Publisher alternative in 2026

Dear Amanda Wilkinson,

Good day!!

I understand your concern but as per official Microsoft KB, currently there is no any particular application replacing the Publisher app but Microsoft is exploring the modern ways to achieve common Publisher scenarios and they will release the detailed blog when there is any update.

Moreover, I suggest you add your valuable feedback in the Publisher application (Open the Publisher app> Feedback at the bottom left> Send a Suggestion) which is the best place to share our ideas and improve the Microsoft products.

In addition, I will keep this thread open so that MVPs and experts in this community can share their ideas on this scenario.

Appreciate your patience and understanding. Have a great day!!

Best Regards,

Sophia

Thank you David for sharing this information with links. I will check out Affinity Publisher.

I need something where it's easy to draw and measure text boxes for newsletters.

Amanda

Like many on here, over the years I have published newsletters for a number of non-profits, with over 20 years of .pub publications on file. Converting all to pdf format is not a practicable solution, and has some challenges regarding archiving .
Microsoft: no one who uses Publisher on a regular basis believes, or accepts, Word, or any other MS application, is a viable and workable alternative. Far too much .pub formatting cannot be done in Word.
Given you have chosen to abandon Publisher after October 2026, will you do the right thing and provide a method to translate .pub format
and formatting to .docx, before the cutoff? If not, will MS drop ownership and copyright on the .pub format and programming so interested third parties can determine if they want to support it, and/or develop a translation application?

I don't know how to do an original post, but I agree with you. As a Special Education teacher, I use Publisher to create customized visuals, routines, schedules, story booklets, calendars, all which incorporate pictures/images and text. Being able to create different layouts, resize, and manipulate images and text, group and ungroup, move from page to page, cannot be done with Word or PowerPoint. I use PowerPoint for my slide presentations, especially during online learning with COVID, but nothing works like Publisher for many of my needs.

Google has a variety of suggestions as to where you can buy a copy of Publisher.

BE CAREFUL of getting scammed!

My main point should have been if you already have, or can buy, any free standing copy of Publisher, then you can extend the years you use Publisher. If you have an older version laying around then use it...just do a custom install. If you have to buy a new copy, then any version from Pub 2010 to the newest should be compatible with the newest file version.

With that being said, the handwriting is on the wall. Publisher is going away...a free standing copy only extends the time you will be able to use it. It is time to start planning to move away from it. Personally I hope Serif or some other DTP company develops the ability to open Pub files directly before the deadline. But even if they didn't I would probably start transitioning by copy and pasting content from important Publisher templates and files while you still can.

DavidF