Microsoft 365 Developer Program Join FREE

Are you a developer looking to create cutting-edge solutions for Microsoft 365? Whether you’re interested in building Microsoft Teams apps, Office Add-ins, SharePoint framework solutions, or the Power Platform solution, the Microsoft 365 Developer Program provides everything you need to get started. This program offers a sandbox environment where you can develop and test your ideas without affecting your production environment.

In this tutorial, I will explain everything you need to know about joining the Microsoft developer program for free.

What is the Microsoft 365 Developer Program?

The Microsoft 365 Developer Program is designed specifically for developers who want to build solutions that extend Microsoft 365 capabilities. When you join, you receive a Microsoft 365 E5 developer subscription that serves as your personal sandbox environment.

In this, you will receive a renewable Microsoft 365 E5 developer subscription (25 users license) that comes pre-provisioned with Microsoft 365 apps and preconfigured with sample data.

With this subscription, you can:

• Build Microsoft Teams apps
• Create Office Add-ins for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook
• Work with Microsoft Graph
• Utilize the SharePoint Framework
• Create solutions with Power Apps
• Automate business solutions with Microsoft Power Automate
• Reporting with Power BI
• Access Microsoft Intune
• And much more!

Note: You can not use it for any production environment.

Join Microsoft Developer Program

Follow the steps below to join the Microsoft developer program.

1. To join the Microsoft 365 Developer Program, ensure you have a Microsoft Account or an Azure Active Directory-enabled email address (such as Outlook.com or Hotmail.com). Then, visit the Microsoft 365 Developer Program page and sign in with your Microsoft account credentials using the link in the top right corner.

2. Then enter the email address and password, and then click on Sign in.

3. After successfully signing in, click “Join now” to join the “Microsoft 365 Developer Program today“.

3. When joining the Microsoft 365 Developer Program, after signing in, you’ll see a registration page requesting your Country/Region, Company, and Language preferences. You’ll need to accept the program’s terms and conditions, and can optionally choose to receive information about new features and updates by checking the appropriate box, before selecting Next to proceed.

4. On the next page, it will ask, “What is your primary focus as a developer?”. Here, choose Personal projects.
5. On the next page, select the areas of Microsoft 365 development that you are interested in. They will show you resources, tools, and training to help you get started. Select a few developer options, such as SharePoint Framework (SPFx), Microsoft Graph, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Power Platform. Below is a screenshot for reference.

6. Next, you need to set up your Microsoft 365 E5 sandbox. As you can see, there are two types of sandbox available i.e.
   • Instant sandbox: It comes with everything you require to create Microsoft 365 apps and solutions. 16 fictional users, a Microsoft Teams sample data pack with preconfigured App studio and custom apps, and data for Microsoft Graph, SharePoint, and Office Add-ins development are all set up in this sandbox.
   • Configurable sandbox: It creates a custom sandbox for you. You must manually add sample data to this subscription, and provisioning may take up to two days. Additionally, you can change the domain name.
7. Here, I recommend choosing Instant sandbox. On the right side of the page, you can view the below things:
   • Domain name
   • Renewable E5 subscription
   • Administrator
   • 25 User licenses
   • 90/90 Days left
   • Sample data packs

Select Next.

8. The next screen is really the important one. Here, you need to provide the County/region, and you also need to enter the admin username and password. This is going to be your tenant admin username and password.

9. On the next screen, enter a valid phone number and ensure you provide the code for verification.

10. Once the page has been Set up, you can see that the setup process is “In Progress” as shown in the screenshot below. This should just take a minute or so.

11. Your Microsoft 365 developer subscription is now complete and available for free use for 90 days. Click on the Go to subscription link to sign in to the developer account.

12. Next, it will reroute to the Microsoft Sign-in window. Enter the admin username and password you have set in step 8.

13. Finally, the Microsoft 365 Welcome page will display, where you can create, organize, and collaborate with colleagues, all in one place. Move forward by clicking on the next icon (>) and then you can get the Microsoft 365 Home page.

14. To access your SharePoint Online, select SharePoint from the App Launcher as seen below: (Also, you can see some more Microsoft Apps like Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, OneDrive, etc.)

15. Then, you can view a SharePoint Welcome Start Page like the below image. If you want to view news from sites, then click on NEXT. Otherwise, click on NOT NOW.

This is how to join the Microsoft 365 developer program.

How to Keep Your Subscription Active

To maintain your Microsoft 365 E5 developer subscription:

1. Use your subscription regularly for development activities
2. It will auto-renew your subscription if you are developing regularly
3. Keep your developer profile up to date

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The Microsoft 365 Developer Program offers exceptional value for anyone seeking to develop solutions on the Microsoft 365 platform. With a free E5 developer subscription, comprehensive documentation, sample data, and community support, you have everything you need to turn your ideas into reality.

Whether you’re building your first Teams app or creating sophisticated enterprise solutions, the Microsoft 365 Developer Program provides the tools and resources you need to succeed.

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