How to Get Microsoft Excel for Free or Cheap

Excel is a great tool, but for most users, it isn't worth $150 (the current one-time price of Office).  Thankfully, there are strong alternatives, special discounts, and even one method to get Excel completely for free (which I also used recently to get Amazon Prime and Apple TV for free). 

Use the Free In-Browser Version of Excel

You can use a free version of Excel in your browser, simply go to excel.cloud.microsoft and login with a Microsoft account. It's surprisingly responsive and easy to use. 

But while the free version of Excel is "good enough" for most users, it is not appropriate for power users because it lacks a number of advanced features:

• Large data handling 
• Advanced analysis (Power Query, Power Pivot) 
• Macro support
• Data connections (SQL, Power BI)

If you want any of the above, you'll need to use the full-version (or an alternative, see below). 

Use a Free Alternative Like Google Sheets 

If you are happy to use a streamlined, in-browser version of Excel, I would recommend using Google Sheets instead. Since the Google alternative was made from the ground-up to work in your browser, it's far more optimized. 

Google Sheets is a lot smoother, it also has more sharing and permission options, more add-ons, and better cross-platform consistency. The only real drawback with Sheets currently is the AI assistant, which in its current state is not helpful. 

Get Gift Cards from Freecash to Fund a One-Time Purchase or Subscription 

If you don't want to use your own money, but you do want to buy Excel (or get a subscription to 365), then your only option is Freecash. This is a platform where you can earn gift cards online for testing mobile games, in other words, you can make money from home, having fun. 

The average user makes 26,23 a day, and they can withdraw the money they make in dozens of ways, from Visa gift cards to PayPal and bank transfer.

If you're interested, getting started is incredibly easy: 

1. Login to Freecash with Google or Facebook. 
2. Find a game you want to test from the Gaming Offers section, like RAID: Shadow Legends or Monopoly Go!, then press the green button to "Play & Earn". 
3. You'll be redirected to install the game, do so and allow tracking. Then, complete the tasks we set in-game, such as "Reach Level 7".
4. Once you've earned some funds to withdraw, head to the Cashout section of Freecash, and simply pick the option you want. 
5. Use your Freecash money to pay for Excel or subscribe to Microsoft 365! 

Check out the platform yourself for free. Or, if you feel unsure, visit our Trustpilot where we have a 4.8 from over 229880 reviews.

Check Whether Your Institution Has "Office 365 Education" 

Microsoft donate "Office 365 Education" to schools and colleges around the world, so if you are in education, you should check whether you already have access through your institution. 

To check, simply login here with your school or college email. If you don't have access, you should consider contacting your institution's IT department and asking them apply. 

Sign-Up for the Microsoft 365 Trial 

You can get a free 30-day trial of Microsoft 365, but you will need to provide payment details. Obviously, this is not a long-term solution, but if you only need Excel for a single project then it could be perfect. 

If you do opt for the trial, you also get the rest of Office, Microsoft Defender, and Clipchamp, which are decent programs in themselves.