Microsoft offers free Word access through Microsoft 365 for the web, and eligible students and educators can get Office 365 A1 through a qualifying school. Both routes provide web apps; A3 is the school plan that adds desktop Office apps for a monthly fee.
| Access route | Who can use it | Word access | U.S. price listed by Microsoft |
| Microsoft 365 for the web | Anyone with a free Microsoft account | Web and mobile apps | Free |
| Office 365 A1 | Eligible students and educators with an eligible school email | Web-based Office apps | Free |
| Office 365 A3 | Faculty and students through an educational institution | Web and desktop Office apps | Faculty: $3.25 per user/month; students: $2.50 per user/month |
Use Word in a browser with a free Microsoft account
Microsoft’s free Microsoft 365 for the web offer includes Word in a browser and on mobile devices. The offer also includes 5 GB of OneDrive storage. Files must be saved in and shared from OneDrive, so that storage is part of the workflow, not an optional place to put copies.
This route suits everyday writing when web or mobile access works for you. It does not include a desktop Word app: Microsoft describes the free Word option as a web app.
What Office 365 A1 includes, and what happens when it expires
Eligible students and educators can get Office 365 A1 through a qualifying educational organization with an eligible school email. Microsoft describes A1 as access to web-based versions of core Office apps, including Word. Eligibility may be checked again, and access lasts while you are enrolled at or employed by a qualifying organization.
When A1 expires, Microsoft says Office apps enter reduced-functionality mode: you can view documents but cannot edit them or create new ones. Online services tied to the institution’s email, including Office for the web and OneDrive, also stop working. A1 is therefore a browser-based school benefit, not a lasting desktop Word license.
Need desktop Word? Office 365 A3 adds the apps
Microsoft’s U.S. Education page lists Office 365 A3 as adding desktop Office apps to A1. It lists installations on up to five PCs or Macs per user, as well as up to five tablets and five phones per user.
On October 26, 2026, Microsoft listed A3 at $3.25 per faculty user per month and $2.50 per student user per month. These are institutional education-plan prices. If you only need to write in a browser, the free web offer or eligible A1 access avoids that A3 charge; if you need desktop Office through a school, A3 is the listed route that includes it. Microsoft’s U.S. Office 365 Education page sets out the eligibility and plan terms.
