What software is comparable to Publisher for text and graphics?

Question

What software is comparable to Publisher for text and graphics?

Debbie Taylor 10

There is nothing comparable to Publisher. HOW can you discontinue it?

I have 1000's of hours invested in family projects that I create each year. I have side bars with all of the birthdays.

I WEEKLY design our bulletin at church. I use the design space along the outside of the document to take things in and out as needed. Power Point does not allow the use of this space.

WORD does not keep bulletin layouts. It is very fickle about where things go on the page and the whole page can collapse into a corner.

THIS NEWS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING.

Any help would be appreciated.

debbie

Debbie Dewald 5 Reputation points

2026-05-16T03:00:41.99+00:00

I'm equally as upset about Publisher going away. I use it all the time! I looked at powerpoint and the tool bar at top is exactly the same as in Publisher. It defaults to an odd page size, but can be changed to 8.5x11 by clicking on the "design" tab, then far right is slide size.
Louise Jones 5 Reputation points

2026-05-25T18:20:34.4+00:00

Debbie Dewald is right! I have been fussing with Affinity by Canva and find it very difficult to learn. It is not intuitive. It will take a long time to figure out how this very rich software works. I started over and converted my Publisher newsletter template to PowerPoint by way of converting Publisher to PDF and then using Adobe to convert the PDF to PowerPoint. The portrait view converted beautifully into PowerPoint as did all of the formatted aspects of the document. Using the menu in PowerPoint I have all the capability of the MS Publisher product.
Renee Deierling 0 Reputation points

2026-05-27T19:53:51.3766667+00:00

I agree wholeheartedly with Debbie and Louise. I have 339 publisher files currently. I have a strong dislike for Word. It doesn't create designed documents easily. It provides me with more frustration than results. I don't understand why Microsoft is discontinuing a strong product in the Office family. It would be nice if Microsoft is recommending using PowerPoint as an alternate that there is a more efficent way to convert the files out of Publisher.

signed,

a disgruntled 30+ year Microsoft customer
Debbie Dewald 5 Reputation points

2026-05-28T21:08:49.7133333+00:00

Louise and Renee, instead of going through making a pdf first, I opened both publisher and powerpoint, opened file in publisher, CTRL A, CTRL C in publisher, click on powerpoint, CTRL V, to copy into poewrpoint, then (re)saved there.
Renee Deierling 0 Reputation points

2026-06-02T17:10:04.78+00:00

thanks Debbie, I was able to copy my objects from MS Pub to Pwrpoint, though it looks like they come in as one object. Next is for me to figure out how to be able to edit the items individually. I appreciate your idea. Thank you.
Dave Briant 0 Reputation points

2026-09-07T07:54:15.8333333+00:00

according to microsoft publisher files can go into word by saving it first as a pdf then opening in word .. does not paste images only text into a HUGE box that cannot be edited .. trying to use word as a DTP is also a pain

the option of importing into powerpoint also imports text with no images and an editing pain .. cannot change page formatting from or to metric .. unable to set default font size either

checked out other publishing software - scribus has no download page .. canva is cloud only and a pain to work with .. libre office is free yet have to donate to use it (not free) .. rest are crap

corel and adobe have software that have short trials and pricey to buy or a monthly charge

MS is now BS on software and support .. there one truly unique product is being cancelled and nothing replacing it

used MS office over 35 years and keeps getting worse .. think I have a 2010 or 2000 version somewhere that will work

if anyone finds a DTP program that truly equals publisher let me know .. ******@hotmail.com

until then all the best .. regards david

2 answers

Your answer

Debbie Dewald 5 Reputation points

2026-05-16T03:00:41.99+00:00

I'm equally as upset about Publisher going away. I use it all the time! I looked at powerpoint and the tool bar at top is exactly the same as in Publisher. It defaults to an odd page size, but can be changed to 8.5x11 by clicking on the "design" tab, then far right is slide size.
Louise Jones 5 Reputation points

2026-05-25T18:20:34.4+00:00

Debbie Dewald is right! I have been fussing with Affinity by Canva and find it very difficult to learn. It is not intuitive. It will take a long time to figure out how this very rich software works. I started over and converted my Publisher newsletter template to PowerPoint by way of converting Publisher to PDF and then using Adobe to convert the PDF to PowerPoint. The portrait view converted beautifully into PowerPoint as did all of the formatted aspects of the document. Using the menu in PowerPoint I have all the capability of the MS Publisher product.
Renee Deierling 0 Reputation points

2026-05-27T19:53:51.3766667+00:00

I agree wholeheartedly with Debbie and Louise. I have 339 publisher files currently. I have a strong dislike for Word. It doesn't create designed documents easily. It provides me with more frustration than results. I don't understand why Microsoft is discontinuing a strong product in the Office family. It would be nice if Microsoft is recommending using PowerPoint as an alternate that there is a more efficent way to convert the files out of Publisher.

signed,

a disgruntled 30+ year Microsoft customer
Debbie Dewald 5 Reputation points

2026-05-28T21:08:49.7133333+00:00

Louise and Renee, instead of going through making a pdf first, I opened both publisher and powerpoint, opened file in publisher, CTRL A, CTRL C in publisher, click on powerpoint, CTRL V, to copy into poewrpoint, then (re)saved there.
Renee Deierling 0 Reputation points

2026-06-02T17:10:04.78+00:00

thanks Debbie, I was able to copy my objects from MS Pub to Pwrpoint, though it looks like they come in as one object. Next is for me to figure out how to be able to edit the items individually. I appreciate your idea. Thank you.
Dave Briant 0 Reputation points

2026-09-07T07:54:15.8333333+00:00

according to microsoft publisher files can go into word by saving it first as a pdf then opening in word .. does not paste images only text into a HUGE box that cannot be edited .. trying to use word as a DTP is also a pain

the option of importing into powerpoint also imports text with no images and an editing pain .. cannot change page formatting from or to metric .. unable to set default font size either

checked out other publishing software - scribus has no download page .. canva is cloud only and a pain to work with .. libre office is free yet have to donate to use it (not free) .. rest are crap

corel and adobe have software that have short trials and pricey to buy or a monthly charge

MS is now BS on software and support .. there one truly unique product is being cancelled and nothing replacing it

used MS office over 35 years and keeps getting worse .. think I have a 2010 or 2000 version somewhere that will work

if anyone finds a DTP program that truly equals publisher let me know .. ******@hotmail.com

until then all the best .. regards david

Answer 1

While Microsoft Publisher is a unique tool for desktop publishing, there are several alternatives that you might consider for creating text and graphics layouts. Here are a few options:

Adobe InDesign: This is a professional desktop publishing software that offers extensive layout and design features, suitable for creating brochures, newsletters, and other complex documents.
Scribus: This is a free and open-source desktop publishing application that provides a range of features for layout design, making it a good alternative for users who need a cost-effective solution.
Canva: An online design tool that allows you to create a variety of graphics and layouts easily. It offers templates and a user-friendly interface, which can be helpful for quick designs.
Affinity Publisher: A more affordable alternative to Adobe InDesign, it offers many similar features for professional publishing.
LibreOffice Draw: Part of the LibreOffice suite, this tool can be used for basic desktop publishing tasks and is free to use.

These alternatives may not replicate every feature of Publisher, but they can provide similar functionalities for your design needs. If you are looking for specific features that Publisher offers, it might be worth exploring these options to see which one best fits your requirements.

References:

Microsoft Q&A

Answer 2

If you have a desktop non-365 version of Publisher that has a perpetual license (e.g., Microsoft Office Professional 2021), it won't be deleted from you computer. You can continue to use it after Oct 2026, but it won't be getting any more updates.

If you have the 365 version of Publisher that is a subscription, then you'll no longer be able to use it to open or edit Publisher files after support ends in Oct 2026. You will need to use another application. I do not recommend using PowerPoint or Word since those applications lack the features found in Publisher. Here are some better options:

Purchase Microsoft Office Professional (Pro) 2021 which has Publisher with a perpetual license. See https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/office-professional-2021/cfq7ttc0hhj9/0003?activetab=pivot:overviewtab However, you typically cannot have both Office 365 and Office 2021 installed on the same computer. You'll have to choose which one to use, or install them on separate computers.
Download and install LibreOffice. See https://www.libreoffice.org/. LibreOffice installs on your computer, and it is a free complete office suite of applications (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, and Math). Draw will open Publisher files and allow you to edit them.
Download and install Affinity Page Layout. See https://www.affinity.studio/page-layout-software. Affinity Page Layout is also free (without AI) and installs on your computer. But it currently does not open Publisher files directly. You first need to convert the Publisher file to PDF. (There are several online file converters that will do the conversion for you for free.) Then use Affinity Page Layout to open the PDF as described here: https://www.affinity.studio/help/get-started-import-pdf/.

Which of these three options to use depends on your needs. If you want to continue using Publisher, then Microsoft Office Professional 2021 is your best choice. You avoid a learning curve, but you may need a 2nd computer.

If you are looking for a free option, and only create simple, single-page items (flyers, signs, basic forms), or have a massive archive of old Publisher files that all need to be frequently opened/edited, then choose LibreOffice Draw. However, it lacks precision alignment and advanced commercial print controls like bleed setup and robust CMYK color profiles required by professional printing presses.

On the other hand, if you routinely design complex, multi-page layouts (newsletters, booklets, catalogs) and need a highly professional tool that functions similarly to Adobe InDesign, then choose Affinity Page Layout.

There are a number of YouTube videos that describe the features and how to use LibreOffice Draw and Affinity Page Layout. Many features work very similar to Publisher.

NOTE: Microsoft Office Professional (Pro) is a perpetual license for individuals and you are given a product key. Once installed, the product is in your Microsoft account, and you can download and reinstall it again at a later time, if you need to.

Avoid Office Professional Plus and Office LTSC Professional Plus. They are for organizations that use volume licensing. Some are illegal copies, do not come with product keys, and will not appear in your Microsoft account.