Student discount software: a short guide

Students and teachers often need professional tools, from document editors to design software, but paying full price can be a challenge sometimes. Luckily, many companies offer generous student software discounts, sometimes even providing tools completely free.

Whether you’re searching for a Microsoft Office 365 student discount, Windows software student discount, or even a Sibelius software student discount for music scoring, there are many ways to save. Let’s explore the main types of discounted software for students, where to find them, and how to make the most of them.

Types of discounts for education

Educational discounts come in many shapes and sizes — from 100% free tools to subsidized licenses. Knowing what’s available helps you choose the best value for your needs, whether it’s antivirus software, student discount offers, discount computer software for students, or productivity suites.

Free versions

Some providers offer completely free access for the education sector. ONLYOFFICE DocSpace Cloud is available at no cost for schools, making it easier to collaborate and share documents online. For example, Kinderhaus Berlin, implemented ONLYOFFICE DocSpace to streamline daily activities and document management, showing how digital tools can simplify both teaching and administrative processes.

Google Workspace for Education also offers free productivity tools for communication and learning. This could be a suitable solution for students looking for free software without any upfront cost.

Subsidized subscriptions

Many premium products offer significantly reduced rates for students and educators. ONLYOFFICE offers a special 30% discount for the online office suite for high schools and universities. Beyond affordability, ONLYOFFICE also helps institutions streamline their workflows and learning environments, as confirmed by Lycée Sacré Coeur, which integrated ONLYOFFICE Docs with Moodle to enhance collaboration and academic management.

Microsoft Office 365 often welcomes students through student discount software Microsoft Office programs, and Adobe Creative Cloud often provides plans at a fraction of the standard price when purchased via an academic program. These software discounts for students can help you access industry-standard tools without overspending.

Grant programs

Some companies, such as Autodesk and JetBrains, have grant initiatives allowing educational institutions or individual students to access their software completely free for academic purposes. These grants can apply to everything from engineering tools to SPSS student discount software for statistical analysis.

Bulk licenses

For schools with 100+ computers, bulk licensing is often the most cost-effective option. This approach allows the institution to equip every workstation at a reduced per-seat price, whether it’s for office suites or discount student software like antivirus and security tools. ONLYOFFICE, in turn, offers scalable solutions for education with special pricing models tailored to academic needs. A real-world example is Jambi University, which successfully implemented ONLYOFFICE Docs to support its large-scale digital environment, showing how ONLYOFFICE fits seamlessly into big educational infrastructures.

Whether you’re looking for free tools, discount software for students, or grants, there’s a type of academic offer for almost any need. The key is knowing where to look.

Where can students and educators find discounts?

Finding these deals can be as simple as visiting an official program page or as specific as browsing dedicated student discounts software aggregators. Here are some of the best starting points.

Official programs

• ONLYOFFICE for education is our dedicated page for educators and students, which offers free and discounted solutions:
  • Free access to ONLYOFFICE DocSpace for schools and non-commercial organizations,
  • Free cloud solutions for individual educators and students,
  • Discounts for self-hosted or cloud-deployed ONLYOFFICE solutions,
  • Free desktop and mobile solutions for seamless work.
• Microsoft Education has Office 365 student discount programs, sometimes free, for students and staff, typically verified via a .edu email address.
• Google for Education provides free access to Google Drive, Meet, and core productivity tools for educational institutions.

Discount aggregators

Aggregators are websites that collect and verify student discounts from multiple providers. They can save you hours of searching.

• OnTheHub

OnTheHub partners directly with universities to offer up to 95% off software student discount deals, including Microsoft, Adobe, VMware, AutoCAD, and even Windows 10 software student discount licenses. Many tools are available for free, especially developer software.

Why use it? Direct university partnerships mean verified and trustworthy offers.

• Student Beans

Student Beans provides promo codes for Spotify, Adobe, Microsoft 365, Lenovo, and antivirus software student discount deals, plus retail and food savings. Students verify their status via ISIC or .edu email.

Why use it? Combines student discount for antivirus software and productivity tools with lifestyle perks.

• UNiDAYS

UNiDAYS offers special prices on Apple Education Store products, Adobe subscriptions, and Microsoft Surfaceand other student discounts on software alongside fashion and food coupons. Verification is done with a student ID.

Why use it? A single account gets you tech savings plus everyday deals.

• Microsoft Azure for Education

Microsoft Azure for Education provides students and educators with the latest developer tools, free access to Windows, Visual Studio, Azure, and other Windows software, and student discount opportunities for IT majors.

Why use it? If you’re in a tech field, you get essential Microsoft tools for free.

• GitHub Student Developer Pack

GitHub’s pack gives students access to 100+ professional tools, from JetBrains IDEs and Canva Pro to DigitalOcean credits, and even design platforms like Figma.

Why use it? Perfect for those who want discounted software for students in both development and creative fields.

With official programs and aggregators combined, you can easily cover almost all your academic software needs — often without spending a cent.

How to get discounts

Even the best discount won’t help if you can’t prove your eligibility. Luckily, most companies keep the process simple.

For teachers

Institutions typically require a contract or proof of employment. For ONLYOFFICE, teachers can apply through our dedicated educators’ page.

For students

The most common verification methods are a .edu email address, an ISIC card, or uploading a photo of your student ID. As for ONLYOFFICE, students can directly use all the solutions through our student page with no personal information required.

Final thoughts

Software should empower learning, not drain budgets. Whether you need a student discount for office or antivirus software, the right program can save you up to 100% compared to retail pricing.

With ONLYOFFICE’s free solutions for schools, special discounts for high schools and universities, free apps for personal use, and a world of verified offers through top aggregators, you can equip yourself with professional tools without overspending. Start today — explore your student discounts on software and keep your resources focused on learning.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Here are the answers to the most popular questions about the ONLYOFFICE solutions for education.

Q. Can I integrate ONLYOFFICE into an already existing e-learning environment?

Yes. ONLYOFFICE Docs supports integration with a wide range of LMS platforms via ready-made connectors (such as Moodle, OpenOlat, Chamilo, and others) or custom API connections. You can deploy it on your own server or in the cloud, and connect it simultaneously to different learning platforms, ensuring seamless document editing and collaboration.

Q. What operating systems does ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors support?

ONLYOFFICE apps run on Windows, macOS, Linux, and offer mobile apps for iOS and Android for full flexibility.

Q. How can I enhance group work efficiency for remote study programs with ONLYOFFICE?

With ONLYOFFICE, you can effectively collaborate using real-time co-editing, integrated chat, comments, and mentions, and coordinate tasks without switching between multiple apps. You can also assign specific sections of a document to team members, ensuring parallel progress without overwriting each other’s work.

Q. Can I use ONLYOFFICE to prepare professional-grade submissions for competitions or research grants?

Absolutely. Our powerful online editor provides advanced formatting, citation tools, and export options (including PDF/A for archiving) that meet professional and academic publishing standards, making it ideal for grant proposals, conference papers, or portfolio projects.

Q. Can I work offline and then sync my changes to a shared class document?

Yes. In ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors, you can work offline on downloaded files. Once back online, you can re-upload or sync changes to your connected storage (such as Nextcloud, Moodle, Box, or other), ensuring your edits merge smoothly with the latest version.