) |
| People | Up to six | Up to 25 users |
| Card needed? | Yes, it carries on after the trial unless you stop it | Yes, Microsoft says a credit card is required |
| Where to cancel | account.microsoft.com/services | Microsoft 365 admin center |
Microsoft also says storage on business trials is limited, so don't plan to move a whole company's files across during the test.
What the Family trial includes
According to Microsoft's trial page, the Family plan gives each person:
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, with Copilot built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.
- Sign-in on up to five devices at a time across Windows, Apple and Android.
- A share of up to 2 TB of cloud storage, with each person managing their own space.
- Technical support for your devices.
One limit to know: Microsoft says the AI features in Family, Premium and Pro plans are only available to the plan owner and can't be shared. So the five people you invite get the apps and storage, but the Copilot extras stay with you.
How to start the trial
- Go to Microsoft's Try Microsoft 365 page and select Start your free trial.
- Sign in with a Microsoft account. Microsoft says you need to stay signed in with this account to install and manage Microsoft 365 and use the storage.
- Add a card. Microsoft says nothing is taken on the day you start.
- Install the apps on your devices and invite up to five people to share the plan.
- Put a reminder in your calendar for day 28 so you can decide in good time.
How to stop it renewing before day 30
Microsoft's cancel page sets out three things you might see when you sign in at account.microsoft.com/services with the account you used for the trial:
- A Cancel link: select it to cancel the trial.
- A link to turn automatic renewal back on: renewal is already off, so the trial simply ends on its expiry date.
- No card listed under the plan: it will end on the expiry date and nothing more happens.
If you started the trial through Apple, Google Play or another provider, Microsoft says you cancel through that provider instead.
What happens to Office when the trial ends
This is the catch people don't expect. Microsoft says you can keep using Office for a short time after the trial ends, but it then moves to View Only mode with Unlicensed Product notices. You can still open and print documents, but you can't edit them or create new ones. You also lose the extra OneDrive storage, and Microsoft says the same applies to anyone you shared the plan with.
If you only need to edit occasionally, Microsoft points to the free web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. You can also uninstall Office from your PC or Mac at any time.
Business trial details
For business plans, Microsoft's Business Standard trial page says you can add up to 25 users during the trial, and each user can install the apps on up to five desktop computers, five tablets and five mobile devices. After 30 days it converts to a full plan on the card you added, unless you cancel in the admin center. Microsoft says that once cancelled, the plan expires at the end of the trial.
Cancelling from Germany
Microsoft's cancel page has one extra route: if you signed up for your Microsoft 365 plan in Germany, you can cancel without signing in to your Microsoft account. Microsoft says you'll need a few pieces of information to do it, and it links a separate page for German customers.
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Is the Microsoft 365 free trial worth it?
Yes, if you want to test the desktop apps and Copilot on real work for a month, and especially if you can share it with the people you'd put on a Family plan. Save anything important somewhere you'll still be able to edit before day 30. If you're weighing Microsoft against Google, my comparison of Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 lays out the differences, and here's how to access OneDrive on every device.
My verdict: start the Family trial, invite the people who'd share it, and decide by day 28. If you cancel, plan for View Only mode on the desktop apps and keep the free web apps for quick edits.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Microsoft 365 free trial?
Microsoft's home trial runs for 30 days on Microsoft 365 Family. Business plans have a one-month trial.
How many people can use the Microsoft 365 free trial?
Microsoft says up to six people get full access to Microsoft 365 Family apps and storage during the trial.
Do I need a card for the Microsoft 365 free trial?
Yes. Microsoft says nothing is taken on the day you start, and the plan carries on after the trial unless you cancel.
How do I cancel my Microsoft 365 free trial?
Sign in at account.microsoft.com/services with the trial account and select Cancel under Microsoft 365. Microsoft says you can cancel within 30 days of signing up without losing anything.
What happens to Word and Excel after the trial?
Microsoft says Office runs for a short time, then moves to View Only mode. You can open and print documents but not edit or create new ones.
Can I share Copilot on the Microsoft 365 Family trial?
No. Microsoft says AI features in Family plans are only available to the plan owner and can't be shared.
