Is there any downside to using a local account?

I have a microsoft 365 account through work that I sign in to. I use it to sign in to my company's portal as well as my contractor portal. I don't have a personal microsoft 365 account that I pay for. Yet when I log in from my home PC, I have the option to sign into my personal [online] Outlook account. It's still a bit confusing to me, but I assume that my microsoft 365 account is my microsoft account?

I am thinking of switching to using a local account on my home PC, and was wondering if this would affect my access to my microsoft 365 work account? And if there are any downsides to using just a local account? Would I lose access to anything? I don't use OneDrive or copilot on my home PC.

I use Local Account with no problems, but not sure about Microsoft 365 account, just switch to local account from Settings app to find out you can always switch back to Microsoft account any time you will like.

In the Settings app, go to the “Accounts” tab. At the left-hand side of the window, click on “Your info.” Under “Your info,” select “Sign in with a local account instead.” Windows 11 will guide you through the process.

Madrona said:

and was wondering if this would affect my access to my microsoft 365 work account?

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No, but you do have to be careful because when you sign into ANYTHING Microsoft ANYWHERE on your device, Windows has the propensity to appropriate that sign-in to any/every Microsoft product (including Windows and Edge), installed on your device, that it wants to.

It can be stopped and/or blocked and/or reversed (if you're quick enough), but vigilance is the watch-word.

Madrona said:

I don't have a personal microsoft 365 account that I pay for. Yet when I log in from my home PC, I have the option to sign into my personal [online] Outlook account. It's still a bit confusing to me, but I assume that my microsoft 365 account is my microsoft account?

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There are a few caveats here you need to look at before switching to a local account.
If you set up Windows 10 or 11 on your home computer to use a Microsoft account, Your user folders (Documents, Desktop, Pictures, Videos)
default to saving to the Onedrive account associated with the MS account you sign in with. Each personal MS account has only 5gb of free Onedrive storage.
Once you exceed this limit, you will have to purchase Office 365 which includes 1tb of Onedrive storage.

You can prove this to be true by Right-clicking on any of the above folders, select properties, select the location tab. Does it direct that folder to Onedrive?
If that proves to be correct there is a procedure that must be followed to successfully get your files back onto your system drive. Report back if that be true and I can direct you to it.

Madrona said:

I have a microsoft 365 account through work that I sign in to. I use it to sign in to my company's portal as well as my contractor portal.

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The portals are not associated with your MS account at all. Changing your account to a local account will not affect this operation.

To answer your question of any downsides to using a local account. The answer is no IF you do not want to save any of your personal files to Onedrive or want to use Onedrive in any way for your personal use.