Microsoft 365 Family

Microsoft 365 Family is a suite of apps and services offered by Microsoft in their premium Microsoft 365 platform that allows up to 6 family members to take advantage of key productivity, security, and several other management apps not only on their home PCs but also on mobile apps while on the go.



With a wide array of features and services that aim to provide the best possible productivity experience currently offered on the market, Microsoft 365 Family represents an essential set of tools for any connected family who wants to keep in touch, accelerate their home, school, or team projects, and be secure that their private data will never be threatened by malicious software or unauthorized access.

• Perfect for up to 6 people
• Up to 6 TB of cloud storage, that's 1 TB per person
• Save up to 500,000 photos & files with 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage

The core offering of Microsoft 365 Family (formerly known as Office 365 Home) includes a list of the popular premium apps created by Microsoft, such as Office apps Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, security systems found in Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Family Safety, communication and collaboration apps such as Microsoft Teams and Outlook, valuable file backup and sharing service OneDrive (with 1TB of cloud storage data offered to every of six family members that can be connected to one premium subscription), and more. The functionality of these apps can also be enhanced with free products that Microsoft is offering to everyone – OneNote, ToDo, Skype, Microsoft Forms, and many others.

By purchasing a the suite, home users do not unlock only access to a cloud-powered set of applications and services, but also a wide list of apps that can be fully accessible when offline. This includes all Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) that can be used without restrictions even when the internet connection is not active. All those apps are of course fully ready for online collaboration, enabling family members to create and edit files at the same time, in real-time, fueling creative sessions that can get the home projects done in record time.

Create high-quality reports, essays and class presentations with smart assistance features in Word, Excel & PowerPoint

Security features found here can also represent a vital defense point against various sources of data loss – ranging from accidental file deletion, local file corruption after an app or OS crash, inaccessible local storage due to PC component damage, and in most dire cases the loss of data due to malicious ransomware attacks. Microsoft OneDrive, cross-platform Windows Defender, and advanced data and device protection service can protect users from such threats and provide detailed reports about boosting their security measures and activity logs that point to any detected security breach. And in any event of a breach, data loss, or just a simple technical issue, Microsoft support is just a click away to help in any way they can.

One important addition to the Microsoft 365 Family package of apps is its Microsoft Family Safety app which can provide valuable insights about location alerts, drive history, and other location-based notifications connected to your loved ones. However, it is important to note that the service is available only in 13 international markets. PC users also have access to two exclusive apps that are not available on any other Microsoft 365 Family-compatible platform – Publisher (for the creation of eye-catching greeting cards, newsletters, and posters) and Access (for management of databases of all sizes).

All in all, the set of apps and cloud-powered services matches those available in the Microsoft 365 Personal (formerly known as Office 365 Personal), but it extends it by adding an option to invite up to 5 additional family members who can access all its benefits on up to 5 individual devices (PC, tablets, and smartphones).

Alternatives

Google Workspace
It includes tools like Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Google Drive for storage, along with Gmail for email and Google Meet for video conferencing.

LibreOffice
Free, open-source office suite that offers alternatives to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with Writer, Calc, and Impress.

Zoho Workplace
A comprehensive suite of online productivity apps similar to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. It includes tools like Zoho Writer, Sheet, Show, and Mail.

OnlyOffice
Powerful alternative that offers cloud-based office applications and document collaboration.

WPS Office
Lightweight, free alternative with apps similar to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

OpenOffice
Apache OpenOffice is another free, open-source office suite similar to LibreOffice, offering alternatives to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Note: 30 days trial version (Signup Required).