How to Cancel Microsoft 365 (And What to Use Instead)

Before You Cancel: Check If You Already Have It Free

Many people pay for Microsoft 365 without realizing they already have access through their employer, university, or a device purchase. Before canceling, check:

• Work or school email: Log into office.com with your work/school account. If the Office apps load, you have free access.
• University students: Most universities provide Microsoft 365 Education for free with a .edu email.
• New PC or Surface: Some Microsoft devices include a trial or subscription period.

If any of these apply, cancel your personal subscription — you're paying for something you already have.

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What's Included (What You'll Lose)

Microsoft 365 Personal ($6.99/month or $69.99/year):

• Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote (full desktop apps)
• 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage
• Publisher and Access (Windows only)
• Advanced features in mobile Office apps

Microsoft 365 Family ($9.99/month or $99.99/year):

• Everything in Personal, for up to 6 people
• 1 TB of OneDrive per person

After canceling:

• Office apps move to "read-only" mode — you can view but not edit documents
• OneDrive storage reduces to 5 GB (free tier) — files over 5 GB become inaccessible until storage is reduced
• Premium Outlook features disappear

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How to Cancel Microsoft 365

On iPhone:

If you subscribed through the App Store:

1. Go to Settings → tap your name → Subscriptions
2. Find Microsoft 365
3. Tap Cancel Subscription

If you subscribed directly through Microsoft (most common):

1. Go to account.microsoft.com in your browser
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account
3. Click Services & Subscriptions
4. Find Microsoft 365 and click Cancel
5. Follow the prompts to confirm

On a Computer:

1. Go to account.microsoft.com
2. Sign in → Services & Subscriptions
3. Click Cancel next to Microsoft 365
4. Select your reason and confirm

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Can You Get a Refund?

Annual subscription: If you cancel within 30 days of purchase or renewal, Microsoft offers a prorated refund for unused time. After 30 days, no cash refund — but you retain access until the end of the paid period.

Monthly subscription: No refund. Your access continues until the end of the current billing month.

How to request a refund: Go to account.microsoft.com → Order History → Request a Refund within the 30-day window.

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What to Do With Your OneDrive Files Before Canceling

This is the most important step before canceling. With 1 TB of free OneDrive storage, many Microsoft 365 subscribers have years of files stored there. After canceling, storage drops to 5 GB.

Option A: Download everything to your device From onedrive.com, select all files and download as a ZIP. Make sure you have enough local storage.

Option B: Migrate to Google Drive (15 GB free) Google Drive's free tier offers 15 GB — enough for most document users. Download from OneDrive and upload to Google Drive, or use Microsoft's own migration tool.

Option C: Migrate to iCloud If you're an iPhone user, iCloud+ offers 50 GB for $0.99/month — much cheaper than Microsoft 365 just for storage.

Give yourself time: Don't cancel and immediately lose access. Cancel at least a week before your subscription ends to complete the migration.

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Best Free Alternatives to Microsoft 365

For Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations:

Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) — free, cloud-based, excellent collaboration. Handles .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files natively. For most personal and professional use, it's a complete replacement.

Apple Pages, Numbers, Keynote — free for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. Opens Office formats. Solid for individual use, though less capable than Excel for complex spreadsheet work.

LibreOffice — free, open-source desktop suite for Windows and Mac. The most complete free desktop alternative for users who need full offline functionality.

For Email (Replacing Outlook):

Apple Mail (built into iPhone and Mac) — free, handles multiple email accounts, integrates with Calendar and Contacts.

Gmail — free, excellent web and mobile app, 15 GB storage included.

For Cloud Storage (Replacing OneDrive):

Google Drive — 15 GB free, excellent for documents iCloud — 5 GB free (expandable cheaply) Mega — 20 GB free with end-to-end encryption

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Tracking Your Decision

Once you've canceled and migrated, log the change in Gravity — update or remove the Microsoft 365 subscription from your tracker and add whatever alternative you've set up. Keep your subscription picture accurate so your monthly total stays current.