Free live account

Yes, they can charge you for several things like using your overdraft or duplicate statements.

Actual forex bonuses

Compare free current accounts, free live account.

However, they come without monthly fees. You might not be able to get one if your credit history isn't good

Compare free current accounts

These free current accounts can keep things simple as they all have no monthly fee. You can do basic transactions for free and compare interest rates and overdrafts to find the best deal for you.

Most popular

Current accounts

Business

Online

Joint

For teenagers

More from current accounts

7 day switch

Charity

High interest

Overdraft

Packaged

Prepaid

Current account guides

Who we compare

Our website is completely free for you to use but we may receive a commission from some of the companies we link to on the site.
How money.Co.Uk works.

What's a free bank account?

A free bank account or free online bank account are both just current accounts that you don't have to pay for.

They're usually fairly basic, but you can do all the standard transactions free of charge. You won't pay a monthly or annual fee.

If you open a bank account free of charge, remember that there could still be fees. Even free bank accounts can come with fees for additional services such as using an overdraft.

There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing a free bank account or free online bank account, UK wide.

How to find a free current account

Finding a free bank account, UK wide, is pretty easy to do.

Free bank accounts have become more common in the past 20 years, with nearly eight million accounts now open*. So, if you want a free current account, you're in luck.

Since 2016, lots of major banks in the UK have been legally obliged to offer no-fee bank accounts. That means it's easier than ever to find free banking that suit your needs.

Using our comparison, you can find almost every free bank account, UK wide. Although these accounts are free to use for everyday banking, don't forget that you'll still have to pay to use other services.

These other services might include the overdraft, spending abroad or a direct debit.

Find a free bank account by comparing the benefits that each one offers. The comparison table will help you find the best no fee bank accounts available.

*according to HM treasury 2017 statistics.

What additional fees might I have to pay with free bank accounts?
Even with the best free bank accounts, UK wide, you'll find there might be hidden fees for some services.

You can open a bank account for free and you won't pay a monthly or yearly fee, but there might be charges for all or some of the following:

Withdrawing money at certain cash machines

Refused direct debits and standing orders.

Use our comparison table to compare fee-free bank accounts, UK wide. Once you've found one which meets your needs, you should check the terms to find out about charges for extra services.

Find the right free banking features

The best free current account for you is the one that best meets your needs.

There are a few features that most people will need from their bank. Most free bank accounts usually let you:

Use a debit card to buy goods or withdraw cash in the UK and around the world

Write and pay in cheques

Set up direct debits and standing orders

Withdraw money from cashpoints or branches.

There are a few other things to look out for when you're trying to find the best free bank account:

Online and mobile banking - so you can instantly transfer money or set up payments with free online banking wherever and whenever you are

A good mobile app - sometimes, with a free online bank account, you can even pay in cheques by taking a photograph with phone's camera

A high-street branch - even if you choose one of the modern free online accounts, pick a bank with a branch near you so you can pop in if needed.

The best free current accounts will offer extra features too, such as an overdraft and interest payments.

An overdraft

If you choose a fee free bank account with an overdraft, you can use it to borrow money in the short term, or as an emergency buffer for unexpected costs. You might pay charges or interest for doing so.

Our no-fee current account comparison shows what bank accounts offer an overdraft. It shares details on:

Which offer a free overdraft

The daily or monthly fees.

Interest payments

Some of the best free bank accounts pay interest when you've got money in your account. If you keep a large amount in your account, choosing one with a higher interest rate will make you more money. An interest-free bank account won't be as beneficial to you.

How to open a free bank account

Opening a fee free current account or free online bank account, UK wide, is easy. It can be done quickly either:

What documents you need for a free current account

Opening a free bank account is easy and can be done quickly in a branch or with an online application.

Typically, you'll have to provide the following documents:

Proof of ID: your passport or driving licence

Proof of address: A recent utility bill, council tax bill, or rental agreement

Sometimes, if you're opening a free checking account, banks might ask for additional details. They might want to know about your occupation, income and expenses. This information isn't legally required. But some banks gather this data so they can share offers about other products like credit cards in the future.
You might need to show extra documents if you're

An international student

Check the free bank account requirements

When you've found the best free bank account for your needs, you'll need to check the criteria for opening the account.

Many no-fee bank accounts have minimum requirements that you'll need to meet to open them. These might include paying out a minimum number of direct debits or standing orders each month. Or it could mean paying in a minimum amount each month.

If you don't meet the account's conditions, you could lose benefits, such as interest, or be charged a fee.

Who can apply for a fee free bank account?

Most of the time you need to be 16 or over to open a free bank account. However, some no fee bank accounts or free online accounts have a minimum age of 18.

As long as you've got proof of ID and proof of your address, you'll be able to apply.

Sometimes, the bank will want to do a credit check on those applying. So it can be important that you've got a good credit history. But that's not the case for every no fee bank account, UK wide. Sometimes you'll be able to get the account regardless of your credit history, but you won't be able to get an overdraft or any credit facilities.

Plus, you'll need to make sure you can meet any of the account's minimum requirements.

If your application for a free bank account is refused, you've got a right to ask why. The bank will usually explain, unless they think you're committing fraud or suspect that you're money laundering. If you think their reason for turning you down isn't justified, you've got a right to appeal the decision.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of no fee bank accounts?

The popularity of no fee bank accounts, UK wide, is no coincidence. They come with plenty of benefits, including:

You don't have anything to pay

They offer a convenient way to manage your money

You might be able to get an overdraft

You might receive interest payments when you're in credit

You might be able to take advantage of reward schemes when you use your card.

But free banking, UK wide, is not without its downsides. For example:

You might be charged extra fees for using additional services such as the overdraft

There might be requirements on the minimum amount you need to put in each month

You might not be able to get one if your credit history isn't good

You might not be suitable if you don't meet the requirement criteria.

Free bank accounts faqs

Do these accounts come with any fees?

Yes, they can charge you for several things like using your overdraft or duplicate statements. However, they come without monthly fees.

How do I switch to a free bank account?

You can use the current account switch service to move to a new bank in just seven days.

Do free bank accounts offer overdrafts?

Yes, some come with an overdraft. You can check which accounts offer them, their fees and their limits in this comparison.

Do free bank accounts pay interest?

Yes, some accounts pay interest when you have a positive balance. You can check which accounts pay interest and their rates with this comparison.

Can I get a free bank account for my business?

Yes, some banks offer business current accounts that come with no annual or monthly fees, but they may charge for some transactions or services.

About our current accounts comparison

Who do we include in this comparison?

We include every personal & premium current account that does not charge a monthly or annual fee in the UK, except for student and children's accounts. They are all regulated by the financial conduct authority (FCA). Here is more information about how our website works.

How do we make money from our comparison?

We have commercial agreements with some of the companies in this comparison and get paid commission if we help you take out one of their products or services. Find out more here.

You do not pay any extra and the deal you get is not affected.

Last updated: 9 september, 2020

Скачайте бесплатное приложение outlook для своего телефона

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Подключитесь. Наведите порядок. Работайте эффективно.

Бесплатные почта и календарь outlook

Все необходимое, чтобы эффективно решать задачи и всегда оставаться на связи — дома, в дороге и где угодно.

Бесплатные почта и календарь outlook

Все необходимое, чтобы эффективно решать задачи и всегда оставаться на связи — дома, в дороге и где угодно.

Скачайте бесплатное приложение outlook для своего телефона.

Электронная почта и календарь в одном удобном приложении

Всегда будьте в курсе важных событий и сохраняйте доступ к сообщениям.

Электронная почта one-place-interface-icon-calendar

Отправляйте, получайте и упорядочивайте электронную почту.

Планируйте и организовывайте встречи, собрания и мероприятия.

Просматривайте сведения о контактах, наводя указатель мыши на имя.

Определяйте приоритетность задач с помощью microsoft to do.

Находите сообщения, людей и документы.

Защита корпоративного класса

Outlook круглосуточно защищает вашу конфиденциальность и предотвращает получение спама.

Premium

Доступ к office. Бесплатно.

Совместная работа — это просто, если вы пользуетесь word , powerpoint и excel . А с помощью skype вы можете общаться в реальном времени — не покидая свою папку "входящие".

Поддерживайте порядок в делах

Встроенный календарь outlook с широкими возможностями поможет вам отслеживать встречи и планировать собрания.

Дарья, у которой нарушено зрение, использует специальное приспособление для ноутбука

Еще больше специальных возможностей

Мы разработали outlook.Com, чтобы они были доступны для всех пользователей, с интуитивной навигацией в системе управления, поддержкой нескольких специальных устройств и многое другое.

Ищете hotmail?

Вот он! Hotmail превратился в outlook, но это по-прежнему лучшая бесплатная служба электронной почты и календарей.

Вас приветствует outlook

Электронная почта, календарь и многое другое.

Расширьте возможности outlook

Мы разработали набор расширенных возможностей outlook для людей, которые активно работают с электронной почтой и календарем. Оформите подписку на microsoft 365, чтобы получить доступ к интерфейсу без рекламы, использованию личных доменов, расширенным функциям обеспечения безопасности, полной классической версии office и 1 ТБ облачного хранилища. Сведения о премиум-возможностях outlook, доступных по подписке на microsoft 365

Free xbox gift cards 2021

Free xbox gift cards that work

Well, if you are on a small budget and want to enjoy all the xbox gold membership, then you can check our method of earning free xbox gift cards. All the methods discussed in this article are verified by our team. We encourage you all to implement these to get your first digital gift.

Microsoft recently introduced gift cards to facilities the use of online transactions without being getting rob by anyone. These gift cards are called xbox gift cards, which can be procured by offline as well as online portals.

There are hundreds of countries in the world that restrict users from purchasing anything online using credit cards. To facilitate those people, microsoft came up with an xbox gift card. It can help those people to buy almost everything online.

Similar to many online portal such as amazon, bestbuy, walmart, along with sony, google play store, and apple providing different gift cards to help their customers, microsoft came up with xbox gift cards.

Choose your card

Disclaimer: this website is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the “microsoft corp” or any of its subsidiaries.

What can you purchase using xbox gift cards?

You can buy many items using microsoft and free xbox gift cards. Some of them are given below

All physical items present in microsoft store

Gift cards be sent to other people as a gift without problem

Gift cards transaction are safe and fast then credit cards

You can purchase different games available in the store

You can rent different movies from microsoft store or movies anytime

TV shows and mega serials

Game console and it’s accessory

Game cosmetics or in-app game purchase

Xbox game pass

Game coins or gems

What does microsoft or xbox gift card contain?

Depending on your purchase, offline or online, xbox gift card contain 25-alphanumeric characters printed on gift card. If you purchase it online, then this 25-character code will be emailed to you. You need to redeem it in your microsoft account to get the credit.

A sample of microsoft or xbox gift card format

How to redeem microsoft gift card into your account?

If you get free xbox gift cards, then you need to redeem them in your microsoft account. Follow these steps to get the gift card credit into your account

Go to official website microsoft.Com/redeem

You should log in to your microsoft account to receive the credit amount

Enter the gift card 25-character code into the redeem section

Now check in your microsoft account for the credit amount

You can also check your balance here, microsoft.Com/accountbalance

(always follow these procedures to get gift card credits into your account)

10 best free email accounts

Looking for a new email account? These are the best email providers out there

Free email accounts may seem like a dime a dozen, but there are some free services that stand way above the rest. This article will help guide you through the best free email accounts and which features make them the best.

When choosing one, you want to look for a few characteristics to help you determine which is best for you. They differ in how much storage you get, what the interface looks like and how it can be customized, and what types of advanced features are included, like messaging, filters, and the ability to import other data.

It also is probably important to you what your actual email address is. If your first pick doesn't give you the address you're looking for, just move on to the next one on the list. Remember to try different combinations and variations to get an address that's not taken. If you have to, try a username generator.

If you're signing up for a new email account because you don't know your current one, it might be easier to just find out what your email address is so that you can avoid making a brand new account.

Never reveal personal information in your email address, like your home address or phone number. It's common for email addresses to be a name with a couple of numbers, or a word or phrase that means something.

See these secure email services if you're concerned about privacy, but remember that even an encrypted email service isn't enough to hide your identity; it's good practice to also use a VPN and other security methods. Depending on how you use your account, someone might be able to find your email address and tie it back to you.

Gmail

Includes private messaging features.

Wonderful spam protection.

Gives 15 GB of space for emails and other files.

Integrates closely with other google services like google drive and google pay.

Dealing with folders/labels can be confusing.

It's probably not a surprise that gmail makes the top of this list for one of the best free email accounts. It's google's free email service that has a nice and modern feel to it, is tightly integrated with the company's other services, and does pretty well at blocking spam.

It has some other awesome features, too, like the option to snooze emails for later, send and request money via google pay, schedule emails to be sent later, read mail offline, send emails that expire and can only be opened with a special code, store messages in a 15 GB vault, shares files from your drive account, undo sending, and set up vacation responses.

There are also different themes you can apply to gmail's interface to customize how it appears, tons of advanced settings, and the ability to create filters and labels, import email in from other email accounts, use a chat client, and, among other features, install gadgets (add-ons) to extend gmail's functionality.

All addresses end in @gmail.Com.

Download for:

Outlook.Com

Clean interface that's easy to use.

Works closely with other microsoft services like skype and outlook calendar.

Organizes mail automatically.

Supports lots of email rules.

Lets you use multiple account aliases to hide your real email address.

Sometimes takes a while to load.

Outlook.Com is microsoft's free email service that, like gmail, has a solid interface that's easy to work with. It's easily second to google's service or even tied as the best free email provider.

The website is really intuitive—it's as easy as right-clicking an email to find further options like moving/deleting messages and searching for every email from that one sender.

Email rules are supported which means you can set new messages to automatically move to a specified folder, be categorized, flagged, or even forwarded if certain conditions are met. You can also connect directly to skype through your email, use addons like paypal and docusign.

Your email address can end in @outlook.Com or @hotmail.Com.

Download for:

Yahoo mail

Tons of email storage space

Lets you make hundreds of free disposable email addresses

Includes a built-in GIF database

Using yahoo calendar from the email area is easy

Only one option for the email domain

Not as many filters/rules as other email providers

As would seem obvious, yahoo mail is the free email account offered by yahoo. Each new user gets a whopping 1 TB of free storage for email!

The compose window when making new emails is a bit similar to gmail, but one useful difference is that it's easy to switch between inline image attachments and normal file attachments. This means you can switch a file attachment to be embedded in the email and just as easily reverse it to make it a file attachment.

Yahoo mail is probably the best email service when it comes to alternate identities, or aliases. You can also create up to 500 disposable addresses that are linked to your main email address but don't contain your name or any other personal data.

This is extremely useful if you're often signing up for web accounts and don't wish to have your regular inbox spammed or filled with useless email; just delete the disposable address if the spam becomes too overwhelming.

You can also insert gifs directly from a built-in GIF collection, use themes that change the entire background and color scheme of the website, import contacts from a file on your computer as well as from other accounts like facebook or outlook, use a built-in news reader and notepad, attach files from google drive or dropbox, easily access the company's online calendar app, and connect external accounts so that you can use one interface to manage mail from other services like gmail.

ONE ACCOUNT FOR EVERYTHING XBOX

Keep connected to your games and friends, and get the most out of xbox wherever you are.

A collage of Xbox user interface images, overlaid with an outline of an Xbox Series X

Connect to xbox-enabled devices

You’ll need an account to play games and access other experiences on your xbox console, windows 10 PC and xbox mobile apps. If you don’t already have an account, you can create one for free.

A collage of Xbox avatars, overlaid with an outline of a single human figure

Manage your xbox profile

Edit your gamertag or avatar, update your xbox settings, find and add friends, and more.

A group of smiling people wearing Xbox Official Gear, overlaid with an outline of three human figures

Engage with friends and the xbox community

See what your friends are playing, share game clips, and chat.

A collage of Xbox Family Settings app user interface images, overlaid with an outline of two human figures

Manage your children’s console gaming activities

Set screen time, update content restrictions, and stay on top of incoming friend requests.

Two gamers sitting on a sofa in a grassy scene from Grounded

Play multiplayer games

Experience the best in competitive and cooperative gaming on xbox consoles. *

Minecraft Dungeons characters emerge from console, PC, tablet and mobile screens

Discover your next favourite game

Xbox game pass ultimate includes all the benefits of xbox live gold, over 100 high-quality games for console, PC and android mobile devices, and an EA play membership, all for one low monthly price. **

Box shots for Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Cyberpunk 2077 and Watch Dogs: Legion

Shop online

Buy and download digital games and content directly from your xbox console, windows 10 PC or at xbox.Com.

A golden trophy featuring the Xbox sphere

Earn rewards

With microsoft rewards, playing games, watching films and having fun with xbox means real rewards in your pockets. Start earning today.

Get the most out of xbox with our family of apps

Xbox app for mobile

Easily share game clips and screenshots, chat, and get notifications from your phone or tablet. Plus, play games from your console.

Xbox app for windows 10

Discover and play PC games with xbox game pass, connect with friends and purchase PC titles.

Xbox game pass app

Set up new game alerts, explore the xbox game pass catalogue, and download games to your console or PC anytime, anywhere.

Xbox family settings app

Easily manage your children’s gaming activities on xbox console, all from your phone and in real time.

Need additional support?

*online console multiplayer also available with xbox game pass ultimate.

10 best free email account and service providers in 2021

An email service provider (ESP) offers services to send and receive emails. Good ESP helps you to build email templates, manage your contact lists, and send and track your campaigns on a larger scale. Most of the email account providers are free but some premium features may be charged.

Following is a free email providers list with popular features.

BEST free email accounts

name	max inbox size	link
protonmail	20 GB	learn more
outlook	15 GB	learn more
zoho mail	5 GB	learn more
hubspot	5 GB	learn more
gmail	15 GB	learn more

1) protonmail

Protonmail is an open-source and secure email service offered by MIT scientists and CERN. It is protected by swiss privacy law. It has easy to use secure email service, having an end to end encryption.

Feature:

No personal information is required in order to create an email account.

It can be accessed on any device without installing the software.

Send and receive emails that are secured with end-to-end encryption.

No personal information is needed to create your secure email account

Protonmail is optimized to help you better organize read, as well as send an email.

2) outlook

Microsoft outlook is browser-based email service provider. It is included in exchange server, exchange online, and office 365. It helps you to be productive and connect yourself at home and on the go.

Feature:

It offers enterprise-grade security.

Outlook has a built-in calendar that enables you to schedule and manage meetings or events.

You can see information about contact when you hover over its name.

It provides an easy way to find people, and messages, documents in email.

3) zoho mail

Zoho mail is the most secure and add free email hosting service tailor-made for your company's communication needs. It is clean and fast and offers protection against fake emails.

Feature:

It has a control panel from where admin can change settings and make customization.

It follows the e-discovery process that helps you to discover emails quickly.

Allows you to add comments in email threads, share files, manage tasks, and tag your organization team.

You can integrate with zoho CRM (customer relation management) to manage your sales.

4) hubspot

Hubspot is a tool that helps you to create and send emails without IT or designer. It has a drag and drop editor that enables you to customize your mail. This application has ready to use templates that can be used as per your need.

It allows you to deliver personalized emails.

You can send mails with privacy and data protection.

It allows you to modify email content with ease.

This application allows you to send emails from CRM.

It can automatically reply to emails.

5) gmail

Gmail is an free email account service managed by google. It allows you to send and receive emails. You can access gmail using third-party programs that synchronize email details through IMAP or POP.

Feature:

It is one of the best free email service that provides nudges that help you to follow up and respond to messages.

You can view attachments, snooze messages, and open attachment without opening emails.

It allows you to join hangouts meet chat or video call with others from your inbox.

Gmail blocks phishing emails automatically.

6) icloud mail

Icloud mail is an email service operated by apple. It can be used with the mail app on your mac computer or ios device or using MS outlook on a computer having a windows operating system.

Feature:

It is one of the best email providers which allows you to access IMAP.

It automatically finds for new messages and put them in the inbox.

Icloud mail loads automatically load HTML images.

7) yahoo! Mail

Yahoo! Mail is an email service provided by american parent company yahoo!. It offers an easy signup process and a free email account with massive storage, i.E., 1 TB.

Feature:

Yahoo mail allows you to customize your inbox by choosing themes.

User can search email by keyword, date, or contact.

It is one of the best free email service which offers you to use animated gifs to show your feelings.

The yahoo mail mobile app makes it easy for you to manage your emails while you are traveling.

8) AOL mail

AOL mail is a web-based free email account service provided by the division of verizon communications, AOL. It has a simple account interface and mobile application for accessing inbox without any interruption.

Feature:

It helps you to manage your AOL calendar.

It is one of the best email providers that enables you to customize list view of emails.

AOL mail allows organizing your emails in a better way.

It has a customized panel so that you can focus on your work.

9) GMX

GMX (global mail exchange) is one of the best email service provider which offers a feature of advertising. Users may access GMX mail via webmail POP3 and IMAP4 protocols.

Feature:

It provides attachment up to 50 MB.

It has drag and drops functionality to manage your schedule.

GMX contains an online address book, which allows you to keep track of all your contacts.

It has strong email filter rules that help you to keep your inbox clean.

10) yandex

Yandex.Mail is a smart and secure email service provider. You can use it on android and android devices. It is one of the best email service that offers you to change the appearance of the mailbox to suit your mood.

Feature:

It enables you to put messages on a timer so you can write them in advance and send them at the right timer.

It checks all mail for viruses and stores suspicious messages into the spam folder.

Protects against spam and fraud.

It allows you to access all yandex services with one account.

11) mail

Mail allows you to choose from 200 domains while creating an email address. You can choose an area that fits their profession, personality, location, or lifestyle. This personalization of email address will work as identification of a specific person.

It provides free email services and unlimited email storage.

It has antivirus tool which protects your emails from viruses.

It provides a convenient way to access your mail via smartphone.

12) tutanota

Tutanota is an open-source and secure email service. You get free email sign up and you can use encrypted emails on all devices with mobile apps email client and desktop clients.

Feature:

It provides free email services without ads.

It has encrypted calendar for the security purpose.

It allows you to send free secure emails to anyone without any hassle.

Offers free secure email without any ads

❓ how to select a free email provider?

Here are the top selection criteria's to check when you select free email provider:

Reputation: your free email service provider should have a good reputation. A email address is one of the first aspects that your clients see.

Archive capabilities: good free email providers enable you to save, store, archive, and search your messages.

Security: you should look for strong security measures while choosing a free email provider. It helps you to keep your message safe and protects from unauthorized access to email account.

Integration: some email services work fine with other business software like productivity suites and calendars. If your business depends on such tools, you should go for the email package that integrates them.

Spam filter: spam messages waste your time, and you do not want to read them. Thereby, you need email service having a system to detect and filter out spam messages.

Reliability: your email service provider should be running when you actually need it. The downtime of email can result in unhappy or lost customers.

Storage: storage is one of the important aspects when selecting an email service provider. It would help if you kept in mind that the amount of enough storage space included with your account.

Ease of use: your staff member needs to create and use email account as your business grows. You have to look for the email service provider, which is easy to use, so it reduces staff training time.

Advanced features: advanced features like the ability to schedule tasks or recall messages depending on your unique business need.

�� what is IMAP, POP3, SMTP?

IMAP: IMAP or internet message access protocol is a mail protocol that is used to access email on the web server from the local PC. It stores messages on a server and synchronizes the mails across multiple devices.

POP3: POP3 or post office protocol version 3 is a mail protocol that is used to receive emails from server to local email client. It downloads mail messages on your computer and deletes them from the server.

SMTP: SMTP or simple mail transfer protocol is an application to send messages to the mail server for relaying.

When you send emails, the web server processes your mails and decides which server to send messages. The mail service provider downloads the mails and places in the inbox of the recipient.

✉️ what is microsoft exchange?

Microsoft exchange is email server solution that manages all your mails. It performs different activities related to your incoming, outgoing, and drafts messages, & calendars.

Create your azure free account today

Get started with 12 months of free services

What do I get?

With your azure free account, you get all of this – and you won’t be charged until you choose to upgrade.

Of popular free services

To explore azure for 30 days

What can I do with my free account?

Here are just a few ideas of all you can do with azure

Create personalised experiences with AI

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Build scalable apps and release features faster

Five more azure services, now free for 12 months

Plus, now get 25 GB of storage free with azure cosmos DB.

Azure container registry

Which products are free for 12 months?

These products are free for 12 months, up to the monthly limits. Availability is based on resource and region.

Windows virtual machines

P6 solid state drives (SSD)

750 hours, 15 GB data processing, 5 rules

400 RU/s provisioned throughput

750 hours, 13 million operations

1 standard tier registry

With 100 GB storage and 10 webhooks

10 GB LRS/GRS write and retrieval plus 100 reads

10,000 text request transactions

Which products are always free?

These products are always free, up to the specified amounts. Availability is based on resource and region.

400 request units per second

Azure kubernetes service (AKS)

With unlimited private git repos

Policy assessment and recommendations

MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE

Public load-balanced virtual IP

Activities low frequency

MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE

SQL server 2019 developer edition

What else do I need to know?

Do I pay anything to start with the azure free account?

No. Starting is free, plus you get a $200 credit which you can spend during the first 30 days.

What happens once I’ve used my $200 free credit or I’m at the end of 30 days?

We’ll notify you so you can decide whether you want to upgrade to pay-as-you-go pricing and remove the spending limit. If you do, you’ll have access to free products.* if you don’t, your account and products will be disabled, and you’ll need to upgrade to resume usage.
* based on resource and region availability.

What happens at the end of the 12 months of free products?

For 12 months after you upgrade your account, certain amounts of a number of products are free.* after 12 months, you’ll be charged at the standard pay-as-you-go rates.
* based on resource and region availability.

What do I need to sign up for a free account?

All you need is a phone number, a credit card, and a github account or microsoft account username (formerly windows live ID).

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

Get personalized guidance and answers to questions you might have whether you’re evaluating the cloud, starting your first project, or migrating to azure.

Free online storage

Store photos, videos and music for free online

If your phone's full of photos and videos, or you need to back up your computer, you can use free online storage services to bag yourself 35GB+ of free extra space. This guide explains how online storage services work and how to make sure they're safe, then rounds up the best of the free services out there.

Always check for compatibility. Make sure that any software or applications you download and install are compatible with your existing set-up. No liability can be accepted for any problems caused from acting upon the info given.

What is online storage?

Online storage systems, or 'cloud' services as they're also known, allow you to store digital media online by uploading via your computer or mobile device. Though transferred and accessible via the web, the data is actually physically held on mammoth servers, often owned by whoever provides the particular service you use (google, microsoft etc).

How does it work?

Storing your photos, videos, documents and other files online can free up many gbs of space, yet still allow you to access and view them on your smartphone, tablet or computer.

Once you've registered then downloaded and installed any relevant software or app, you can either back up files manually or adjust the settings so that certain folders (such as the one you keep your photos in, for example) are backed up automatically. You can then delete backed up files from your device to free up space.

You can also access your files via your web browser by logging into your online storage account at the relevant company's website.

Most services let you share your photos, videos and documents with friends and family by generating special links too.

Below we list the top free online storage options, including where's best to store photos at higher resolution. There's no limit to the number you can use – so depending on how much space you need you could sign up for them all and grab 35GB+ of storage for free.

Is it safe?

One of the main things to consider when it comes to using cloud storage is security, as you are relying on the service to keep your files secure. If your account is hacked, there's a chance any files stored there could be stolen and used for the likes of identity theft, so always weigh up the risks before uploading anything that contains sensitive info.

Cloud storage companies typically use encryption to keep your information safe and two-step verification to ensure the right person has access to the account.

Encryption scrambles your data so that anyone unauthorised is unable to get to it. The strength of the encryption is at three levels, starting at 128-bit, rising to 192-bit and with 256-bit as the most secure. Two-step verification involves sending a notification or text message to your mobile phone that will ask you to respond or enter a code when logging in or amending your account to prove you're the authorised account holder.

See below for our full help on how to keep your account secure.

How much do you need?

The level of storage you'll need depends on what you'll be using it for. If you typically only back up documents and emails, then 5GB will be plenty for most. If you want to back up photos, music or videos then you'll probably need more.

It's impossible to estimate exactly how many files you can store in a set allowance, since it very much depends on the resolution of your photos/videos and quality of your music files.

As a general rule of thumb, 10GB should allow for about 2,500 high-resolution photos, about an hour of full-HD video OR 2,500 songs.

Free 'easy-access' online storage

There are a whole load of online storage services available, with many offering free space – typically 15GB or less. They're largely similar in what they do, although a few have special functions. There's no limit to the number you can use – sign up for them all and you can grab tens of GB for nowt. Yet be aware these services can and do change the amount of free storage they offer, though they'll usually give you plenty of prior warning.

We've also info on free photo storage services, which only let you store photos and videos.

Google drive: 15GB free (or from £1.59/month for 100GB)

If you have a google account (eg, if you're a gmail user), you can use google drive to store and access files wherever you are. Google accounts are free to create.

What you get for free: 15GB of free storage. This allowance is spread across three google services – google drive, gmail and google photos (though it currently gives free unlimited storage for lower-quality photos and videos, this will end next year – full info in the google photos unlimited storage ending MSE news story).

If you pay: plans range from £1.59/month for 100GB to £79.99/year for 2TB – full range on the google one site. Compare this with others.

Accessed via: your browser, your computer desktop, ios and android devices.

Anything else?

As google drive uses your google account login details, it's important you keep these safe. Google offers some top tips on making your account more secure.

With google drive covering three services, consider how to make the most of the free space so you don't have to buy more. Try converting pdfs to google docs documents and giving your gmail inbox a spring clean. It's also worth clearing out your google drive trash as deleted files in there will continue to take up space.

Box: 10GB free (or from £8/mth for 100GB)

Although more geared towards businesses, box offers personal plans too. You can install the desktop app for syncing between your computer's hard drive and your account, or download the mobile app to upload and access files online from your smartphone or tablet.

What you get for free: 10GB with an individual file size limit of 250MB.

If you pay: for £4/month you get 100GB of space, and a file size limit of 2GB. Compare this with others.

Accessed via: ios, android, windows phone and blackberry apps, windows and macos desktop app. Box for office also lets you open, edit and save files in box from within microsoft office programs.

Anything else?

Box offers the ability to share files via links with passwords, expiration dates and restricted download access, as well as assign tasks, leave comments and get notifications when files are altered. This makes it particularly useful if you store and access files for collaborative work regularly.

Onedrive: 5GB free (1TB for students), 1TB-6TB 'free' for office 365 subscribers

Popular with MSE's tech team, onedrive (previously skydrive) is microsoft's free online storage offering. You need to have an outlook.Com (previously hotmail or live mail) account, but as this email service is free, it's worth setting one up just for the free storage.

What you get for free: 5GB. Students get 1TB of storage free.

If you pay: 100GB costs £1.99/month. Those who subscribe to office 365 personal, which costs £5.99/month or £59.99/year, get 1TB of storage and those who subscribe to office 365 home, which costs £7.99/month or £79.99/year, get a total of 6TB. Compare this with others.

Anything else?

You can share onedrive folders by creating a link. These folders are then visible to anyone you share the link with. You can set an expiry date for the links so shared folders are only visible to others for a specified period.

Amazon drive: 5GB free (+ 'free' unlimited photo storage if you have prime)

Following in the footsteps of google and microsoft, online shopping giant amazon runs a cloud-based storage service called, straightforwardly enough, amazon drive.

What you get for free: anyone with an amazon account can get 5GB of free storage for photos, videos, music and documents. If you're an amazon prime customer, you get free unlimited storage for photos as well as 5GB of free storage for videos, music and documents. It's not worth forking out the £7.99 a month or £79 a year just for this, but if you're already a member, it's a bonus.

If you pay: you can get a range of upgrades for the 5GB of free storage, ranging from £17/yr for 100GB to £2,400/yr for 30TB. Compare this with others.

Accessed via: for all files – web browser, ios and android. For just photos – ios, android, macos and windows.

Apple icloud: 5GB free (or from 79p/mth for 50GB)

If you're an iphone or ipad user, you most likely use apple icloud to backup at least some of your data. It's well integrated into ios – though also runs on mac and now windows – and automatically updates and stores your files across all connected devices.

What you get for free: the free version comes with 5GB of storage which you can use to backup photos, videos, mail, notes, calendars, app data, contacts and documents. If you're storing images or videos though you'll quickly run out of space, in which case we'd recommend one of the free photo storage services below.

If you pay: plans available cost 79p/month for 50GB, £2.49/month for 200GB or £6.99/month for 2TB. Compare this with others.

Accessed via: integrated into ios and OS X; windows. Icloud isn't available for android devices.

Anything else?

Icloud requires ios 5 or later on an iphone 3gs or later, ipod touch (3rd generation or later), ipad or ipad mini; a mac with OS X lion 10.7.5 or later; a PC with windows 7 or later.

Additional icloud features include family sharing – which allows up to six family in total to share itunes, ibooks and app store purchases, and photos – and find my iphone, in case you lose your phone or apple device, which lets you track it down and lock it.

Dropbox: 2GB free (up to 18GB with referrals)

Launched back in 2008, dropbox is one of the biggest names in online storage. The easiest way to use it is by installing it on your machine/device, which allows for automatic backups via its mobile apps or (of folders) on desktop.

What you get for free: with dropbox basic account you get 2GB free, though this can be boosted by referring others to dropbox. For every person who signs up via your referral link, you'll both get an extra 500MB, up to a maximum of 16GB (not including the free 2GB).

If you pay: you can upgrade to dropbox plus for £7.99/month, which gives you 2TB of storage, or dropbox professional for £16.58/month, which gets you 3TB. Compare this with others.

Accessed via: your browser, ios, android, windows phone, blackberry, macos and windows. Dropbox uses two-step verification (in the form of a text to your mobile) for logins from new devices.

BT cloud: 10GB, 200GB or 1,000GB 'free' for BT broadband customers

All BT broadband customers – standard or infinity – get some storage space with BT cloud. Given that BT captures around a third of the UK's broadband market, that's a lot of customers with free storage to take advantage of (and not many know about it).

What you get for free: you get either 10GB, 200GB or 1,000GB depending on your broadband package. To find out your allowance, log into my BT and click on the 'manage BT cloud' button under 'your included extras'.

If you pay: if your free allowance isn't enough, you can pay £3/month for an extra 50GB or £9/month for an extra 500GB (both include one month free at the time of writing). Compare this with others.

Free online photo storage

The services we've listed below are specifically designed for storing photos and videos, so if that's all you're after then they should fit the bill. If you're storing other types of files, scroll back up the page.

Google photos: unlimited photo storage (until june 2021)

While technically part of google drive, it's more convenient to go to google photos directly if you want to store just images and videos. It will also help organise your photos, and is full of nifty features for doing fun and useful things with them.

What you get for free: unlimited storage of photos of 16 megapixels or less and videos of 1080p resolution or lower. Google photos will compress files larger than this, if you want to keep the unlimited option.

But unlimited free storage ends on 1 june 2021, meaning photos and videos uploaded from then will count towards the free 15GB google drive allowance (see below). For full info and help, see the google photos free unlimited storage ending MSE news story.

If you pay: if you tend to take very high resolution photos or videos (such as 4K), then you can store these on google photos, but they'll eat into your free 15GB google drive allowance (which you can increase, for a fee). Compare this with others.

Accessed via: your browser, ios and android apps, macos and windows.

Anything else?

An optional automatic backup feature saves any existing photos and videos on your device. Once activated, this function will also save every photo or video you capture with your phone from then on.

Google photos organises and sorts your photos for you by date and location, and allows you to search through them by people, places, image type and more. It also automatically generates 'highlights' showing you selected photos from a year before, two years before and so on.

The 'utilities' section allows you to create movies, animations and collages using your photos, while google assistant, a virtual helper, will suggest what photos to archive and rotate, and even when to adjust the lighting of individual shots.

Flickr: 1,000 photos or videos of any resolution

Now owned by photo storage platform smugmug, flickr is probably the world's best-known photo-hosting site. More like a social network than a storage facility, its focus is on sorting and sharing your photos, though you can use it for just backing up if you so wish.

What you get for free: anyone with a free yahoo account can upload up to 1,000 photos or videos. One benefit over google photos is there's no limit to the resolution of the images and videos you upload.

If you pay: you get unlimited storage with flickr pro, which costs £5.99/month or £47.88/year, which also gives users advanced stats on their photos and ad-free browsing/sharing. Compare this with others.

Accessed via: your browser, ios and android, macos and windows (flickr pro members only).

Anything else?

Flickr is very much geared towards sharing photos with others, which is one of the reasons it's popular with photography nuts. It also offers very basic image editing and a few filters (though nothing like the scale of instagram).

As with google photos, flickr uses image recognition technology to arrange photos for easier searching through your library. Equally the flickr apps also have an automatic backup feature so every shot you taken is saved in the cloud, but this is only available to flickr pro members.

Cheapest paid-for storage

If you've got a fair number of photos, files and documents and want the convenience of storing them all in one place, you'll have to pay to get more space. Several companies offer an additional 50GB, though the more storage you buy the better the value.

For example, carphone warehouse/currys/PC world-owned knowhow offers 2TB for £40 a year (though it has other plans available too, see below). Pay in advance for five years and the cost drops to £100, or £20 a year, for 2TB.

It depends on your needs but generally speaking the best-value add-on is an extra 100GB from google drive/google one, which costs £15.99/year, or if you really need more onedrive at £59.99/year (including office 365 personal subscription) for 1TB.

Annual cost of online storage

Remember though, you're signing up for an annual cost, so if you just want to back up your data, consider buying a portable hard drive instead - at the time of writing we found 1TB drives starting from about £40.

Keeping your online storage secure

Whether it's your pics, your financial information or just your favourite cat videos you're storing online, you need to take steps to keep your data safe.

Here are some tips to keep you, and your info, safe from more devious online users:

Keep your password secure. Change your password regularly and don't use the same password across multiple websites. If hackers crack one password it's a pain, but if they access all your online accounts it can be a nightmare. As many sites use your email as a login ID, using the same password increases your security risk.

Don't use predictable passwords. Using family or pets' names or dates of birth is common, but hackers can access some of this data from public sources such as facebook. Choose a secure password using a combination of key words and numbers – see martin's passwords blog for full steps.

Use a password manager. If you struggle to remember large numbers of passwords, use a password safe or password manager to store them securely online. All you have to do is remember a master password and retrieve the others as and when you need them (see password security).

Disable auto-uploads. If you are concerned about sensitive info or pics, turn off the auto-upload function on services such as dropbox or google photos. These services automatically save a backup version of your documents in the cloud but don't distinguish between everyday photos and files and the ones you really don't want getting into the wrong hands.

Keep antivirus software up to date. Hackers are constantly developing nasty new computer bugs so you need to ensure that you've got decent antivirus and anti-spyware software in place and that it's up to date. Find out more in our free antivirus software guide.

Avoid phishing emails to keep out the nasties. Viruses and malware often sneak in disguised as other attachments, so ensure that any files you are downloading and opening come from a reliable source. See phishing emails for full info.

Which services do you rate? We've only picked the big name online storage programs here, but there are loads more. Tell us which you like in the free online storage discussion.

Tax-free childcare

You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).

If you’ve already registered, you can sign in to your childcare account.

If you get tax-free childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider.

You can get tax-free childcare at the same time as 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both.

What you can use tax-free childcare for

You can use it to pay for approved childcare, for example:

Childminders, nurseries and nannies

After school clubs and play schemes

Your childcare provider must be signed up to the scheme before you can pay them and benefit from tax-free childcare.

Check with your provider to see if they’re signed up.

If your childcare provider is in an EEA country

You may be able to use tax-free childcare to pay a provider based in a european economic area (EEA ) country. Contact HM revenue and customs (HMRC ) to check.

Eligibility

Your eligibility depends on:

If you are working

Your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)

Your child’s age and circumstances

Your immigration status

If you are working

You can usually get tax-free childcare if you (and your partner, if you have one) are:

In work

On sick leave or annual leave

On shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave

If you’re on adoption leave, you cannot apply for the child you’re on leave for unless you’re going back to work within 31 days of the date you first applied.

If your working pattern has changed because of coronavirus (COVID-19)

You may still be eligible for tax-free childcare if you’re temporarily working less and either:

You’re on furlough through the coronavirus job retention scheme

You’re claiming a self employment income support scheme grant

If you’re not currently working

You may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you get incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, carer’s allowance or contribution-based employment and support allowance.

You can apply if you’re starting or re-starting work within the next 31 days.

Your income

You’ll need to expect to earn a certain amount over the next 3 months. This is at least the national minimum wage or living wage for 16 hours a week on average.

For example, over the next 3 months you expect to earn at least £1,813.76 - the national living wage for people over 25.

If you have a partner, they’ll need to expect to earn at least this much too.

If you or your partner are temporarily earning less than this amount because of coronavirus, you may still be eligible. You must be furloughed through the coronavirus job retention scheme or claiming a self employment income support scheme grant to qualify.

If you’re self-employed and do not expect to make enough profit in the next 3 months, you can use an average of how much you expect to make over the current tax year.

This earnings limit does not apply if you’re self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago.

If you or your partner have an expected ‘adjusted net income’ over £100,000 in the current tax year you will not be eligible. This includes any bonuses you expect to get.

You or your partner can earn up to £150,000 in the current tax year and still be eligible if you’re a critical worker and have worked extra hours because of coronavirus.

Your adjusted net income is your total taxable income before any personal allowances and minus things like gift aid.

Your child

Your child must be 11 or under and usually live with you. They stop being eligible on 1 september after their 11th birthday.

Adopted children are eligible, but foster children are not.

If your child is disabled you may get up to £4,000 a year until they’re 17. They’re eligible for this if they:

Get disability living allowance, personal independence payment or armed forces independence payment

Are certified as blind or severely sight-impaired

Your immigration status

To be eligible for tax-free childcare, you (or your partner if you have one) must have a national insurance number and at least one of the following:

British or irish citizenship

Settled or pre-settled status, or been living in the UK before 1 january 2021 with the right to reside

Permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this

If you’re living in an EU country, switzerland, norway, iceland or liechtenstein, you (or your partner if you have one) might still be eligible for tax-free childcare if:

Your work is in the UK

The work started before 1 january 2021

You’ve worked in the UK at least once every 12 months since you started working here

This is known as being a ‘frontier worker’.

If you get tax credits, universal credit, a childcare bursary or grant, or childcare vouchers

You cannot get tax-free childcare at the same time as claiming working tax credit, child tax credit, universal credit or childcare vouchers.

Which scheme you’re better off with depends on your situation. Use the childcare calculator to work out which type of support is best for you.

Tax credits

If you successfully apply for tax-free childcare, your working tax credit or child tax credit will stop straight away. You cannot apply for them again.

Childcare vouchers

You must tell your employer within 90 days of applying for tax-free childcare to stop your childcare vouchers or directly contracted childcare. They’ll then stop giving you new vouchers or directly contracted childcare.

A copy of the letter telling your employer you’re leaving the childcare voucher scheme

Copies of your payslips showing your pay before and after you’ve left the scheme

Universal credit

Wait until you get a decision on your tax-free childcare application before cancelling your universal credit claim.

Bursaries

If you or your partner get a childcare bursary or grant or expect to do so within the next 3 months, you cannot get tax-free childcare.

Apply

If you apply for tax-free childcare and someone else already gets 30 hours free childcare for that child, their 30 hours will stop at the end of the next term. You will be eligible for 30 hours free childcare instead.

If you have a partner

You must include your partner in your application if you are:

Married or in a civil partnership and live together

Not married or in a civil partnership, but living together as though you are

Their employment and income will not affect your eligibility if they:

Are or will be absent from your household for more than 6 months

Are a prisoner

You and your partner cannot both have accounts for the same child.

If you are separated

You and your ex-partner need to decide who should apply if you are jointly responsible for your child.

If you cannot decide, both of you must apply separately and HMRC will decide who gets a childcare account.

So, let's see, what we have: these current accounts can keep things simple as they all have no monthly fee. You can do basic transactions for free and compare interest rates and overdrafts to find the best deal for you. At free live account