iWork for iCloud beta now available to all with free access to Pages, Numbers, and Keynote

iWork for iCloud — Apple’s take on the cloud-based office suite — was launched initially to developers in mid-June, but now it is available for free to anyone who wants to try it.

The iWork apps Pages (word processor), Numbers (spreadsheets), and Keynote (presentations) all can be accessed to anyone with an iCloud account, which almost all Apple users have now. If you don’t, you can simply sign up for an Apple ID and then log in over at iCloud.com.

Apple did not make a formal announcement, but several tech sites noticed the availability of the suite inside iCloud. I can confirm that I did not get a special invite and my iCloud account now has access to the beta versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

iWork for iCloud competes head-to-head with Microsoft’s Office 365 and Google Drive. These iWork apps mimic some of the functionality you already might know from Microsoft Word or Excel, but in this case, the documents you create are automatically synced to your Apple devices, including iPads and iPhones.

One more thing to keep in mind: These apps are free now but likely will not be forever. Apple will likely charge for iWork access at some point, so enjoy this beta while it lasts.

Take a look at more screenshots of iWork for iCloud beta below.