How to Cancel Microsoft 365 Family in 2026 (Keep Files + Free Alternatives)
Updated 2026-03-03 · 6 min read
⚠️ OneDrive Storage Drops to 5GB
Microsoft 365 Family includes 1TB OneDrive per person (6TB total). When you cancel, everyone drops to 5GB free. If any family member is using more than 5GB, they can't upload new files until they free up space. Download important files before canceling.
Microsoft 365 Plans (2026)
Microsoft 365 Family: $99.99/year ($9.99/month) — 6 people, 1TB each, full Office apps
Microsoft 365 Personal: $69.99/year ($6.99/month) — 1 person, 1TB, full Office apps
Microsoft 365 Basic: $19.99/year ($1.99/month) — 1 person, 100GB, web Office only
Free: Office.com web apps + 5GB OneDrive — surprisingly capable
Cancel Microsoft 365 Family
Go to account.microsoft.com/services
Sign in with your Microsoft account
Find Microsoft 365 Family
Click Manage → Cancel subscription
Microsoft shows retention offers — click through them if you're sure
Choose: cancel immediately (partial refund) or at end of billing period
All 6 family members lose access to premium features at the same time
What All Family Members Lose
Desktop Office apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook become read-only on desktop
1TB OneDrive: Drops to 5GB per person — existing files stay but uploads blocked if over limit
Microsoft Editor advanced features: Grammar/style suggestions beyond basics
Clipchamp premium: Video editor premium features
What Everyone Keeps (Free)
Office web apps: Word, Excel, PowerPoint at Office.com — fully functional for most tasks
5GB OneDrive: Free cloud storage (your files aren't deleted, just can't add more over 5GB)
Outlook.com email: Free email continues working (with ads)
Microsoft Teams (free): Chat and 60-minute group meetings
OneNote: Free forever, all your notes stay
💡 The Free Web Apps Are Surprisingly Good
Microsoft's free Office web apps at office.com handle 90% of what most people use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for. If you mostly write documents, make spreadsheets, and create presentations, the free versions are genuinely capable. You might not need to pay at all.
Before Canceling: Save Your OneDrive Files
Each family member should check their OneDrive usage: onedrive.com → Settings → Storage
If using more than 5GB, download files to local storage or external drive
Or migrate to Google Drive (15GB free) or iCloud (5GB free)
OneDrive desktop app: right-click files → "Always keep on this device" to ensure local copies
Microsoft doesn't delete your files immediately — but you can't sync or upload until under 5GB
Downgrade Options
Family → Personal ($69.99/year): If only 1-2 people actually use Office, save $30/year
Family → Basic ($19.99/year): Web apps + 100GB OneDrive — $80/year savings
Switch to Google Workspace: $7.20/user/month — Google Docs/Sheets/Slides + 30GB per user
Free Alternatives to Microsoft 365
Google Docs/Sheets/Slides (free): Best free alternative — real-time collaboration, 15GB Drive storage, works everywhere
Apple iWork (free on Apple devices): Pages, Numbers, Keynote — excellent for Apple users
Notion (free): Documents, databases, project management — different paradigm but very powerful
Canva Docs (free): Beautiful documents and presentations — great for non-technical users
Family Plan Math
6 active users: $99.99/6 = $16.67/person/year — excellent value, keep it
3 active users: $99.99/3 = $33.33/person/year — decent, might still be worth it
1-2 active users: Switch to Personal ($69.99) or free alternatives
Key question: Do you actually use the desktop apps, or would web apps suffice?
Bottom line: If fewer than 3 family members actively use Office desktop apps, the Family plan is overpriced. Google Docs is free and handles most document needs. Download your OneDrive files before canceling, and make sure everyone knows their storage will drop to 5GB.
💡 Microsoft 365 is just one of many recurring charges
Upload your bank statement to JustCancel and find every subscription — Office, cloud storage, streaming, and services you forgot about.