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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Microsoft 365 Basic is worth buying if you need more Microsoft cloud storage and ad-free Outlook.com, but not if you expect installed Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. U.S. consumer pricing checked August 18, 2026 is $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year. Basic provides 100GB of cloud storage, a 100GB Outlook.com mailbox allowance, and Microsoft’s web and mobile productivity apps; desktop Office licensing starts with Microsoft 365 Personal.
What Microsoft 365 Basic is
Basic is Microsoft’s entry-level paid personal subscription for one person. It replaced the former standalone OneDrive 100GB plan; Microsoft says existing customers were moved to Microsoft 365 Basic on January 30, 2023 (Microsoft 365 Basic FAQ). It is separate from Microsoft 365 Business Basic, which is designed for organizations.
The plan is primarily a storage, Outlook, security, and support subscription. It is not a low-priced version of the full desktop Microsoft 365 suite.
U.S. price and billing
| Billing | Price checked Aug. 18, 2026 | Cost over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $1.99 per month | $23.88 |
| Annual | $19.99 per year | $19.99 |
The annual option saves about $3.89 versus 12 monthly payments. Microsoft subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel. These are U.S. consumer prices; taxes, currency, regional pricing, promotions, and app-store billing can differ. Check the renewal date and payment method in your Microsoft account (Microsoft plans and pricing).
#1 Best Overall
- Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
What you get for the subscription
100GB of cloud storage
Basic lists 100GB of cloud storage for OneDrive files and photos and Microsoft-account content. It is not a completely isolated 100GB file bucket: Microsoft’s storage system can also count Outlook attachments and related account data. The separate Microsoft storage FAQ explains how usage is calculated.
100GB Outlook.com mailbox allowance
Microsoft’s current comparison lists 100GB of Outlook.com mailbox storage for Basic. This is separate from the cloud-storage description, even though both contribute to the account’s overall storage management.
Rank #2
- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Outlook.com without advertising
You get ad-free Outlook.com email, calendar, contacts, and related web and mobile features. This is a personal Outlook.com service—not a custom-domain business mailbox, Exchange Online organization, or desktop Outlook license (Microsoft 365 Basic FAQ).
OneDrive access across devices
OneDrive remains available through its website, desktop sync client, and mobile apps. Basic increases the account’s storage quota; it does not bundle the separately licensed Office desktop programs with the sync client.
Rank #3
- Easily store and access 1TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Security and support features
- Microsoft-listed ransomware protection for files and photos
- Advanced email security features
- Access to Microsoft support experts
“Ransomware protection” is a listed feature, not a guarantee that files can never be encrypted, deleted, or lost.
Does Basic include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint?
It includes access through the web and supported mobile apps, but not the installable desktop applications.
Rank #4
- Easily store and access 4TB of content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive.Specific uses: Personal
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
| Application or service | Basic |
|---|---|
| Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in a browser | Available |
| Word, Excel, and PowerPoint mobile apps | Available on supported devices |
| Word, Excel, or PowerPoint for Windows or Mac | Not included |
| Outlook.com in a browser or mobile app | Available and ad-free |
| Outlook desktop entitlement | Not included |
| OneNote desktop features tied to a full desktop-app license | Not included |
Microsoft also provides its web and mobile Office apps to free-account users, so browser access alone is not a compelling reason to subscribe (Microsoft’s comparison of subscriptions and free web apps).
Free Microsoft 365 versus Basic versus Personal
| Feature | Free Microsoft account | Microsoft 365 Basic | Microsoft 365 Personal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price checked Aug. 18, 2026 | Free | $1.99/month or $19.99/year | $9.99/month or $99.99/year |
| Cloud storage | 5GB | 100GB | 1TB |
| Outlook.com mailbox | 15GB | 100GB listed by Microsoft | 100GB listed by Microsoft |
| Outlook advertising | Present | Ad-free | Ad-free |
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint web apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Installable Office desktop apps | No | No | Yes |
| People covered | One account | One person | One person |
Personal costs about $80 more per year than Basic but raises storage tenfold and adds desktop Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. That premium makes sense for desktop Office or 1TB needs, not automatically for someone who only wants 100GB and browser tools (Microsoft plans and pricing).
Best Value
- Plug-and-play expandability
- SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps)
What happens when you cancel
After Microsoft 365 Basic or Personal ends, Microsoft says the account returns to the free allowances: 5GB of cloud storage, including OneDrive and Outlook attachments, and 15GB of Outlook.com storage (Microsoft storage FAQ).
- Check your account’s actual storage usage before cancellation.
- Download or move enough files and remove oversized attachments to fit within the free limits.
- Cancel only after confirming that your remaining data is below those limits, or expect upload and synchronization restrictions.
An account that remains over quota can eventually face deletion of OneDrive files; Microsoft’s FAQ describes a possible deletion period after six months of continued over-quota status. Data is not necessarily erased immediately, but waiting creates avoidable risk.
Who should buy Microsoft 365 Basic?
- You are near or above the free 5GB OneDrive limit.
- Your photos, documents, or phone backups already use OneDrive.
- You use Outlook.com and value an ad-free inbox and larger mailbox allowance.
- Browser-based Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are sufficient.
- You want Microsoft’s ecosystem rather than moving files and mail to another provider.
Who should skip it?
- You need installed Office applications, advanced Excel features, macros, add-ins, or full desktop Outlook.
- You expect to exceed 100GB soon or need family storage sharing.
- You need business email, organizational administration, or a custom domain.
- You only need a few extra gigabytes and can reduce existing storage instead.
Basic versus Google One Basic
Google One Basic is also listed at $1.99 per month for 100GB. Its storage is shared across Google Drive, Google Photos, and Gmail, and Google lists sharing with up to five other people (Google One plans).
Choose Microsoft 365 Basic when your files, mail, and Windows workflow center on OneDrive and Outlook.com. Google One is more suitable when Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos are already your household’s primary services. Google One does not provide Microsoft desktop Office applications.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Bottom line: is $1.99 worth it?
Buy Microsoft 365 Basic for inexpensive, Microsoft-native storage and ad-free Outlook.com when 100GB is enough and web or mobile Office works for you. Stay free if 5GB is sufficient and you only need browser Office. Choose Microsoft 365 Personal when desktop Office or 1TB matters; choose Google One when your digital life is centered on Google services.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
