Who can I complain to at corporate about discontinuing MS Publisher?!!

Question

Who can I complain to at corporate about discontinuing MS Publisher?!!

amirek 40

Please, please don't discontinue Publisher! I've used it for years, and I find it BETTER than Word! It's much more functional for all manner of documents, whereas Word is NOT. Word has too many limitations and is much more difficult to use. So many small businesses use Publisher because it works well for preparing documents for print. It was bad enough that Microsoft removed the scan function and I had to turn to Adobe Acrobat to scan documents! Microsoft needs to STOP trying to fix things and just improve on what they have with as few changes as possible!.

My husband and I both use Publisher for personal use and our very small business. It just works so much easier than Word. ALSO: we DO NOT like 365 or any Cloud-based programs!

There are still MANY people who don't have internet in rural areas, so Cloud-based programs are NOT feasible!

Update Publisher if necessary--I'll buy a new Microsoft Office package so long as it's desktop-based. But, if Microsoft discontinues either Publisher or the desktop-based software, I will NOT buy any more MS products--I will turn to open source. We've used Microsoft products for over 20 years and that's DAILY. But we feel like Microsoft is leaving us behind. We can't afford Cloud-based subscriptions.

There is no reason for very small businesses like ours to have to spend so much on massive programs the go way beyond our needs! It's expensive enough just using non-Cloud-based products, since the prices of everything else just keep going up, while our income just keeps going down. I guess Microsoft is no longer interested in the individuals who started with them and made them what they are, instead focusing on the larger corporate needs, and that's a crying shame, because there are a lot of US still out here.

Locked Question. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

Stephanie Matthews 15 Reputation points

2026-01-08T15:44:48.7866667+00:00

I agree! I am so sad they are getting rid of it. Word and Powerpoint are just not the same. I think the small business commuity really rely on it a lot. I am so upset it is going!
Stephanie Matthews 15 Reputation points

2026-01-08T15:45:46.4566667+00:00

Let me know if you found any decent petitions for it - the only one I found has just a handful of signatures. Theremust be more of us out there (here?)
Valdez, Melissa - BAC 5 Reputation points

2026-01-12T01:31:52.12+00:00

Publisher is the ONLY THING Microsoft has going to differentiate from Google. Docs is Word ~ Sheets is Exel ~ Slides are PowerPoint. Really bad move in my opinion.
amirek 40 Reputation points

2026-01-12T16:25:29.3066667+00:00

There is an online petition to stop Microsoft from ending Publisher! Here's the link:

https://c.org/rKRMWsDbmL If the link is disabled, you can just Google "Microsoft Publisher petition", or go to Change dot org and do a search.
Brittany 0 Reputation points

2026-02-19T20:03:53.24+00:00

I agree! Publisher is amazing and should not be discontinued! I say we take to social media!
amirek 40 Reputation points

2026-04-07T18:47:27.9333333+00:00

While I used to use Publisher for some of my small business dealings, I use it for personal projects now. It's easy to use and the results are very professional looking. One feature I do miss is the ability to scan from my scanner, but if I have to do without it to keep Publisher, I'll take it. I've used it for designing and printing business cards, invoices, documents of various types, envelopes, etc. for my small businesses in the past. Now I use it for things like garage sale flyers, for sale signs, creating invitations, recipe cards, etc. It's been invaluable to me and my husband uses it all the time to create documents for his job as a corporate pilot. I don't know what I'm going to do without Publisher. Frankly, if Microsoft had to eliminate one of its many programs, I'd happily give up Word so I could keep Publisher, because I can do the same things and MORE with Publisher.
Joanna Claire 5 Reputation points

2026-04-23T00:48:14.7933333+00:00

The suggested alternatives aren’t even close to what Publisher offers to its users. I’ve used this software since at least 2008. I use it for so many things as well as using Canva. I know which app is best for the type of project I’m doing because while some people think they are interchangeable, they really are not.
Brittany 0 Reputation points

2026-04-23T00:53:28.73+00:00

I completely agree! I was taught Publisher in school and have used it for 20+ years. Canva has so many limitations! I will take things from canva and move them into publisher for finalizing and printing
Lori 0 Reputation points

2026-06-04T14:19:40.0366667+00:00

I hope MS will reconsider and come up with a way to offer Publisher.
So far, we haven't found a package that is as intuitive as Publisher or has the same capabilities. Word is not suitable for our combination of text and images, editing capabilities, etc. and Power Point is not even less usable for us.

Our organization uses Publisher daily for a variety of tasks and the vast majority of our technical documents were created in Publisher. I suspect we are one of a vast number that will be spending time and money to move to a new package that won't be MS or integrated with MS.

MS, please reconsider . . . and offer a solution
cheryl Keller 10 Reputation points

2026-06-18T13:39:57.9066667+00:00

I am writing to express my disappointment with Microsoft’s decision to discontinue Publisher. I have used this program for decades, both personally and professional. I have created some amazing newsletters, cards, programs, flyers and more. Numerous compliments and requests for the work I do with Publisher. I make all my greeting cards using Publisher so I can personalize them and make them special for the individual. I have tried other programs suggested (Canva, Word, Adobe) but after several attempts I have not been able to design the cards I wish to create. These options are not at all a substitute. With Publisher the layout was easy to navigate, and I could easily see what I was doing and what it would look like when printed. Will you please reconsider the plan to discontinue Publisher.
Woodward, Steven 5 Reputation points

2026-06-26T13:34:17.26+00:00

Please do not discontinue Microsoft Publisher. I work in the funeral industry and use Publisher to create memorial stationary using Publisher and it is by far a better product. I have tried using Word, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Express and others and though I can do some of the same things a Publisher, it is much more difficult and time consuming to use these other products. Publisher also saves all the Properties settings in my templates so that I only have to add information and print. All the others, I need to changes the properties every time. Please find a way to keep Microsoft Publisher.
kevin cadwallender 0 Reputation points

2026-08-10T11:46:35.37+00:00

Absolutely all of the suggested replacements are not fit for purpose . It is a ridiculous move on the part of Microsoft and many people will be seeking to move away from Microsoft as there is no telling what it will withdraw next . I am already looking.
B. H 0 Reputation points

2026-09-11T15:14:35.5566667+00:00

What kills me is that while registering to make a comment here, Microsoft makes me sign up so they can send me a bunch of crap emails pushing their other stuff.

I know that I'm supposed to be polite here but I'm tired of these oligarchs taking advantage of us common folks. Microsoft knows they are not providing a "like for like" product, but they don't care. They are certainly aware of the hole it will leave for us smaller 'publishers', but it doesn't matter. I'm nearly 70 years old and just found out today that Publisher will be discontinued. I have used Publisher through the years at various churches to provide the weekly church bulletin, newsletters, various flyers and ads, and a myriad of other documents, solely because it was EASY and the end product is professional. One could manipulate text, boxes, pictures, photos, borders--just everything. It is beyond me what we are expected to use now for that purpose, and I'm incensed the Microsoft does not care. Because if they did, there would be a replacement product, not just NOTHING.

In these days and times, we must all think seriously about whether we want to continue to support these businesses which our dollars and interest have built. Like some politicians, they have forgotten where their bread is buttered; who puts those dollars into their pockets. I am so angry about Microsoft's decision to just end Publisher without a replacement. WE built your company and we like Publisher. Microsoft's decision to end this software will definitely affect my use of Microsoft products in the future. I will have to wean myself off your products in the same way I have stopped using and have boycotted businesses and products who don't serve me well during these tumultuous times.
Danny Peebles 0 Reputation points

2026-09-26T00:46:07.5366667+00:00

It's so disappointing that Microsoft sits up there in their ivory towers and just makes decisions that affects people's lives. I've been using publisher for 20 years It's the only thing I really the only one of the only programs I know how to use well and they just discontinue it without considering the impact it's going to have on actual people, again they just don't give a damn
Lee Sargent 5 Reputation points

2026-09-26T15:40:05.04+00:00

I agree with keeping Microsoft Publisher and I do not wish to see it gone. I have tried MS Excel and MS Word and they can not do what I was doing with our family calendar. Not only that but I have historical needs for the documents already created that would not be available. These needs are not your product but my work and historical data. You don't need to make changes to it. Keep it unchanged.

The overhead of keeping a useful app as is what it does in keeping our older documents alive. I certainly am strongly tempted to join any law suit that presses for retaining Microsoft Publisher whether a part of the supported package which I think it works well with or a standalone historic app.
Lee Sargent 5 Reputation points

2026-09-26T15:41:26.64+00:00

This is very true for businesses and family usage.
Lee Sargent 5 Reputation points

2026-09-26T15:43:14.8066667+00:00

I, also, have used other apps to recreate what I need and they don't work.
Lee Sargent 5 Reputation points

2026-09-26T16:00:51.4766667+00:00

My sentiments exactly. Publisher is a very useful tool as it is. Release it as a standalone product so that the millions that have used it and review it can do so without meshing with the changes you want to make. I want to be able to look at my work that was done decades ago and make changes that will last longer then 10/26/2026.

The product is a means to showing my created work. I wonder how many others will see this as removing the canvas from our paintings which we review often without thinking of the app.

Header 1 Header 2

Cell 1 Cell 2

Cell 3 Cell 4
amirek 40 Reputation points

2026-09-26T18:49:55.28+00:00

I agree--I'd be willing to pay for Publisher as a standalone product as a desktop software, NOT A SUBSCRIPTION. I have thousands of old business records and personal records that are currently in Publisher file format. I will lose ALL of them as there is no earthly way for me to convert them. I'd like to hear what Microsoft's reasoning for eliminating Publisher is.
Stephanie Matthews 15 Reputation points

2026-09-27T07:46:52.55+00:00

It is worth checking whether you have an old version. I discovered I had a 2019 perpetual version. Apparently these may still work after the cut off....

If your Publisher currently comes as part of your Microsoft 365 subscription, Microsoft says it will stop working after 1 October 2026 — not merely stop receiving updates. You won't be able to use that copy to open your .pub files. Microsoft Support

However, Microsoft also explicitly confirms that a perpetual/one-time-purchase version of Publisher can continue to be installed and used after October 2026. It will be unsupported and won't receive security updates, but it will still open and edit Publisher files. I would also like to add that I tried not to use Publisher since March - I tried to force myself to use other packages and not resort to Pub. But it is just such a great package - I definitely wasn't able to cover the tasks using Word/PP etc!

Answer recommended by moderator

WordWizzard 1,225

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.

amirek 40 Reputation points

2026-09-26T14:27:31.55+00:00

I think you're wrong about this: "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." I have MS Office Pro 2021 and so does my husband. Both of us have been receiving notifications that after October 2026, we will NOT be able to open Publisher.
Stefan Blom 353.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-09-27T09:02:34.23+00:00

@amirek

WordWizzard is correct. Perpetual licenses which include Publisher today will continue to work. See the FAQ at the bottom of the article at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026 .

4 additional answers

Stephanie Matthews 15 Reputation points

2026-01-08T15:44:48.7866667+00:00

I agree! I am so sad they are getting rid of it. Word and Powerpoint are just not the same. I think the small business commuity really rely on it a lot. I am so upset it is going!
Stephanie Matthews 15 Reputation points

2026-01-08T15:45:46.4566667+00:00

Let me know if you found any decent petitions for it - the only one I found has just a handful of signatures. Theremust be more of us out there (here?)
Valdez, Melissa - BAC 5 Reputation points

2026-01-12T01:31:52.12+00:00

Publisher is the ONLY THING Microsoft has going to differentiate from Google. Docs is Word ~ Sheets is Exel ~ Slides are PowerPoint. Really bad move in my opinion.
amirek 40 Reputation points

2026-01-12T16:25:29.3066667+00:00

There is an online petition to stop Microsoft from ending Publisher! Here's the link:

https://c.org/rKRMWsDbmL If the link is disabled, you can just Google "Microsoft Publisher petition", or go to Change dot org and do a search.
Brittany 0 Reputation points

2026-02-19T20:03:53.24+00:00

I agree! Publisher is amazing and should not be discontinued! I say we take to social media!
amirek 40 Reputation points

2026-04-07T18:47:27.9333333+00:00

While I used to use Publisher for some of my small business dealings, I use it for personal projects now. It's easy to use and the results are very professional looking. One feature I do miss is the ability to scan from my scanner, but if I have to do without it to keep Publisher, I'll take it. I've used it for designing and printing business cards, invoices, documents of various types, envelopes, etc. for my small businesses in the past. Now I use it for things like garage sale flyers, for sale signs, creating invitations, recipe cards, etc. It's been invaluable to me and my husband uses it all the time to create documents for his job as a corporate pilot. I don't know what I'm going to do without Publisher. Frankly, if Microsoft had to eliminate one of its many programs, I'd happily give up Word so I could keep Publisher, because I can do the same things and MORE with Publisher.
Joanna Claire 5 Reputation points

2026-04-23T00:48:14.7933333+00:00

The suggested alternatives aren’t even close to what Publisher offers to its users. I’ve used this software since at least 2008. I use it for so many things as well as using Canva. I know which app is best for the type of project I’m doing because while some people think they are interchangeable, they really are not.
Brittany 0 Reputation points

2026-04-23T00:53:28.73+00:00

I completely agree! I was taught Publisher in school and have used it for 20+ years. Canva has so many limitations! I will take things from canva and move them into publisher for finalizing and printing
Lori 0 Reputation points

2026-06-04T14:19:40.0366667+00:00

I hope MS will reconsider and come up with a way to offer Publisher.
So far, we haven't found a package that is as intuitive as Publisher or has the same capabilities. Word is not suitable for our combination of text and images, editing capabilities, etc. and Power Point is not even less usable for us.

Our organization uses Publisher daily for a variety of tasks and the vast majority of our technical documents were created in Publisher. I suspect we are one of a vast number that will be spending time and money to move to a new package that won't be MS or integrated with MS.

MS, please reconsider . . . and offer a solution
cheryl Keller 10 Reputation points

2026-06-18T13:39:57.9066667+00:00

I am writing to express my disappointment with Microsoft’s decision to discontinue Publisher. I have used this program for decades, both personally and professional. I have created some amazing newsletters, cards, programs, flyers and more. Numerous compliments and requests for the work I do with Publisher. I make all my greeting cards using Publisher so I can personalize them and make them special for the individual. I have tried other programs suggested (Canva, Word, Adobe) but after several attempts I have not been able to design the cards I wish to create. These options are not at all a substitute. With Publisher the layout was easy to navigate, and I could easily see what I was doing and what it would look like when printed. Will you please reconsider the plan to discontinue Publisher.
Woodward, Steven 5 Reputation points

2026-06-26T13:34:17.26+00:00

Please do not discontinue Microsoft Publisher. I work in the funeral industry and use Publisher to create memorial stationary using Publisher and it is by far a better product. I have tried using Word, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Express and others and though I can do some of the same things a Publisher, it is much more difficult and time consuming to use these other products. Publisher also saves all the Properties settings in my templates so that I only have to add information and print. All the others, I need to changes the properties every time. Please find a way to keep Microsoft Publisher.
kevin cadwallender 0 Reputation points

2026-08-10T11:46:35.37+00:00

Absolutely all of the suggested replacements are not fit for purpose . It is a ridiculous move on the part of Microsoft and many people will be seeking to move away from Microsoft as there is no telling what it will withdraw next . I am already looking.
B. H 0 Reputation points

2026-09-11T15:14:35.5566667+00:00

What kills me is that while registering to make a comment here, Microsoft makes me sign up so they can send me a bunch of crap emails pushing their other stuff.

I know that I'm supposed to be polite here but I'm tired of these oligarchs taking advantage of us common folks. Microsoft knows they are not providing a "like for like" product, but they don't care. They are certainly aware of the hole it will leave for us smaller 'publishers', but it doesn't matter. I'm nearly 70 years old and just found out today that Publisher will be discontinued. I have used Publisher through the years at various churches to provide the weekly church bulletin, newsletters, various flyers and ads, and a myriad of other documents, solely because it was EASY and the end product is professional. One could manipulate text, boxes, pictures, photos, borders--just everything. It is beyond me what we are expected to use now for that purpose, and I'm incensed the Microsoft does not care. Because if they did, there would be a replacement product, not just NOTHING.

In these days and times, we must all think seriously about whether we want to continue to support these businesses which our dollars and interest have built. Like some politicians, they have forgotten where their bread is buttered; who puts those dollars into their pockets. I am so angry about Microsoft's decision to just end Publisher without a replacement. WE built your company and we like Publisher. Microsoft's decision to end this software will definitely affect my use of Microsoft products in the future. I will have to wean myself off your products in the same way I have stopped using and have boycotted businesses and products who don't serve me well during these tumultuous times.
Danny Peebles 0 Reputation points

2026-09-26T00:46:07.5366667+00:00

It's so disappointing that Microsoft sits up there in their ivory towers and just makes decisions that affects people's lives. I've been using publisher for 20 years It's the only thing I really the only one of the only programs I know how to use well and they just discontinue it without considering the impact it's going to have on actual people, again they just don't give a damn
Lee Sargent 5 Reputation points

2026-09-26T15:40:05.04+00:00

I agree with keeping Microsoft Publisher and I do not wish to see it gone. I have tried MS Excel and MS Word and they can not do what I was doing with our family calendar. Not only that but I have historical needs for the documents already created that would not be available. These needs are not your product but my work and historical data. You don't need to make changes to it. Keep it unchanged.

The overhead of keeping a useful app as is what it does in keeping our older documents alive. I certainly am strongly tempted to join any law suit that presses for retaining Microsoft Publisher whether a part of the supported package which I think it works well with or a standalone historic app.
Lee Sargent 5 Reputation points

2026-09-26T15:41:26.64+00:00

This is very true for businesses and family usage.
Lee Sargent 5 Reputation points

2026-09-26T15:43:14.8066667+00:00

I, also, have used other apps to recreate what I need and they don't work.
Lee Sargent 5 Reputation points

2026-09-26T16:00:51.4766667+00:00

My sentiments exactly. Publisher is a very useful tool as it is. Release it as a standalone product so that the millions that have used it and review it can do so without meshing with the changes you want to make. I want to be able to look at my work that was done decades ago and make changes that will last longer then 10/26/2026.

The product is a means to showing my created work. I wonder how many others will see this as removing the canvas from our paintings which we review often without thinking of the app.

Header 1 Header 2

Cell 1 Cell 2

Cell 3 Cell 4
amirek 40 Reputation points

2026-09-26T18:49:55.28+00:00

I agree--I'd be willing to pay for Publisher as a standalone product as a desktop software, NOT A SUBSCRIPTION. I have thousands of old business records and personal records that are currently in Publisher file format. I will lose ALL of them as there is no earthly way for me to convert them. I'd like to hear what Microsoft's reasoning for eliminating Publisher is.
Stephanie Matthews 15 Reputation points

2026-09-27T07:46:52.55+00:00

It is worth checking whether you have an old version. I discovered I had a 2019 perpetual version. Apparently these may still work after the cut off....

If your Publisher currently comes as part of your Microsoft 365 subscription, Microsoft says it will stop working after 1 October 2026 — not merely stop receiving updates. You won't be able to use that copy to open your .pub files. Microsoft Support

However, Microsoft also explicitly confirms that a perpetual/one-time-purchase version of Publisher can continue to be installed and used after October 2026. It will be unsupported and won't receive security updates, but it will still open and edit Publisher files. I would also like to add that I tried not to use Publisher since March - I tried to force myself to use other packages and not resort to Pub. But it is just such a great package - I definitely wasn't able to cover the tasks using Word/PP etc!
amirek 40 Reputation points

2026-09-26T14:27:31.55+00:00

I think you're wrong about this: "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." I have MS Office Pro 2021 and so does my husband. Both of us have been receiving notifications that after October 2026, we will NOT be able to open Publisher.
Stefan Blom 353.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-09-27T09:02:34.23+00:00

@amirek

WordWizzard is correct. Perpetual licenses which include Publisher today will continue to work. See the FAQ at the bottom of the article at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026 .

Answer 1

Danny Peebles 0

Please keep Microsoft Publisher. I know I'm speaking into the wind and into the ears of a corporation that cares nothing for people. Nevertheless I repeat please keep Microsoft Publisher

Stefan Blom 353.8K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-09-27T09:17:48.01+00:00

@Danny Peebles

To send feedback to Microsoft, you have to post in the feedback portal at https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/ .

Microsoft developers and decision makers do read the feedback (they do not follow Q&A which is a user-to-user community hosted by Microsoft).

Answer 2

Deleted

This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

1 deleted comment

Comments have been turned off. Learn more

Answer 3

Deleted

This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Comments have been turned off. Learn more

Answer 4

I understand your concerns regarding the discontinuation of Microsoft Publisher. However, there is no specific contact information provided in the context for corporate complaints about product discontinuation. If you wish to express your feedback or concerns, it may be best to reach out through official Microsoft support channels or feedback forms available on their website. Additionally, keep in mind that Microsoft has announced that Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026, which may be a factor in their decision-making regarding the product's future.

References:

Overview of Office LTSC 2024

Header 1	Header 2
Cell 1	Cell 2
Cell 3	Cell 4