WHY CAN'T YOU KEEP MS PUBLISHER!!!!

Question

WHY CAN'T YOU KEEP MS PUBLISHER!!!!

Oakridge BASC 5

Why can't you keep publisher???? This is so frustrating - I have been using publisher since is first came out in the 90's. Power point and word are equally frustrating, especially when publisher did everything all in one!

Why can't the powers that be actually listen to the public for once.

Designer is useless and is just another version of Canva.

Please, please leave publisher!!!! I don't even care if I have to pay more just to have it. You have no idea how much anxiety and frustration you have caused so many non-profit and community groups who rely on publisher for everything!!!

Patrick Marchese 0 Reputation points

2026-09-10T15:34:43.9966667+00:00

Your concern is understandable, particularly for nonprofit and community groups that have accumulated years of newsletters, flyers, forms, and reusable templates.

A perpetual Publisher 2021 license may provide temporary access, but its support ends October 13, 2026, so it is not a long-term migration strategy. Keep your original .pub files and begin by identifying which publications must remain editable, which only need to be preserved, and which are no longer needed.

Before converting an entire archive, test a representative selection, especially multi-page and graphics-heavy documents. This will help determine which destination format preserves the text, images, page structure, and editability your organization requires. Direct conversion into modern editable layout formats can avoid some of the disruption caused by routing complex Publisher files through PDF and Word.

Disclosure: I’m the co-founder of Markzware, which has developed publishing-file conversion technology for over 30 years. I would be glad to help evaluate a representative Publisher file and explain the available options without obligation.

4 answers

Your answer

Patrick Marchese 0 Reputation points

2026-09-10T15:34:43.9966667+00:00

Your concern is understandable, particularly for nonprofit and community groups that have accumulated years of newsletters, flyers, forms, and reusable templates.

A perpetual Publisher 2021 license may provide temporary access, but its support ends October 13, 2026, so it is not a long-term migration strategy. Keep your original .pub files and begin by identifying which publications must remain editable, which only need to be preserved, and which are no longer needed.

Before converting an entire archive, test a representative selection, especially multi-page and graphics-heavy documents. This will help determine which destination format preserves the text, images, page structure, and editability your organization requires. Direct conversion into modern editable layout formats can avoid some of the disruption caused by routing complex Publisher files through PDF and Word.

Disclosure: I’m the co-founder of Markzware, which has developed publishing-file conversion technology for over 30 years. I would be glad to help evaluate a representative Publisher file and explain the available options without obligation.

Answer 1

One possible solution would be for Microsoft to offer a Microsoft Publisher Legacy Edition for a small one-time fee, for example €9.99-€19.99.

It would not need new features or continuous development. It could simply be the final stable version of Publisher with:

full opening and editing of existing .pub files
a permanent one-time licence
a complete offline installer
permission to make a personal backup on DVD or USB
limited or no technical support

Microsoft would have almost no physical distribution costs because users could download it themselves, while Microsoft could still receive revenue from an existing product.

Most importantly, people could continue using the thousands of Publisher files and layouts they have created over many years.

Even €9.99-€19.99 from a large number of existing Publisher users would be better than abandoning the product completely.

Download it, keep it, back it up and continue using Publisher.

This could be a simple solution for both Microsoft and Publisher users.

Answer 2

Oakridge BASC 5

Where and how can i get a perpetual version of publisher???

Lin v 1,545 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-09-08T17:39:15.5466667+00:00

Hi Oakridge,

After doing a bit of research, it appears that Office Professional 2021 includes Microsoft Publisher and is a perpetual (one-time purchase) Office license rather than a subscription.

However, there does not appear to be a direct purchase option available from Microsoft at this time. You may therefore need to check with a trusted Microsoft partner or authorized reseller to see whether legitimate Office Professional 2021 licenses are still available in your region.

Microsoft Partner Finder: Find the right partner for you.

Note: This is a one-time purchase version that is activated with a product key and licensed for use on a single device. Unlike Microsoft 365, it does not include subscription-based services or ongoing feature updates.

In addition, Microsoft 365 Apps and Office Professional 2021 are generally not designed to run side by side on the same device. Installing both may result in activation or installation conflicts.

Also, just as a precaution, you may wish to convert any important Publisher files to PDF or Word format before Publisher is retired from Microsoft 365 in October 2026. This can help ensure continued access to your content regardless of which Office option you choose going forward.

Answer 3

Hi Oakridge,

I understand your concern. Publisher has been a core tool for many organizations for decades, so I can appreciate why this topic means a lot to long-time users.

Unfortunately, this is a public community forum, so fellow users here do not have any influence over Microsoft's product decisions. If you would like Microsoft to be aware of your perspective, you may wish to submit feedback through Microsoft's feedback channels.

I've also found a similar feedback thread where other users have shared their thoughts and experiences regarding Publisher's retirement here: Don't cancel MS Publisher. You may find it helpful to join the conversation and give the feedback an upvote to help increase its visibility.

While this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, I hope the Microsoft Product team will continue to consider feedback from long-time Publisher users, given the important role Publisher has played for many organizations over the years.

Wishing you a wonderful day ahead.

Answer 4

Microsoft has announced that Publisher will reach end of life in October 2026. After October 1, 2026, it will no longer be included in Microsoft 365, and Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in the Publisher app. Until then, Publisher continues to work with its current functionality.

The available guidance is:

Continue using Publisher as-is until October 1, 2026.
Convert important .pub files before that date:
- To preserve viewing, open the file in Publisher, then go to File > Save as > choose PDF.
- To continue editing, open the PDF in Word using File > Open, then confirm the conversion. Microsoft notes that the converted Word file is optimized for text editing, so the layout can differ from the original, especially for graphics-heavy documents.
For large numbers of files, bulk conversion to PDF can be automated with a PowerShell script.
For common Publisher scenarios, Microsoft recommends other Microsoft 365 apps. For example, newsletters, envelopes, labels, and programs map mainly to Word, while banners, signs, and posters map mainly to PowerPoint.

If the goal is to continue using Publisher beyond Microsoft 365 availability, the context states that a perpetual version can still be installed and used beyond October 2026, although support will end.