Do New Laptops Come with Microsoft Office? What's Included and What Isn't

Do laptops come with Microsoft Office? Most new Windows laptops do not include a full, permanent copy of Office. They usually ship with the Office apps preinstalled as a one-month Microsoft 365 trial, plus the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which is a launcher rather than a licence. When the trial ends, Word and Excel drop into a limited mode unless you buy a subscription or a perpetual Office licence.

Does a Laptop Come with Microsoft Office?

A laptop only comes with a working, paid-for copy of Office if the listing or box clearly says an Office licence is included. Everything else you see on a new PC is either a trial or a free shortcut. The confusion comes from the fact that the Office icons appear on the Start menu from day one, so the software looks installed and owned even when it is not.

Here is what you are most likely to find on a new Windows laptop:

What Is the Microsoft 365 Trial on a New Laptop?

It is a one-month free trial of Microsoft 365 Family, which Microsoft describes on its page about trying, buying or activating Office preinstalled on a new PC. The apps are already on the drive; the trial is simply the licence that unlocks them for a month.

When you open Word for the first time you are typically offered four choices: start the trial, buy Office, activate with a product key, or sign in with an account that already has a Microsoft 365 subscription. If you start the trial, it is linked to your Microsoft account, and Microsoft emails you before it ends. At that point you can pay to continue, cancel, or let it lapse.

If the trial lapses, the cause and effect is straightforward: with no active licence, the desktop apps stop allowing full editing. You can still open and read documents, but you need a licence to keep working normally.

What Is the Microsoft 365 Copilot App?

The Microsoft 365 Copilot app is the new name for what used to be the Office app, and later the Microsoft 365 app. Microsoft began rolling out the rename on 15 January 2025, explained on its Microsoft 365 app transition page.

It is a starting point for finding recent files and opening your productivity apps, not a full copy of Word or Excel. This is why many buyers think their laptop "came with Office": the app is preinstalled and branded Microsoft 365, but it does not grant a licence for the desktop programs on its own.

Do Any Laptops Come with Microsoft Office Included?

Some do, but they are the exception. Certain manufacturers and retailers sell laptops with an Office licence, usually Office Home or Office Home & Business, bundled into the price. These are often listed as "with Office" in the product name.

When Office is genuinely included, the first launch of an Office app tells you that Office is included with this PC, and you redeem it to your Microsoft account. That matters because the licence then lives on your account. Microsoft's own setup guidance says the entitlement belongs to the account, and you reinstall it later from account.microsoft.com → Services & subscriptions.

Laptops sold to students sometimes appear to include Office because a school or university provides Microsoft 365 through a work or school account. That licence belongs to the institution and usually ends when you leave.

How Do You Check Whether Your Laptop Has a Real Office Licence?

You can confirm the licence status in Word in under a minute.

1. Open Word from the Start menu.
2. Go to File → Account.
3. Look under Product Information.
4. If it shows a product name such as Office Home 2024 or Microsoft 365 with "Product Activated", you have a licence.
5. If it shows a trial, an expiry date, or "Unlicensed Product", you do not have a permanent licence.
6. Optionally, sign in at account.microsoft.com → Services & subscriptions to see which Office products are linked to your Microsoft account.

Do the same check for Windows itself in Settings → System → Activation. A new laptop normally comes with a Windows OEM licence (one bundled by the manufacturer and tied to that device), but this has nothing to do with Office. Our guide to Windows OEM vs retail licences explains how that licence type works.

What Are Your Options When the Trial Ends?

You can subscribe to Microsoft 365, buy a one-time Office licence, or use the free web apps. The right choice depends on how much you use Office and whether you want ongoing costs.

• Microsoft 365 subscription. Continuous updates, cloud storage and installs on several devices, paid monthly or yearly.
• Perpetual Office licence. Pay once and keep that version. Office 2024 is supported until 9 October 2029. Our Microsoft Office collection lists the available editions.
• Free Office on the web. Good for basic letters and spreadsheets in a browser, with fewer features than the desktop apps.

For a full breakdown of cost over time, read Microsoft Office vs Microsoft 365. If you mainly need Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook on one computer, a perpetual licence such as Office 2024 Home & Business covers them without a monthly fee.

A Common Mistake We See

A pattern that comes up often is a new laptop owner who starts the Microsoft 365 trial, forgets about it, and then buys a perpetual Office key when the trial runs out. The trial apps are Microsoft 365 builds, and the account is still signed in, so the new key sometimes appears not to "take".

The fix is to sign out of the trial account in File → Account, close all Office apps, then reopen Word and enter the new product key. If you would rather start clean, uninstall the preinstalled Microsoft 365 apps and install the version that matches your key. Every key we sell includes instant email delivery, a 30-day money-back guarantee and a lifetime replacement warranty, and our support team can help with activation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do new laptops come with Microsoft Office?

Most new laptops come with the Office apps preinstalled but not licensed. They run as a one-month Microsoft 365 Family trial. Only laptops sold explicitly "with Office" include a paid licence, which you redeem to your Microsoft account the first time you open an Office app.

Do new computers come with Microsoft Office, or just laptops?

Desktop PCs follow the same pattern as laptops. Most come with the Office apps preinstalled on a trial basis and the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on the Start menu. A permanent licence is only included when the manufacturer or retailer states it clearly in the listing.

Does Microsoft Office come with new laptops for free forever?

No. The preinstalled apps work fully only during the trial. After it ends you need a Microsoft 365 subscription or a perpetual licence for full editing. The free alternative is Word, Excel and PowerPoint for the web, which run in a browser with a Microsoft account.

Is the Microsoft 365 Copilot app the same as Office?

No. The Microsoft 365 Copilot app is the renamed Microsoft 365 app, a hub for opening files and apps. It does not license the desktop versions of Word, Excel or PowerPoint by itself. You still need a subscription or an Office product key for full desktop use.

Do MacBooks come with Microsoft Office?

No. Macs come with Apple's own Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Microsoft Office for Mac is a separate purchase or subscription. If you need Word and Excel on a Mac, you need a Mac-compatible edition, such as those in our Office for Mac collection.

Can I move bundled Office to a new laptop?

Office redeemed from a new PC is linked to your Microsoft account, and you reinstall it from your account page. Whether you can move it to a different computer depends on the licence terms of that edition, so check the terms before relying on a transfer.

Conclusion

So, do laptops come with Microsoft Office? Usually only as a trial and a launcher app, not as a licence you own. Check File → Account in Word to see what you have, and if you want to own Office outright, the Office 2024 range gives you a one-time licence supported until 2029.

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