Microsoft Excel, a part of the Office Suite, is a powerful tool that’s widely-used for various tasks like data analysis, making financial reports, keeping records, and much more. Unfortunately, the software is not free. However, there are ways to use Excel for free on your Mac. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about illegal activities. Microsoft itself provides a few ways to use Excel without paying anything. Let’s see how.
1. Office.com
The simplest way to use Excel for free is to use the online version. Microsoft provides online versions of its Office Suite on the website office.com. Here are the steps to use Excel on office.com:
- Open your preferred browser and visit office.com.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account. If you don’t have one, you can create it for free.
- After signing in, you’ll see various Microsoft apps available. Click on the Excel icon to open Microsoft Excel Online.
Note that the online version of Excel has limited features compared to the desktop version. But it should be enough for basic uses.
2. Free Trial
Microsoft also provides a one-month free trial of Office 365, which includes Excel. Remember, you need to enter your payment details to get the trial, and you’ll be charged after the trial period ends if you don’t cancel it.
3. Excel Mobile App
If you’re okay with using Excel on your mobile device, you can download the Excel mobile app from the App Store and use it for free.
4. Use Alternatives
If you don’t necessarily need Excel and any spreadsheet software would do the job, there are plenty of free alternatives available. Google Sheets is a popular one, and it’s completely free. It also supports importing and exporting Excel files.
Wrap Up
While the full version of Excel is not free, Microsoft provides several ways to use Excel for free, albeit with some limitations. If you only need it for basic tasks, these options should be more than enough.
Remember, the free version of Excel is not intended for commercial use. If you need all the advanced features of Excel and you’ll use it for business, it’s better to purchase the full version. It’s not expensive considering how powerful and useful the software is.
