Microsoft is raising the price of Microsoft 365 Family and Personal for the first time in twelve years, and let’s be honest—nobody likes a price hike. But even with the bump, I still think the Family plan is a great deal for what you get. That said, not everyone wants a subscription, and luckily, there are some solid alternatives that won’t cost you a dime. Whether you’re managing a family budget, helping kids with homework, or just need a reliable word processor, there’s a tool out there for you.

 

Living in the Apple Ecosystem? You’re Already Covered

If you’ve got an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you already have a full office suite ready to go. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers come pre-installed and sync effortlessly through iCloud. It’s the kind of seamless experience Apple users love.

Think about this: You’re writing up a family holiday newsletter on your Mac, but later, while waiting at soccer practice, you make a few edits on your iPhone. No saving, no emailing—just pick up where you left off.

And for kids working on school projects, Keynote makes presentations pop with animations and sleek designs that look like they took hours (spoiler: they didn’t). Numbers, while not as powerful as Excel, works great for basic budgeting and keeping track of expenses. If your household runs on Apple devices, these tools are a no-brainer.

With iCloud, you can also share your storage with your family. However, the cost can add up quickly, especially with photos. Let’s say you pay for the 2TB plan at $9.99 per month and share it with a family of three. Throw in documents and email on top of photos, and that storage fills up fast. This is something to consider if you're an Apple user.

 

Need Something Offline? LibreOffice Has Your Back

Not everyone wants to live in the cloud, and if you’re the type who prefers good old-fashioned local files, LibreOffice is a fantastic pick. It’s a little rougher around the edges than Microsoft 365, but it’s completely free and does everything you need.

Picture your tech-averse uncle who still prints out directions and keeps everything saved on his desktop. LibreOffice is perfect for him. Writer handles all the basics of word processing, Calc is great for simple spreadsheets, and Impress does presentations without any fluff. It’s a no-fuss, no-subscription solution that just works.

 

OnlyOffice: The Best-Kept Secret for Microsoft Compatibility

If you’re ditching Microsoft 365 but still need files to look exactly right when sharing with Office users, OnlyOffice is a gem. It’s got a clean, modern interface that feels familiar, so you’re not stumbling through menus trying to figure out where everything is.

Imagine you’re freelancing and constantly sending invoices or reports to clients who use Word or Excel. With OnlyOffice, you won’t get that dreaded “formatting disaster” when they open your file. It works offline, syncs with cloud services like Google Drive, and even has real-time collaboration. If you need a Microsoft Office clone without the price tag, this is it.

 

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides: Collaboration Made Easy

For families and teams who love working together, Google’s suite is unbeatable. It’s all online, meaning you can hop between devices and pick up right where you left off. And the best part? Multiple people can work on the same file at the same time.

Think about planning a family trip—one person updates the itinerary in Google Docs while another adds budget details in Sheets. Or picture high school students cramming for a group project, with everyone editing slides in real time. No more emailing back and forth, no more “which version is the right one?” Google Docs keeps everything in sync and stress-free.

Google One also offers solid cloud storage options, starting at $20 per year for 100GB. However, like iCloud, if you're sharing this storage with family and backing up all your photos, videos, and files, it can fill up fast.

 

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Cloud Storage: An Important Part of Your Choice

Your productivity tools are only as good as the storage behind them. If you're an Apple user, iCloud offers compelling features, including advanced encryption and the ability to add your own domain for email. Starting at just $12 per year for 50GB, it’s an affordable way to keep your files backed up and secure. While email and calendar data aren't encrypted, everything else is—making it a great choice for privacy-focused users.

For Google users, Google One provides 100GB of storage for $20 per year. This seamlessly integrates with Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Photos, making it a solid option for families already embedded in the Google ecosystem.

If you prefer LibreOffice or OnlyOffice, you have the freedom to choose your own cloud provider. Whether it’s iCloud, Google Drive, or OneDrive, you can save and sync your files however you like.

With Microsoft 365, OneDrive is built-in, and even without a full subscription, you can get 100GB of storage for just $19 per year. OneDrive comes with version control, meaning if you accidentally overwrite a document, you can recover previous versions. It also gives you 60 days to retrieve deleted files, which can be a lifesaver when mistakes happen.

For those needing extra security, OneDrive Personal Vault adds another layer of protection. It’s an encrypted, secure folder that requires an extra verification step—like a PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition—to access your most sensitive files. Whether it’s tax documents, personal IDs, or confidential work files, this feature ensures they stay safe.

What I love about Microsoft’s family plans is their generosity with storage. While iCloud and Google One force families to share a single storage pool, Microsoft gives each user their own 1TB. So, if you have six users on a Microsoft 365 Family plan, that’s a whopping 6TB of storage—plenty of room for work, school, and personal files.

Is Microsoft 365 Still Worth It?

Even with the price increase, Microsoft 365 still offers the most features in one package. If your family relies on having powerful, offline and online tools, 1TB of cloud storage per user, and AI-powered features like Co-Pilot to speed up tasks, it’s still the best bang for your buck.

Imagine you’re juggling work reports, your spouse is organizing family finances in Excel, and the kids are storing school projects in OneDrive—all without running out of space. Outlook keeps emails organized, Word remains the gold standard for document editing, and having everything seamlessly sync across devices makes life easier.

So, What’s the Best Choice for You?

If you’re an Apple user, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers will fit naturally into your daily routine. If you need a free, offline option, LibreOffice is a solid choice. OnlyOffice is perfect for anyone who still needs to work with Microsoft files without a hitch, and if you’re all about real-time collaboration, Google’s suite is a dream.

And if you need everything—premium features, cloud storage, and top-tier productivity tools—Microsoft 365, even with the price hike, is still the one to beat.

At the end of the day, the best tool is the one that fits into your life without making things complicated. Whether you’re writing, budgeting, presenting, or planning, there’s a solution that’ll work for you—without breaking the bank.

Bibliography:

1. Apple. (2025, March 12). iCloud Storage and Pricing. Retrieved from https://www.apple.com/icloud/storage-pricing
2. Google. (2025, March 5). Google One Storage Plans and Benefits. Retrieved from https://one.google.com
3. Microsoft. (2025, February 18). OneDrive Features and Pricing. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/online-cloud-storage
4. Google Workspace Team. (2025, January 28). Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365: Comparing the Features for 2025. TechRadar. Retrieved from https://www.techradar.com/news/google-workspace-vs-microsoft-365
5. LibreOffice. (2025, March 2). LibreOffice Features and Benefits for 2025. Retrieved from https://www.libreoffice.org
6. OnlyOffice. (2025, February 26). OnlyOffice Features and Compatibility with Microsoft Formats. Retrieved from https://www.onlyoffice.com
7. Microsoft. (2025, February 24). Microsoft 365 Price Changes and What They Mean for You. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/price-increase-2025
8. PCMag. (2025, January 20). Best Office Suites for 2025: Comparing Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, LibreOffice, and More. Retrieved from https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-office-suites
9. TechRadar. (2025, February 4). Best Alternatives to Microsoft Office: Top Office Suites in 2025. Retrieved from https://www.techradar.com/news/best-alternatives-to-microsoft-office
10. CNET. (2025, March 8). What You Need to Know About the Microsoft 365 Price Hike in 2025. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com