Microsoft launches ad-supported Office apps for Windows users

February 24, 2025

Microsoft has introduced ad-supported versions of its Office desktop applications, offering a unique blend of functionality and advertising for Windows users. While the company has long provided free access to its Microsoft 365 apps—such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint—through the web, details about these new desktop versions remain sparse.

Upon installation, users will notice a vertical panel on the right side of their application windows, where advertisements will be displayed as they work on their documents. Additionally, beneath these ads, a message will encourage users to consider subscribing to Microsoft 365 to eliminate the ads, complete with a link labeled “See benefits.”

Ad-supported Office Word app (Beebom)

To access these new ad-supported apps, users must first download and install Microsoft 365. During the setup process, selecting “Skip for now” on the sign-in screen will lead to a welcome message prompting users to continue with free access to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. However, saving edited documents will be limited to OneDrive unless users opt for a paid subscription.

As reported by tech news site Beebom, the ad-supported versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint come with basic functionality and certain restrictions, as outlined in the following table:

Word	Excel	PowerPoint
Dictate, Add-ins Line spacing, Shading, Borders Cover Page, Tables, Shapes, Icons, SmartArt, Chart, Online Videos Bookmark, Cross-reference, Header, Footer Text Box, Quick Parts, WordArt, Signature Line Date & Time, Object, Equation, and Symbol Columns, Line Numbers, Hyphenation, Wrap Text Position, Align, Bring Forward/Backward All Draw and Design tools All References and Mailing tools	Add-ins, Analyze Data, Fill Conditional Formatting Pivot Table, Recommended PivotTables Icons, SmartArt, Screenshot Recommended Charts PivotChart, Line, Column, Win/Loss Slicer, Timeline Header and Footer, WordArt, Signature Line Object, Equation, Symbol Themes, Colors, Fonts, and Effects Breaks, Background, Print Titles Defined Names, Formula Auditing, Watch Window Macros, Custom Views, Workbook Statistics All Data tools	Dictate, Add-ins, Designer, and SmartArt Screenshot, Photo Album, Cameo Icons, SmartArt, Chart, Power BI, Action Header and Footer Date and Time, Slide Number, Object Equation, Symbol, and Screen Recording Format Background Custom Slide Show, Set Up Slide Show, Record Rehearse Timings, Play Narrations, Use Timings Show media controls Macros, Slide Master, Notes Master All Draw, Animations, and Record tools

While some users have reported success in accessing these features, others, such as BleepingComputer, have found it challenging to replicate the experience, suggesting that this may be a regional test.

Ads in the Start Menu, Windows Explorer, and more

This move is not Microsoft’s first foray into integrating advertisements within its products. The company previously experimented with ads in the “Recommended” section of the Windows 11 Start menu and promoted its own offerings in the sign-out menu in late 2022. Furthermore, ads for Microsoft products have appeared in Windows File Explorer and the Start Menu of Windows 10 in prior years.

In fact, the Windows 10 Wordpad application displayed ads for Microsoft’s free Office web apps in its menu bar five years ago, indicating a long-standing strategy of blending advertising with user experience across its software ecosystem.

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