Back in March 2014, the arrival of Microsoft Office for iPad was a big deal. After years of anticipation, Microsoft finally released its flagship productivity suite for Apple’s tablet, with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint becoming part of the iPad App Store’s top downloads. At the time, I was both excited and critical. The apps were free to download, but there was a catch: you could only read documents without a subscription. To create and edit files, a subscription to Microsoft’s Office 365 was required. The most basic subscription, Office 365 Home Premium, cost $9.99 per month ($99 per year) and included the ability to install Office on multiple devices, including up to five tablets, plus 20GB of cloud storage.

At the time, the subscription felt unnecessary, especially when Apple and Google offered more flexible, free alternatives. Microsoft’s pricing model seemed too restrictive for users like me who simply wanted access to Office on an iPad and Mac. To justify the cost, the value proposition needed to be much clearer.

I remember thinking that Microsoft had to lower its subscription fees if they wanted Office to truly succeed on the iPad. After all, Apple and Google were already offering strong alternatives, and the cost of Office 365 was hard to justify for many casual users. With Microsoft stepping into a competitive space with established free alternatives, the value proposition needed to be clear and reasonable. In the meantime, I stuck to Apple’s Pages and Numbers, which were free for iOS users.

The Shift to Subscription Models and Ongoing Changes (2025)

By 2025, Microsoft Office has evolved significantly. The original Office 365 model, which initially restricted key features behind a subscription, has adapted to better align with user expectations and industry trends. While a subscription was once required just to edit documents, basic editing and document creation in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are now free on mobile devices.

There’s a catch — on free access is only available for devices with a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller. For larger devices, as well as for advanced features, a Microsoft 365 subscription is still required. The same rule appears to apply to smartphones, where as long as the device is less than 10.1 inches, users are able to do basic editing, but premium features — such as advanced formatting, layout customization, tracking changes in Word, custom chart styles in Excel, and Presenter Mode in PowerPoint — are behind a subscription.

This shift mirrors a broader industry trend where subscription-based services have become the norm. Microsoft’s move aligns with companies like Adobe, which have also transitioned away from traditional one-time purchases in favor of subscription-first models.

The rise of the subscription economy has only strengthened Microsoft’s push toward cloud-based services. While Office 365 still exists, the product has now been rebranded under the Microsoft 365 umbrella. This shift reflects Microsoft’s broader move into cloud-based productivity tools, seamlessly integrating applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and even Outlook with OneDrive, their cloud storage solution.

The number of devices allowed per subscription hasn’t changed much — it’s still limited to five. In my personal use case, I typically only use it on one to three devices, so this limitation hasn’t really been an issue for me.

Microsoft 365 also offers features like real-time collaboration, integration with Teams, and enhanced cloud storage options — something that Apple and Google have been refining for years. In particular, Microsoft’s collaboration tools have evolved significantly, making them more competitive with Google Workspace for real-time collaboration and cloud-based document management.

Looking back, the Office 365 subscription model I once criticized doesn’t seem as unreasonable today. With added features, cloud storage, and robust collaboration tools, Microsoft 365 has become more than just a way to access Office — it’s a full productivity suite for individuals and businesses alike. The software landscape has changed significantly since 2014, and what once felt like an annoying, expensive recurring cost is now part of a broader strategy that includes continuous updates, seamless cross-device access, and more flexible plans. Compared to a one-time purchase of Office, which requires buying a new version when major updates are released, the subscription model offers a more convenient and future-proof approach.

I’ve moved away from using Pages and Numbers on my iPad and iPhone. I haven’t relied on them in years. While they are solid apps, the fact that they default to their own file formats instead of the Microsoft Office standard is frustrating. It creates extra steps, especially when I need to work with Microsoft Office formats. Now, Microsoft Office has become my go-to suite for creating and editing documents, collaborating in the cloud, and managing my digital workspace.

I’ve been looking into alternative solutions. At work, we use Google Workspace, but relying on a browser-based suite can feel limiting at times, and I really wish Google would develop a proper desktop app. In the meantime, I’ve turned to LibreOffice as an alternative to Google Docs. It gets the job done, but there’s not much else to say — it’s functional, but nothing groundbreaking. There are also other options like Collabora and OnlyOffice, which seem ideal for self-hosting, particularly when paired with something like Nextcloud to replicate the cloud features of Office. While I’m sure it’s possible to set up cloud storage for remote access, that would likely require VPNs and tunneling, which I’m not experienced with and not particularly eager to deal with.

Another limitation is mobile support. Between Collabora and OnlyOffice, it looks like only Collabora offers an iOS app, which is a major factor for me since I primarily use an iPhone and iPad for mobile work.

In conclusion, the evolution of Microsoft Office for iPad has been a fascinating journey, from its initial restrictive subscription model to the more flexible approach we see today. The shift to Microsoft 365 and the inclusion of free basic editing on smaller devices is a clear response to changing user needs and market trends. While the subscription model once seemed cumbersome, it now offers a more comprehensive solution, with advanced features and cloud integration making it a strong contender in the productivity space. As I’ve moved away from relying on Pages and Numbers, Microsoft Office has become my primary tool for both personal and professional tasks. Yet, despite the improvements in mobile functionality, I still find myself exploring alternatives like LibreOffice and self-hosted solutions. Ultimately, the landscape of office productivity tools continues to evolve, and while Microsoft Office has solidified its place in my digital toolkit, the search for the ideal solution is ongoing, especially for those of us who rely heavily on mobile devices.