Can sharepoint online site can be open to Public

The answer is NO,  SharePoint Online site do not support Public sites, there is a way to share a site with external users but it has its own limitations. 

Still they have to login in the site, with their credentials. 

Unfortunately, creating a public SharePoint Online site accessible to anyone without logging in and allowing them to download documents is no longer possible. Microsoft discontinued the public website feature for SharePoint Online in March 2015.

Here are some alternative approaches you can consider based on your specific needs:

1. Share Documents with Specific Users:

• If you want to share documents with a limited number of people, you can leverage SharePoint's built-in sharing features. Grant them specific permission levels like "Read" or "Read and Download" depending on your requirements. This ensures controlled access and avoids making them publicly available.

2. Use Microsoft Teams Guest Access (if applicable):

• If your organization uses Microsoft Teams and your SharePoint site is connected to a Team, you might be able to enable guest access. This allows external users to join the Team and access shared documents with the appropriate permissions granted by the Team owner. However, guest access management and security considerations apply.

3. Explore Alternative Public Sharing Platforms:

• For scenarios where wider public access is necessary, consider using platforms like OneDrive (with public sharing enabled) or cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive that offer public sharing options. Just be sure to understand the security implications and access controls before making documents publicly available.

Yes, SharePoint Online allows you to share content with external users, including those who do not have a Microsoft account. However, this depends on the settings configured by your SharePoint or Office 365 administrator.

To allow public access without login, the site or document must be shared with “Anyone with the link”. This creates a guest link that can be used by anyone and does not require a login. However, please note that this could potentially allow anyone on the internet to access your site or document if they get hold of the link.

As for downloading documents, it is possible to configure SharePoint Online to allow users to download documents. However, it’s also possible to restrict this. For example, you can allow users to view and edit a document in their web browser but prevent them from downloading it1.

To force a document to be downloaded instead of opened in the browser, you can use a specific URL format2. For example, you can append &download=1 to the end of the URL2.

Thanks

In SharePoint Online, it is feasible to grant public access to a site without the need for users to log in. This can be achieved by configuring the site's permissions to allow anonymous access. By setting the appropriate permissions, visitors can access the site and download documents without authentication. However, it is crucial to carefully manage permissions and consider the sensitivity of the content being shared to ensure data security and compliance. Utilizing SharePoint Online's features effectively can enable seamless public access while maintaining control over document downloads and site interactions.