I’ve been buying Microsoft 365 Family annually for years but our limited use doesn’t justify the ever-increasing cost. I only open a few documents occasionally for home use and I use Word and Excel sparingly. My main use is Outlook.
In previous years I’ve found cheaper licence codes online through Amazon instead of renewing directly with Microsoft. However this year, decent-priced codes seem to be unavailable. I struggled to find any at a reasonable price and the usual renewal price from Microsoft is also quite expensive. However I did discover a potentially cheaper subscription which some might be interested in.
I initially planned to cancel my family subscription (used by my wife and I) and use Word, Excel and Outlook via the web based versions and the free ad-supported versions. The main downside would be losing my cloud storage and being limited to 5GB.
I found a personal plan called Microsoft Basic 365. It’s a small monthly charge of £2 or £20 a year, significantly cheaper than the £100+ annual full family subscription. This plan also provides access to the web based versions of key Microsoft products like Word and Excel and a free ad-free Outlook. Additionally, there’s more cloud storage (100GB). The main compromise is that you access the main Microsoft apps via browser rather than apps on your desktop device. However, it’s a very reasonable price, just requiring you to be online. As a personal plan, my wife and I would need to subscribe separately.
This option is hidden and rarely appears in searches for available subscriptions. Microsoft don’t promote it as they just want to push the higher priced plans. You’ll need to search for it)link below) and you can only purchase it when your current subscription expires (if you already have a more expensive plan).
If you’re looking to save money and only occasionally use Microsoft products, this might be worth considering even if it means accepting some limitations. It’s also much cheaper overall for my wife and me.
Here’s another tip: I was getting a warning triangle in my IOS Outlook app (after subscribing to basic 365) that I wasn’t subscribed even though everything was working without ads. After investigating it was related to a Microsoft Pilot app that previously connected which was still enabled in my Outlook settings. Once I turned off the Pilot option in Outlook, the warning disappeared.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-365/p/microsoft-365-basic/
To learn more about Microsoft Basic 365, here are the details from Google.
Microsoft 365 Basic provides
100 GB of secure cloud storage via OneDrive, ad-free email with Outlook for web and mobile, and access to the web and mobile versions of apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It also includes advanced OneDrive security features, such as ransomware protection and file recovery, along with ongoing support for Microsoft 365 and Windows 11. It is designed for one person and does not include the full desktop versions of the Office apps.
Included features
- Cloud Storage: 100 GB of secure cloud storage for files and photos through OneDrive.
- Email: Ad-free Outlook email and calendar for web and mobile use.
- Office Apps: Access to the web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, which can be used on multiple devices including phones and tablets.
- Security:
- OneDrive ransomware protection: Protection against malicious attacks and ransomware for your OneDrive files.
- File recovery: Ability to recover files for up to 30 days after an attack or accidental deletion.
- Advanced sharing options: Password-protected and expiring links for sharing files securely.
- Support: Access to support experts for help with Microsoft 365 and Windows 11.
What’s not included
- Desktop apps: This plan does not include the downloadable desktop versions of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint for PC or Mac.
- Business features: Microsoft 365 Business Basic is a different plan that includes features like custom business email and Microsoft Teams, which are not part of the basic individual subscription.
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