What will happen if I don't renew my Microsoft 365 subscription?

[BIWI]

... to all the documents/spreadsheets I have using Word, Powerpoint and Excel?

I have a MacBook, which comes with Pages, Keynote and Numbers, but I don't really use those very often, and I know I can use Google Docs and Sheets if I need to create Word-type documents and Excel-type spreadsheets.

However, I'm assuming that everything Word/Excel I have saved will still be accessible - but will this be the case once my subscription lapses?

I'm a bit annoyed at having to pay a yearly subscription for something I don't need - and I really don't need it as I'm no longer working!

I didn't renew mine this year. I can still access them but can't edit them.
I have downloaded LibreOffice and resaved them there. They have kept all the formatting, including conditional, and I can easily edit them. New formatting/sheets/workbooks are easy too for basic stuff but the formatting doesn't seem as good (or I just can't work out how to do some stuff). Conditional formatting appears very basic.

I have a subscription so haven't used the online version, but asfaik the main restriction is you always have to be connected to the internet to use it. I don't always have a connection, so it wouldn't be a good option for me.

@Swisscheeseplanted ah yes good point, I definitely need to be online.

Well I've taken the plunge and cancelled the subscription. Thank you to everyone for your advice.

How do you pay monthly, just out of interest? It seems to renew automatically for me & take the whole lot out in one lump, I'd much prefer to pay it monthly.

From memory, you'll need to uninstall office and re-install it as MS won't let you downgrade the license (depending on type). There are probably ways and means but tbh, its quite a quick re-install.

When my subscription ended, I found my old Word and Excel files still opened fine on my MacBook using Apple's Pages and Numbers, though some formatting shifted here and there. For heavier stuff, I grabbed a one-time purchase of office for mac, which saved me from the subscription hassle.

i've just cancelled mine as it was going up by about £40 to include some AI tool which I'll never use.
I just can't justify £108 a year to type about 4 letters.

I used to use it more when I was working but now I'm retired I just don't need it and certainly not at this extortionate price.

I have a Mac too & have never paid for 365. I have an old Hotmail email account and from there I can access all MS products. Word Excel etc as browser versions which are fine for basic stuff

Considering this again as DS is just graduating and will lose access to his uni Microsoft products, but he would like to keep Word and Excel. If you buy the one off package it doesn’t have Teams, does anyone know if you can still accept a Teams meeting through the browser if you don’t have the application? So for interviews etc.

Is there any way I can just get Word as I don't need anything else.I'm not paying £108 to use it 4 times a year plus some new AI shit I don't even want

@EasilyDefined yes you can - I have a weekly online class via Teams. The person originating the chat sends you a link which you click to join.

You could try this, from techradar, @RaraRachael

Thanks @BIWI I think that's what we'll do