Microsoft Applications: Full List and Names Explained

Anyone who’s ever opened a Word document or sent an email through Outlook has already used a Microsoft application, but the term covers much more than the classic Office suite — from cloud collaboration tools to enterprise platforms. With over 400 million paid seats on Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Support), understanding what counts as a Microsoft application is more relevant than ever.

Microsoft 365 subscribers worldwide: over 400 million paid seats ·
Core desktop apps in Microsoft 365: 5 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote) ·
Microsoft Teams daily active users: over 280 million ·
Microsoft Store app count: over 700,000

Key facts about Microsoft applications are summarized below.

What is a Microsoft application?

Definition of a Microsoft application

A Microsoft application is any software product developed by Microsoft — from the classic Office suite to cloud-based services like Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. As VirtuosoSoftware (Microsoft technology partner) explains, Microsoft Lists is a prime example of a modern Microsoft 365 app that tracks information in customizable lists. The definition spans free, paid, desktop, mobile, and web applications.

Categories: productivity, cloud, development, enterprise

• Productivity: Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote)
• Cloud collaboration: Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive
• Enterprise business: Dynamics 365 (CRM/ERP), Power BI, Power Apps
• Development: Visual Studio, Azure, GitHub
• Consumer: Microsoft Edge, Xbox, Microsoft Store

The implication: “Microsoft application” is an umbrella term covering three distinct layers — consumer desktop apps, enterprise cloud services, and platform infrastructure.

The pattern: understanding these layers helps users choose the right tool for each task.

What are the 5 Microsoft applications?

Microsoft Word

• Word processing with over 1 billion devices running Office (dummies (technology reference))
• Part of every Microsoft 365 subscription

Microsoft Excel

• Spreadsheet software with advanced data analysis and charting
• Used by financial analysts, scientists, and small businesses

Microsoft PowerPoint

• Presentation tool with templates, animations, and slide transitions
• Industry standard for business and academic presentations

Microsoft Outlook

• Email and calendar client, often considered the flagship app
• Integrates with Exchange Online and Microsoft 365

Microsoft OneNote

• Digital note-taking app with cross-device sync
• Supports text, images, audio, and handwriting

These five are the core desktop apps in Microsoft 365, also known as the classic Office suite. The pattern: while each app serves a distinct purpose, together they form the backbone of daily productivity for hundreds of millions of users.

What are the basic Microsoft apps?

The basic Microsoft apps are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote — the core desktop applications included in every Microsoft 365 subscription.

What are the application software by Microsoft?

Microsoft 365 and Office suite

The Office suite includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. According to Microsoft Support (official documentation), organizations commonly use lists for tracking issues, managing contacts, and collecting survey data — but the same principle applies to the broader Office family: each app is designed to handle a specific data type or workflow.

Windows operating system applications

• Microsoft Edge – web browser
• Windows Mail, Calendar, Photos
• Microsoft Store – app marketplace with over 700,000 apps

Dynamics 365 business applications

• Sales, Customer Service, Finance, Supply Chain Management
• Integrated with Power Platform for low-code customization

Power Platform (Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate)

• Power BI – business analytics and visualization
• Power Apps – build custom apps without code
• Power Automate – automate workflows between apps

Developer tools: Visual Studio, Azure

• Visual Studio – integrated development environment for .NET, C++, Python
• Azure – cloud computing platform with AI, data, and DevOps services
• GitHub – code hosting and collaboration (acquired by Microsoft)

What this means: Microsoft’s application software spans every layer of modern IT — from the operating system up to business applications and developer platforms. The breadth is unmatched by any single competitor.

What are Microsoft applications called?

Common names: Microsoft 365 apps, Office apps, Microsoft Store apps

Historically, the suite was called Microsoft Office. In 2020, Microsoft rebranded it as Microsoft 365 to reflect the subscription model and cloud integration. According to VirtuosoSoftware (Microsoft tech partner), Microsoft Lists is a dedicated Microsoft 365 app that exemplifies this new naming convention.

Branding evolution: Office → Microsoft 365

• 1990–2010: Microsoft Office (standalone suite)
• 2011: Office 365 introduced as subscription
• 2020: Office 365 renamed to Microsoft 365
• 2023: Microsoft 365 Copilot adds AI layer

The catch: many users still call them “Office apps” even though the official brand is now Microsoft 365. This creates confusion when searching for downloads or support.

What is Microsoft’s main app?

Microsoft Outlook

Outlook is often considered the flagship email and calendar app. It’s the default client for millions of Exchange Online users and integrates tightly with Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint.

Microsoft Teams as the modern flagship

With over 280 million daily active users (ShareGate (Microsoft 365 specialist)), Teams has become the most used collaboration app. It combines chat, video calls, file storage, and app integration into a single hub.

Windows operating system as platform

Ultimately, Windows itself is the platform on which most Microsoft applications run. The OS serves as the foundation for the entire ecosystem.

The trade-off: there is no single “main app” — it depends on the user. For a knowledge worker, it might be Outlook. For a developer, it’s Visual Studio. For a team, it’s Teams.

“Microsoft Lists is a Microsoft 365 app used to track information in customizable lists and is integrated with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint.”

VirtuosoSoftware (Microsoft technology partner)

“External lists work with data stored outside the list but readable and writable within Microsoft 365 using Business Connectivity Services.”

Microsoft Support (official documentation)

For the average user, the choice is clear: stick with Microsoft 365 for productivity, embrace Teams for collaboration, and explore the Microsoft Store for specialized apps. For businesses, the enterprise suite (Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Azure) offers deep customization. The ecosystem is vast, but knowing which app to use for a given task is the real skill.

For a detailed overview of the full suite, refer to this comprehensive list of Microsoft applications that covers downloads and access methods.

Frequently asked questions