What Is Microsoft 365 and What Is It Used For?

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Microsoft 365 is a valuable tool for many professionals. Knowing the product’s ins and outs can help you get more from its use. Learn more about Microsoft 365’s features, capabilities, and potential drawbacks.

[Featured Image] Two professionals in an office setting, working on a computer, exploring the features and benefits of Microsoft 365.

Key takeaways

Microsoft 365 is a cloud-powered platform that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and more. 

  • Primary uses of Microsoft 365 are media creation, editing, and communication.

  • Advantages of Microsoft 365 include its robust suite of tools, fast data processing, and online and offline accessibility.

  • You can use Microsoft Copilot, an AI assistant, when working in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more.

Learn more about Microsoft 365 and how you can enhance your workflow using this common tool. If you’re ready to develop your skills, consider enrolling in Microsoft Copilot: Your Everyday AI Companion Specialization. You’ll have the chance to learn about AI-powered creativity and ways to revolutionize your work with Copilot in as little as four weeks. 

What is Microsoft 365?

Microsoft 365 is a suite of productivity tools, including Microsoft Word, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and more. While you can install Microsoft 365’s tools on your desktop or laptop, they’re also suitable for use on tablets and phones. The cloud-powered platform of tools also comes with OneDrive cloud storage. You may experience slight differences in features and functions, depending on the Microsoft 365 subscription you choose. It has use cases that span many industries, including health care, retail, business, education, and more.

Do you need Microsoft Office if you have 365?

Microsoft Office products, which include Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook, are now a part of Microsoft 365. So, you do not need to purchase Office separately if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription.

What is included in Microsoft 365?

The basic Microsoft 365 subscription for personal use features the following primary tools: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, Microsoft Designer, Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Editor, Clipchamp, OneNote, Access, and Microsoft Forms. All of these tools aid you in various uses, including media creation and communication. 

What is Microsoft 365 used for?

Microsoft 365 tools fit into two primary usage categories: media creation and editing, and communication.

Media creation and editing 

When it comes to media creation and editing, Microsoft Word is a fairly popular Microsoft 365 tool. While it seems simple, Microsoft Word offers so much more than document creation. Within Microsoft Word, Microsoft Copilot and Editor can assist you in ensuring each document shines by doing things like fine-tuning your grammar and helping you write more efficiently.

Microsoft Copilot can assist with communication in addition to media creation and editing. The AI tool can create everything from PowerPoint presentations to email thread summaries, working in conjunction with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, and Forms. 

With Excel, you can create more than spreadsheets. The platform can also learn your patterns and behaviors to streamline your data organization. It can help you present your data via charts, graphs, tables, and other special formatting.

Meanwhile, PowerPoint can produce creative presentations quickly. It also features presentation-enhancing tools such as an AI-driven speaker coach that can assist you in honing your public speaking skills.

With OneNote, you can take notes, sketch out your ideas (via compatible devices), voice transcribe your notes, and collaborate with other users.

For those who prefer to communicate via video rather than text, Microsoft 365 includes access to Clipchamp, a beginner-friendly video editing software that includes video recording functionality, stock media, and more. 

Communication

Outlook and Teams are Microsoft 365’s primary communication tools. With Outlook, keep track of your calendar and contacts within the easy-to-use email platform available on Windows, iOS, and Android devices. With Teams, you can join video calls, share files, and collaborate with other users.

Want to garner insights from colleagues or clients? You can use Microsoft Forms to create custom surveys, polls, and quizzes. 

Who uses Microsoft 365?

Microsoft is widely used by both private consumers and businesses across a wide range of industries. Examples include higher education, retail, banking, consumer goods, gaming, manufacturing, automotive, chemicals, government, travel, and more. 

Read more: Microsoft Office Certification: Benefits + How to Get Started

Pros and cons of using Microsoft 365

While Microsoft 365 offers a broad array of features adopted by a large number of users, it has some positive aspects as well as some potential drawbacks.

The pros of Microsoft 365 include:

  • Microsoft Word provides a robust suite of tools and features that far outpace what you’ll find with other word processors, allowing you to do more and work smarter.

  • Excel offers superior lightning-fast data processing speeds and ease of navigation.

  • You can access Microsoft 365 tools both online and offline, a feature not available with every platform.

  • Easy, simple billing options for individuals and businesses.

The cons of Microsoft 365 include:

  • The layers of complexity in some apps can frustrate beginners.

  • The new version of Outlook can’t translate messages to or from another language.

  • Some Microsoft tool alternatives (like Google Docs or Pages) are free and do not require a paid subscription like Microsoft 365 does.

  • Some features may require an internet connection to use.

Is Microsoft 365 free?

Speaking of price, you can access some tools within the Microsoft 365 suite for free, as is the case when you create an Outlook email account, which gives you access to online versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint at no cost. However, you’ll need to pay for a subscription for the full range of tools and both online and offline access. 

As of 2026, Microsoft 365 Personal, the basic subscription for a single user, is $99.99 per year or $9.99 per month [1]. Microsoft also offers family plans and options for business use.

How to get started with Microsoft 365

Whether you want to improve productivity, expand your creative abilities via tools like Microsoft’s Clipchamp, or create a more impressive deck for your next client proposal, Microsoft 365 is likely a worthy investment. To purchase a yearly plan, you’ll need to sign up for or log in to a Microsoft account. Then, you’ll be able to purchase your subscription and download and install the various apps on your devices.

Discover more Microsoft 365 resources

Visit our Career Resource Hub, where you can find career quizzes, interview guides, and more. You can also explore these free resources to learn more about enhancing productivity and using Microsoft 365 tools:

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses. 

Article sources

  1. Microsoft. “Compare All Microsoft 365 Plans, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/buy/compare-all-microsoft-365-products.” Accessed May 16, 2026.

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