Why is Publisher being phased out, and what is Microsoft replacing it with? Will Microsoft 365 be cheaper since they are phasing out the program?

I too am very disappointed that Publisher is being phased out. Neither Word nor Powerpoint are comparable for laying out magazines and souvenir journals. Yes, they're good for flyers and simple graphics, but not for multi-paged, complex magazines. When Microsoft designed Word, Publisher and Powerpoint, you designed them for their specific functions, now we're supposed to fit round pegs in square holes. I have large magazine projects that I do annually for several clients. I'm able to save my clients money because each year, I just replace ads because the initial layout is already done. Now, I will have to complete reformat the project or start from scratch. Not happy at all!

I have also been using Publisher since it's creation and availability - and I'm also a senior. I use it to create my real estate related marketing flyers, newsletters, business cards, and all sorts of other items, and I love it. It is my 'go to', and is easy for me to use, with placement of the different data, charts, photos, and freehand 'paint' creations - coming together without a hitch or issue, which is quite the opposite of trying to use Word or Powerpoint. To think that I'm going to have to try and learn how to use some other program that doesn't offer the flexibility, and tools, not to mention the ease of use that Publisher does, is significantly disappointing. Publisher is the only program Microsoft® has in its' suite of products, that is remotely capable of offering the individual user, the flexibility and self-empowerment to do their own thing, without having to pay a printer and wait WEEKS for proofs, more proofs, etc.., and subpar final results. And we all know how customer service is seriously lacking these days - so by the time you get to the 2nd or 3rd proof at a professional printer, because the customer service person at the printer didn't read, or listen thoroughly to what you wanted, they've already lost interest in assisting you with your project, but if they do finish it, it costs you an arm and a leg. Having Publisher in your suite of products has been the ONLY reason I've always paid for a desktop version of your suite. If you discontinue Publisher, I am sure I won't be the only one who stops paying for that! Please do NOT discontinue Publisher.

I recently purchased a lifetime licensed  copy of Microsoft Office 2021 from pcworld.com for $47.99 so I will have access to Publisher after Microsoft drops it from the office 365 subscription service. License is good only for the current machine it's on but it seems like a viable option to losing publisher entirely.  Pc world offers other Office bundles so make sure you are getting the one that includes Publisher. Good luck.

As a long time user of Microsoft Office programs, I can confirm that using mail-merge in Word can produce all sorts of documents, including labels, using data from another Word document, Excel or Access. I have also used Publisher with data from Excel or Access.
I have to admit that using Publisher with merged data is much easier than Word for complex documents, as the layout of a document is far easier in Publisher. I worked as an IT Technician at a Primary School for 17 years and taught many people, both staff and pupils, how to merge data in both Word and Publisher for both simple and complex documents. I often extracted data from school MIS systems into Excel in order to produce reports that were not available in the MIS.