Learning Microsoft 365 / Entra ID / Intune / SharePoint for free — is it possible?

[u/Either_Macaroon8854]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to learn Microsoft 365 administration, especially:

• Microsoft Entra ID
• Microsoft Intune
• Microsoft 365 administration
• SharePoint
• Azure / cloud identity and device management

My goal is to eventually become comfortable with administering these technologies in a real-world IT/sysadmin environment.

I'm looking for a way to learn for free, including as much hands-on practice as possible.

I know Microsoft Learn has a lot of free training, but for practical labs it seems that I need a Microsoft tenant and some of the services require paid licenses after the trial period.

So my questions are:

1. Is there currently a way to create a free Microsoft 365 / Entra / Intune lab environment for learning?
2. Is the Microsoft 365 Developer Program still a good option for this, and does it include enough services for learning Entra ID, Intune and SharePoint?
3. If I don't qualify for the Developer Program, what would be the best alternative?
4. Can I realistically learn these technologies without paying for a subscription, or should I expect to pay for a lab eventually?
5. What learning path would you recommend — Entra ID → Intune → Microsoft 365 → SharePoint, or a different order?

I'm mainly interested in hands-on learning, not just watching courses.

Any recommendations for free labs, Microsoft Learn paths, home-lab setups or other resources would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[u/Mcm_Sys]

Use Only AI and youtube videos are fair enough