Excel Microsoft 365 Download for Free – 2024 Latest Version

Written by: Shauli Zacks

Last updated on June 21, 2024 Fact-checked by Justyn Newman

• Fact-checked by Justyn Newman

Finding a free version of Excel has proven to be an impossible task. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to locate a legitimate free version of Microsoft’s powerful spreadsheet tool. The only options I found were either pirated versions or malware-ridden downloads. There is a limited online version of Excel that Microsoft offers for free after creating an account. Unfortunately, this version lacks many of the advanced features, macros, and formatting styles that separate Excel from second-tier spreadsheet programs.

However, I did find a way to get Excel free for one month, including all of the advanced features. This gave me plenty of time to organize my data, create charts, and more without having to make any payment.

Follow the steps below, and I’ll show you how to download the full version of Excel free for one month.

Download Excel for Free for 1 Month!

 How to Download and Install Excel on Your PC for Free

1. Go directly to the official Microsoft 365 free trial page.
2. Click the Start Your 1-Month Trial button.
   
3. If you have an existing Microsoft account, sign in. If not, create a new account. You must use a real and active email address when creating your account as Microsoft will send a verification code.
   
4. Add your credit card or PayPal information and press Next. Confirm your intention to start the free trial, and click Next. While this is a requirement to activate your account, you won’t be charged until after the free trial is completed.
   
5. Press the Start Trial, Pay Later button.
   
6. Once your payment method is verified, press the Get Started button.
7. Click Download the Desktop Apps and the Microsoft account page will open in a new tab.
   
8. Accept the terms of the Privacy Policy and press Continue.
9. Click Install Office to begin the Excel download process.
   
10. Choose the destination folder where you want the Office file to download
    
11. When the download is complete, open the file, and Microsoft will automatically install the entire collection of Microsoft 365 apps to your computer.

 Excel Overview

In 1985, Microsoft introduced Excel as a basic spreadsheet tool with limited functionalities. Over time, Microsoft has consistently improved Excel by adding new elements like charts, intricate formulas, and enhanced formula calculation capabilities to expand its functionality.

As the software evolved to meet the growing demand, it became the gold standard of spreadsheet tools. Microsoft improved the UI in 2007 with the “ribbon style” header, making it easy for people to access its features.

The latest version of Excel includes even more advanced features and capabilities, such as Power Query, Power Pivot, and Power BI. These allow for more powerful data analysis and visualization.

 Excel Features

Excel is a user-friendly software that offers various features for evaluating and organizing data in spreadsheets. Although it may require some time to fully grasp its different functionalities, once you gain a solid understanding of Excel, you’ll realize that it operates on a logical and straightforward basis.

As a part of Microsoft 365, sharing spreadsheets and collaborating with others is simple. All progress is automatically saved to the OneDrive cloud storage, so you can share it with others, without having to email the document as an attachment.

Formulas and Functions Simplify Data Calculations and Analysis

Excel offers a wide range of built-in formulas and functions that can be used to perform calculations on data in a spreadsheet. These include basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well as more advanced functions like SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN, and MAX.

Excel also includes financial functions like PV, FV, PMT, and statistical functions like COUNTIF, SUMIF, and AVERAGEIF. These functions can be used to perform calculations on data in a spreadsheet, and can be combined to create more complex formulas.

Quick Data Visualization with Charts and Graphs

It’s easy to add charts and graphs to add a visual perspective to display your data. All you have to do is highlight the data you want in the chart and click on the graph or chart style you prefer. There is a wide variety of chart types, including column, bar, line, pie, area, scatter, and more.

You can drag and drop the chart anywhere you want on the spreadsheet, adjust the colors, and change the data. This makes it easy to see patterns and trends in the data, which can be useful for making decisions and presenting information to others.

Use PivotTables to Summarize and Analyze Large Data Sets

Pivot tables are a powerful tool in Excel that allows you to summarize and analyze large amounts of data. They can be used to group data by different criteria and to create cross-tabulations and other summary views of the data.

Pivot tables can be created by selecting the data you want to analyze, then clicking on the “Insert” tab and selecting “PivotTable” from the “Tables” group. Once the pivot table is created, you can drag and drop fields to the different areas of the pivot table to create different views of the data.

Highlight important data with Conditional formatting

The conditional formatting feature simplifies the process of applying formatting to cells based on certain conditions. This can be used to highlight important data, or to make it easier to spot patterns and trends. For example, you can use conditional formatting to highlight cells that are above or below a certain value or to highlight cells that contain specific text.

Conditional formatting can be applied by clicking on the “Home” tab and then selecting “Conditional Formatting” from the “Styles” group.

Macros Can Automate Repetitive Tasks

Excel macros are a simple way to automate repetitive tasks in a spreadsheet. They can be used to perform complex calculations, to manipulate data, or to automate other tasks that are performed frequently. They are created by recording a sequence of actions in Excel and then saving it as a macro. Once created, you can run macros by clicking on the “View” tab, selecting “Macros” and then choose the ones you want to run.

Data Validation Prevents Mistakes and Simplifies Data Entry

Excel has data validation tools within its platform, allowing you to establish rules for data entry in spreadsheets. By doing so, you can guarantee accurate data input and avoid potential errors. With data validation, you can also implement convenient drop-down lists, simplifying the process for others to enter data correctly.

You can set up rules such as only allowing numbers within a specific range, or only allowing certain text entries. Data validation can be applied by clicking on the “Data” tab and then selecting “Data Validation” from the “Data Tools” group.

 Excel Compatibility

Microsoft Excel has been crafted to smoothly operate alongside various modern operating systems, excluding Linux. The installation process on Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 is uncomplicated and doesn’t present any intricate challenges. Mac users, on the other hand, should ensure they have macOS Sierra (10.12) or a more recent version. Although it might be possible to run Excel on older operating systems, it’s worth noting that this could potentially result in performance issues or system instability.

Mobile Apps

You can download Excel as a standalone app on Android and iOS. It has an intuitive interface, making it easy to use on the smaller screens. While most of the formulas, charts, and features are available on the mobile, there are some features, such as macros and some advanced functions.

 Minimum System Requirements

Before downloading Word, make sure that your computer meets the system requirements.

Windows

Mac

Mobile Apps

Browser

For the best performance, it’s recommended to use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

 Is The Web Version of Excel Good?

If you have a free Microsoft account, you can use a free online version of Excel through the Microsoft 365 website. However, there are some downsides to the online version:

• Limited functions and formulas: Many of the advanced formulas and functions are not available, plus the selection of charts and graphs is limited.
• Different formatting options: With limited formatting options, it can be difficult to customize the data to your needs. Additionally, it may display differently when shared with someone viewing it on a desktop app.
• No macros: There is no option to automate repetitive tasks.
• Internet connection required: You must have a stable internet connection to view or edit any spreadsheet. If you’re working and the internet goes out, the page will instantly lock, and turn to View Only.

 How to Uninstall Excel

If Excel isn’t the right spreadsheet tool for your needs, you can uninstall it in a few simple steps.

1. Type Add or Remove Programs in the Windows search bar and press Enter.
2. Locate Microsoft 365 and press the Uninstall Button.
   
3. Confirm that you want to remove the software, and the uninstallation wizard will uninstall it from your computer.

Keep in mind that this will remove all the Microsoft 365 apps and not just Excel. When it is completed, you will need to restart your computer. Uninstalling Excel from your computer will not cancel your Microsoft 365 account, that must be done by logging in to your Microsoft 365 account.

 Additional Microsoft 365 Apps

In addition to a great collection of productivity software, Microsoft 365 comes with 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage for each user.

• Word: The gold standard in word processing, Word comes with a host of essential features, such as grammar and spell check, formatting options, a wide selection of fonts, and templates for everything from resume writing to creating marketing materials.
• PowerPoint: You can be as creative as you want or work on a pre-made template. Whatever you choose, PowerPoint will help you create a good-looking presentation. There is no limit to the number of slides per presentation, and you can use animations and transitions to help bring your presentations to life.
• Outlook: Keep your calendar, to-do lists, meeting scheduler, and email all in one app with Outlook. The software allows you to send emails from multiple accounts, so you only need one app for sending personal and professional emails.

 FAQ

Written By Shauli Zacks

Shauli is an online privacy expert with a love of all things technology. He spent the past few years testing, comparing, and reviewing different software programs.