Microsoft is considering a new direction for its well-known Office package that could give Windows users unprecedented free access to three of its most popular apps—Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. One of the long-standing benefits of purchasing a Microsoft 365 subscription is that you can access the full suite of productivity apps on your desktop.

Free ad-supported version of Microsoft Office is available but the company warns it's only a test and there's no plan for a launch.

Microsoft is reportedly working on a free, ad-supported version of its Office suite, allowing users to access applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without a subscription. However, this version will display advertisements and come with certain feature restrictions.