The Microsoft 365 Family is a great productivity solution for all your family members. If you are finding it difficult to decide if you should buy the subscription plan for this suite or not, you are at the right place.
Here in this blog, we have discussed the features and benefits of the Microsoft 365 Family in detail – keep reading to find if it’s a good choice for you!
What is Microsoft 365 Family?
Microsoft 365 Family is a suite of office products that contains the legacy Microsoft productivity apps and also offers some features that are fit for the needs of a small family.
Basic Information
Microsoft 365 Family allows users to connect up to 6 family members to the same account. It is a perfect match for those family members who want to collaborate on the same project to save a lot of their time.
Features and Functions
Microsoft 365 Family allows six people to use the office products simultaneously. Each family member can use 1 TB of storage from the available 6 TB storage plan. The good thing about this suite is that it is accessible on all leading platforms.
Here is the list of applications you can use with Microsoft 365 Family:
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
Microsoft Defender
OneDrive
Outlook
Editor
Clipchamp
OneNote
Microsoft Family Safety
All these apps are perfect for a family that comprises people with personal and business needs. This suite also allows family members to store photos online with little to no problem at all.
Pros and Cons
Microsoft 365 Family has the following advantages:
It enables online collaboration for documents.
All changes are saved on the OneDrive platform.
Using Outlook allows family members to schedule meetings.
These are the downsides of using Microsoft 365 Family:
It might have some delays in editing uploaded and local files.
It cannot be used if you don’t have a stable internet connection.
Using Microsoft 365 Family requires a heavy subscription fee.
Pricing
Microsoft 365 Family requires you to have a yearly subscription of $99.99. It can be an affordable option for those family members who have diverse needs. But it is certainly not the best option if you don’t want to pay a huge fee.
Trustpilot Rating
On Trustpilot.com, the rating of Microsoft Office is only 1.6. Most people have complained about the inadequate payment policy of this office suite. However, keep in mind that these reviews don’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad application.
Differences between Microsoft 365 Family and Microsoft 365 Personal
Here, we are going to give you a review of how many features Microsoft 365 Family packs for both personal and professional uses.
A Comprehensive Comparison
Microsoft 365 Family |
Microsoft 365 Personal |
|---|---|
Allows up to 6 users. |
Allows only 1 user. |
Allows 1 TB storage for each person. |
Provides only 1 TB of storage. |
Provides access to all devices. |
Gives access to a user on all devices. |
|
Provides access to 6 people on these apps:
|
Only allows 1 person to use all these apps:
|
Gives additional features of “Microsoft Family Safety.” |
Doesn’t provide the “Microsoft Family Safety” feature. |
Comes with ongoing technical support. |
Provides ongoing support for tech issues. |
Which One is the Most Suitable for You?
How to Install, Activate, Update and Share Microsoft 365 Family?
Here is how you can get started with Microsoft 365 Family:
How to Install and Activate Microsoft 365 Family Subscription?
Follow these steps:
Start by opening the www.office.com website.
Proceed by entering your existing account details or try creating a new account.
Choose the “Buy Now” button and move to the next step.
Click on the “Add a new payment method” option to proceed.
Click on “Save” and then click the “Place Order” button.
Wait for the email confirmation of your purchase.
Once you receive the email, visit the setup.office.com website.
After providing your Sign In details, provide the key you received in your “Payment Card.”
Proceed by choosing the “Get your apps” button from the new page.
Then choose the “Run” button in your browser once the download is complete.
After the installation process is complete, open any Office app to activate your paid subscription.
Choose the “Get Started” option within the Office app you opened.
Click the “Sign In” option and start by entering your account details.
After providing your credentials, click on the “Activate Office” button to activate your purchase.
Choose the “Accept” button when asked to accept the license agreement after reading.
By using all these steps mentioned, you can buy your Microsoft 365 Family membership and then use it for downloading the Office suite on your device.
How to Upgrade from a Microsoft 365 Personal to Family subscription?
The first method is as follows:
Visit the account.microsoft.com website.
Click on the Services & subscriptions button.
Select the “Get more info” button to get started with the process.
Now, if you used an iOS device to buy the Microsoft 365 Personal subscription, you can follow this process:
Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
Proceed to click on the “Your Name” button.
Navigate to the “Subscriptions” tab.
Press the “Cancel Subscription” button to cancel your Microsoft 365 Personal membership.
Go back to step 3 mentioned above and click on “Microsoft Family” to buy Microsoft 365 Family subscription.
How to Share Your Microsoft 365 Family Subscription?
Visit the account.microsoft.com portal.
Choose the Microsoft 365 Family feature.
Press the “Start sharing” button to get started.
Choose the Invite via email or Invite via link once on the “Share your subscription” page.
How to Stop Sharing Microsoft 365 Family Subscription?
Here is how to limit access to your Microsoft 365 Family subscription:
Open the account.microsoft.com online portal.
Click on the “Sharing” button on the website.
Once on the “Sharing” page, find the person you want to stop sharing the subscription within the Other people section and press “Stop sharing.”
How to Get Discounts for Microsoft 365 Family?
The good thing about Microsoft 365 Family is that it provides great discounts. If you meet certain criteria, you can save 30% on your Microsoft 365 Family and share productivity tools with your loved ones.
Here is how to find discounts:
Visit the Microsoft Workplace Discount Program website.
Provide your work email address.
Click on the link you receive in your work mailbox.
Proceed to enter your “personal account” by clicking on the link.
Follow the next steps to get an amazing discount of 30%.
What is the Best Alternative to Microsoft 365 Family?
Microsoft 365 Family is a great tool for enhanced productivity. It can allow up to six family members to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, but it has some downsides as well.
The huge subscription fee is something not everyone can afford. Other than that, there are limited templates that might not be a perfect choice for many people. WPS Office is a great alternative to Microsoft 365 Family for personal and business needs.
WPS Office Product Overview
Here is a short introduction to WPS Office Suite:
Basic Information
The WPS Office Suite is a free set of productivity tools that can be used on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS alike. Using WPS Office can help you meet all your documentation needs easily.
Features and Functions
The WPS Office is a standalone app and doesn’t require you to install several applications. You can use it to create documents as well as presentations and spreadsheets in no time.
This app is compatible with the Microsoft Office suite, so you can edit any files in the Office document format you receive from your peers. It also comes with a great online template library to help you save a lot of time and effort.
Advantages
The WPS Office is a great tool to help you use both your computer and smartphone for creating documents. It comes with Data Recovery and allows you to access your lost files easily. This tool has EVERYTHING you are ever going to need for your individual or business needs.
Pricing
The best thing about WPS Office is that it is free to use. However, if you want to unlock all the features, you can WPS Office for $29.99/yr. This means that you can save a lot if you choose WPS Office for creating documents.
Trustpilot Rating
The WPS Office has earned an amazing rating of 4.8 on Trustpilot. This higher rating compared to Microsoft 365 Family shows that it has earned the trust of people around the globe.
How to Download and Install WPS Office?
Visit the download page of WPS Office website.
Click on the “Free Download” button.
Wait for the file to download and double-click on it to start the installation process.
FAQs about Microsoft 365 Family
Q1: What's the difference between Office 2021 (one-time purchase) and Microsoft 365 (subscription)?
Office 2021 requires you to pay an upfront fee for downloading and using Office on one computer. You will have to buy any new standalone update in the future as the membership of Office 2021 will not transfer to the next one.
But using Microsoft 365 requires you to pay a monthly or yearly subscription to access all Office tools. You will automatically be upgraded to any new major release by Microsoft.
Q2: How do I know if my PC or Mac can run Microsoft 365?
As of now, Microsoft 365 is supported on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. You will need to check the system requirements page to find out if your device is eligible for running Microsoft 365 or not.
Q3: Is internet access required for Microsoft 365?
You don’t need the internet to access any of the installed apps on your computer that are connected with a Microsoft 365 membership. But you will need internet if you want to make any changes to your subscription options.
Q4: Can I get a Microsoft 365 family lifetime subscription?
You cannot get a lifetime subscription to the Microsoft 365 Family suite. However, you can buy Office 2021 to pay only once and use it for a lifetime.
Q5: Why do some e-stores sell Microsoft 12-month subscriptions and 15-month subscriptions for the same price?
Such stores might have a special coupon deal from Microsoft to offer 15-month plans. It’s recommended to buy from the Official Microsoft website so you don’t lose your money.
