An Australian lawsuit against Microsoft over its subscription pricing has highlighted a way to get access to Microsoft 365 for cheaper, so long as you don't need access to the company's AI offerings.

The lawsuit, from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, accused Microsoft Australia and Microsoft Corporation of allegedly misleading customers over subscription price changes. In October 2024, the commission argues, Microsoft told its subscribers that Copilot would be integrated into the Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans and that subscribers would have to accept the integration and pay more money for it or they'd have to cancel their subscription altogether, according to TechSpot.

"The Microsoft Office apps included in 365 subscriptions are essential in many people's lives and given there are limited substitutes to the bundled package, cancelling the subscription is a decision many would not make lightly," the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission said, TechSpot reported.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission argued that this is misleading and deceptive because there is a third, secret option. While Microsoft would prefer everyone uses its AI, users can still, of course, use the Microsoft 365 Personal or Family Classic plans.

If you already have Microsoft 365, want to save a few bucks, and aren't particularly interested in AI, there's a way to do that. Simply sign into your Microsoft account, navigate to your subscriptions page and select "Manage," then click "Cancel subscription." You'll be prompted to downgrade to another plan with fewer features, according to Microsoft. Select Microsoft 365 Personal Classic or Microsoft 365 Family Classic, or another plan that works for you.