How to Cancel Microsoft 365 and Keep Your Files (2026 Guide)
Updated 2026-02-14 · 5 min read
Microsoft 365 Personal costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Family is $12.99/month. With free alternatives like Google Docs and LibreOffice, many people are questioning whether they need it. Here's how to cancel and what happens to your files.
⚠️ OneDrive Storage Warning: Microsoft 365 includes 1TB OneDrive storage. After canceling, you drop to 5GB free. If you have more than 5GB stored, Microsoft gives you ~30 days to download your files before they start deleting the oldest ones. Back up your OneDrive before canceling.
Click "Cancel subscription" or "Turn off recurring billing"
Microsoft shows retention offers — decline or accept
Confirm cancellation
Cancel Apple/Google Subscription
iPhone: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions → Microsoft 365 → Cancel
Android: Play Store → Profile → Payments → Subscriptions → Cancel
What You Lose vs. Keep
Keep
Lose
View/read Office files forever
Edit in desktop Word/Excel/PowerPoint
OneDrive files (5GB free limit)
1TB OneDrive storage
Outlook.com email (free tier)
Advanced Outlook features
Office web apps (basic editing)
Copilot AI features
Microsoft account + Skype
60 min/mo Skype calls
💡 Hidden Free Tier: After canceling, you can still use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for FREE at office.com. The web versions handle 95% of what most people need. You just can't use the desktop apps.
Refund Policy
Annual plan, within 30 days: Full refund minus any days used
Annual plan, after 30 days: No refund — runs until expiration
Monthly plan: No refund — runs until end of current billing period
Accidental renewal: Contact Microsoft support within a few days for a courtesy refund
Free Microsoft 365 Alternatives
Google Docs/Sheets/Slides: Free, cloud-based, excellent collaboration — best overall alternative
LibreOffice: Free desktop office suite, opens all Office formats — closest to desktop Office
Apple iWork: Free on Mac/iPad — Pages, Numbers, Keynote
Zoho Docs: Free for personal use, business-grade features
OnlyOffice: Free, open-source, high Office compatibility
☁️ Cloud Storage Alternatives: Replacing OneDrive's 1TB? Google Drive (15GB free), iCloud (5GB free), or pay $2.99/mo for 200GB on either — still cheaper than Microsoft 365 if you only need storage.
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