Announcement - Microsoft Publisher to be discontinued after October 2026

Anonymous
2024-02-28T20:08:58+00:00

Updated and revised May 12, 2025

Dear fellow users,

Microsoft announced in late 2024 that it will discontinue and drop support for Microsoft Publisher after October 13, 2026. The announcement was posted on Microsoft's 365 admin center on February 15, 2024:

"In October 2026, Microsoft Publisher will reach its end of life. After that time, it will no longer be included in Microsoft 365 and existing on-premises suites will no longer be supported. Until then, support for Publisher will continue and users can expect the same experience as today."

Microsoft also stated that it will try to incorporate Publisher like features in other 365 apps:

"As we look ahead to the retirement of Microsoft Publisher, we are exploring modern ways to achieve other common Publisher scenarios across applications like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Designer. We will update as we have more to share. "

Learn more on Microsoft's website

Publisher has been around since 1991 and has been used by millions for preparing newsletters/bulletins, brochures and cards for organizations, parishes, etc. Like you, many are wondering what to do. Your option is to either purchase other desktop publishing software (see below), or use Microsoft Word. I have used Word to create bulletins, although it involves more work and is some ways awkward to use. It is possible to print bulletins in booklet format and you can create text boxes and link them as in Publish. The only advantage is that Word offers better control and use of styles.

Can I still use Publisher on my computer?

Users who have the stand-alone edition can keep using the software and reinstall it forever. Publisher included with 365 will continue to run on your computer, except if you must reinstall or switch to a new computer. It's not clear yet whether Microsoft will automatically uninstall the software, or simply prevent the software from running after October 2026. For those using the 365 version of Publisher, Microsoft advises users to create PDF versions of their documents to preserve them.

Alternative Software

Unfortunately, Microsoft has already stopped selling licenses for the standalone version of Publisher. Other companies that sell Publisher licenses online have also stopped selling Publisher.

For a complete list of desktop publishing software available to users, visit these pages on Wikipedia:

Comparison of desktop publishing software:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_desktop_publishing_software

List of desktop publishing software:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_desktop_publishing_software

Be aware that publication software like Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress are extremely expense and designed for the professional desktop publication industry, and involve a steeper learning curve. There are less expensive online-based or desktop-based publication desktop publication apps available.

What's the closest equivalent to Microsoft Publisher?

At this point, Microsoft 365 users who need a Publisher-like app should consider purchasing Affinity Publisher 2. It is easy to use and has more features than Microsoft Publisher (e.g., include footnotes, better text handling). You can purchase and download it directly from Affinity's website (or through Microsoft Store in Windows 10 or 11). For more information about Affinity Publisher, visit: https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher/. Affinity Publisher has received generally favorable reviews and awards. A huge bonus is that the software is available for both the Windows AND macOS platforms (and lately an iPad version was released). Affinity Publisher is only available as a stand-alone desktop app. There is NO subscription. Cost is $86.99 CAD ($US cost will be less) and is one-time purchase. You will get updates, and you can always upgrade, when you need to. Affinity is a European-based software company that has been around for many years and continues to develop and update Affinity Publisher. Affinity also sells photo-editing software that works great with Affinity Publisher.

Ruperstland,

Canada

Screenshot of Microsoft Publisher:

Microsoft 365 and Office | Publisher | Other

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-09-09T08:57:37+00:00

    Thanks for your reply. I agree - Microsoft doesn't seem to care about its customers. I'm a professional Technical Writer for over 30 years - each time they update Word and others, they introduce "features" and rearrange functionality seemingly at random (i.e. without doing research to understand usability and most important how customers use the tools). In my experience Software Developers are far removed from usage of their product and their approach does not include usability. In any case...

    I too would gladly sign a petition regarding Publisher.

    Regards, Linda

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-09-08T17:45:15+00:00

    I only fairly recently bought Publisher 2021 as a stand-alone, there was no mention that it was going to be discontinued. I can use it for as long as I want except there will not be any upgrades or security fixes. I don't have 365 at home, but the organisation I volunteer for does. They told me that after next year, Publisher won't be included with 365, so I can't share the newsletter I work on with anyone at their office. I will have to go back to using Word if I want them to be able to access my work. I was really annoyed when I found out about this decision by MS. There are obviously many people who this affects more than me, people who have been using Publisher for years and have tons of files. Shame on MS for doing this without pre-consultation with users. If there is a petition I will gladly sign.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-09-08T15:22:34+00:00

    Hello - are you saying you have the standalone version? I'm thinking of buying a copy so I can use it indefinitely. My only concern is whether I'd be able to install it in a new PC sometime in the future (should I need to - breakage, upgrade, etc.). Do you have any idea how this works? (That is reinstalling a digital license (not 365) but lifetime stand-alone).

    Linda

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-09-08T13:57:01+00:00

    I understand that after 2025 Publisher will not be available to use within 365. I have the 2021 version of Publisher.

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-09-08T11:09:56+00:00

    I vehemently agree with you and support your position! We're in the same situation - myself for my small business which relies on Publisher and my husband at his workplace. It is egregious that Microsoft doesn't take surveys or reach out to existing customers to learn what their needs are - this is an unfortunate side-effect of rampant capitalism. In any case, I'd gladly participate in a petition. Can you provide any information about this?

    Thank you and regards,

    Linda C.

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