How can I continue to use Microsoft Publisher after 10/1/26?

Question

How can I continue to use Microsoft Publisher after 10/1/26?

Juliana O'Connor 5

Can I use Publisher after 10/1/26? I use it for my church's weekly bulletins.

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

Juliana O'Connor 5 Reputation points

2026-04-09T02:40:18.5266667+00:00

WHY is Publisher being retired? What is your good reason behind this BS?
Stefan Blom 353.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-12T16:24:33.1633333+00:00

WHY is Publisher being retired? What is your good reason behind this BS?

Sorry, forum contributors can't answer why questions. We are just your fellow users of Microsoft products and services. The official statement regarding the discontinuation doesn't mention a specific reason. The statement does say that Microsoft believes their other products offer similar functionality (see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7 ).
Elijah L 0 Reputation points

2026-04-16T20:02:47.62+00:00

We use Publisher mostly for newsletters and we have literally hundreds, if not thousands of Publisher files. Suggesting that I go and convert all of them is ludicrous. And Word is NOT the same for formatting newsletters. The whole advantage of Publisher is that you can tell it where you want something and it will stay there. Also, it very nicely will direct someone to the next page or wherever the column is for the rest of the article. Word is NOT the same. Pictures and text boxes move all over the place for one thing.

I have Microsoft 365 and as near as I can tell, buying a separate license for Publisher 2021 or whatever will not work, because they are not compatible with Microsoft 365. We are screwed royally and it is infuriating how deaf they are to the problems they are causing. I really don't know what we are going to do, but I'm VERY UNHAPPY.
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Alice Ramsay 0 Reputation points

2026-04-17T16:14:23.53+00:00

Unfortunately, we are embedded with Microsoft 365, so this is problematic. However, I did just get a new PC and I plan to install Office with Publisher somehow and install it on my old PC (after uninstalling Microsoft 365). That way we can still access our old files. Any good ideas where to purchase Office 2021 or 2024 with Publisher? This is so annoying.

I also plan to look into InDesign or something to use going forward.
Stefan Blom 353.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-17T18:18:39.9833333+00:00

Note that there is no version of Office 2024 which includes Publisher.

However, it is still possible to purchase Office Professional 2021 from Microsoft (very unusual, because they normally do not sell older versions).

EDIT: Microsoft's offer to purchase Office Professional 2021 is no longer available.

5 answers

Juliana O'Connor 5 Reputation points

2026-04-09T02:40:18.5266667+00:00

WHY is Publisher being retired? What is your good reason behind this BS?
Stefan Blom 353.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-12T16:24:33.1633333+00:00

WHY is Publisher being retired? What is your good reason behind this BS?

Sorry, forum contributors can't answer why questions. We are just your fellow users of Microsoft products and services. The official statement regarding the discontinuation doesn't mention a specific reason. The statement does say that Microsoft believes their other products offer similar functionality (see https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7 ).
Elijah L 0 Reputation points

2026-04-16T20:02:47.62+00:00

We use Publisher mostly for newsletters and we have literally hundreds, if not thousands of Publisher files. Suggesting that I go and convert all of them is ludicrous. And Word is NOT the same for formatting newsletters. The whole advantage of Publisher is that you can tell it where you want something and it will stay there. Also, it very nicely will direct someone to the next page or wherever the column is for the rest of the article. Word is NOT the same. Pictures and text boxes move all over the place for one thing.

I have Microsoft 365 and as near as I can tell, buying a separate license for Publisher 2021 or whatever will not work, because they are not compatible with Microsoft 365. We are screwed royally and it is infuriating how deaf they are to the problems they are causing. I really don't know what we are going to do, but I'm VERY UNHAPPY.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Alice Ramsay 0 Reputation points

2026-04-17T16:14:23.53+00:00

Unfortunately, we are embedded with Microsoft 365, so this is problematic. However, I did just get a new PC and I plan to install Office with Publisher somehow and install it on my old PC (after uninstalling Microsoft 365). That way we can still access our old files. Any good ideas where to purchase Office 2021 or 2024 with Publisher? This is so annoying.

I also plan to look into InDesign or something to use going forward.
Stefan Blom 353.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-17T18:18:39.9833333+00:00

Note that there is no version of Office 2024 which includes Publisher.

However, it is still possible to purchase Office Professional 2021 from Microsoft (very unusual, because they normally do not sell older versions).

EDIT: Microsoft's offer to purchase Office Professional 2021 is no longer available.

Answer 1

Publisher can be used with full functionality only until October 2026.

Key dates and impact:

Until October 2026: Publisher continues to work as it does today.
October 1, 2026: Support for the perpetual version of Publisher ends when Office LTSC 2021 reaches end of support.
After October 2026: Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer have access to the Publisher application and will not be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher.

That means Publisher cannot be relied on for ongoing weekly bulletin creation after that date. To prepare:

Convert existing Publisher bulletins so they remain usable
- Open each .pub file in Publisher.
- Select File > Save As.
- Choose a location.
- Select PDF as the file type and Save.
- For many files, use the documented PowerShell bulk conversion approach to convert .pub files to PDF automatically.
Plan where to create future bulletins Recommended Microsoft 365 apps for typical Publisher scenarios include:
- Ads or flyers, brochures, banners, signs, posters, cards: Word, PowerPoint, or Designer
- Newsletters, programs, folded paper projects, church bulletins: Word (or PowerPoint, depending on layout needs)
If editing past content is required after retirement
- Convert the .pub file to PDF as above.
- In Word: File > Open, select the PDF, then OK to convert it to an editable Word document. Layout may change, especially where many images are used.
- Alternatively, consider a third‑party conversion tool to move .pub files to another editable format. Quality and support vary and are not provided by Microsoft.

There is no supported way to continue using Publisher itself or opening .pub files in Publisher with Microsoft 365 after October 2026, so moving bulletins to Word, PowerPoint, or another tool before that date is required.

References:

Answer 2

Norah-L 11,530 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Welcome Juliana O'Connor!

Thank you for posting your questions to the Q&A forum.

Can I use Publisher after 10/1/26?

If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, Microsoft Publisher will no longer be available for installation or download after October 2026. However, if you have the Perpetual version of Publisher, although support will end, you will still be able to install and use the app beyond this date.

There are some alternatives you can consider to your Microsoft Publisher:

User's image

To avoid losing access to your past bulletins, it’s also recommended to convert your existing Publisher files to another format (such as PDF or Word) before the October 2026 deadline so they can still be viewed or edited afterward.

WHY is Publisher being retired? What is your good reason behind this BS?

Publisher is being retired to focus development on newer Microsoft 365 capabilities, with some apps being phased out so more resources can go toward improving widely used tools.

In addition, according to Microsoft: "Many common Publisher scenarios—including creating professionally branded templates, printing envelopes and labels, and producing customized calendars, business cards, and programs—are already available in other Microsoft 365 apps such as Word and PowerPoint...."

Hope this helps clarify your concern. Please feel free to post back if you have any further questions!

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Norah-L 11,530 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-12T08:52:54.2433333+00:00

Hello Juliana O'Connor!

May I know if you have got any chance to check my answer?

I am glad to help if you have any other questions.
Alice Ramsay 0 Reputation points

2026-04-17T16:15:14.8766667+00:00

As I said above, suggesting Word for using for newsletters is tone-deaf at best. A desktop publishing app Word is not.
Norah-L 11,530 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-04-19T08:42:26.9966667+00:00

Hi Alice Ramsay!

I understand your point, and you’re right to note that Word isn’t meant to be a full‑featured publishing application. It’s generally suggested only for simpler newsletter use cases where ease of access and basic layout needs are the main focus.

For more advanced design, layout, and typography needs, third‑party desktop publishing tools may be a more suitable alternative.
Alice Ramsay 0 Reputation points

2026-04-20T16:22:00.2733333+00:00

I'm beginning to comprehend that. What is infuriating is Microsoft's patronizing attitude about getting rid of Publisher and that it will be no big deal for people to use something else. It's a HUGE deal and very inconsiderate of them to not make it easy for us.

I'm an IT person, I will figure out how to move on. I shouldn't have to do this much work however.
Juliana O'Connor 5 Reputation points

2026-04-21T07:37:11.21+00:00

I still find this to be a HUGE inconvenience on Microsoft's part, and yet, they still have not provided a GOOD REASON behind this decision. I can only assume there is no good reason why they are doing this, and since many customers are extremely unhappy about this decision, why not just reverse the decision to retire it?

Answer 3

Stefan Blom 353.9K MVP Volunteer Moderator

If you have Office 2021 Professional, which includes Publisher, you can keep using Publisher even after October 2026.

Stefan Blom 353.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-04-12T16:20:25.77+00:00

[deleted reply]

Answer 4

DocNorton 0

It's absolutely ludicrous that they are discontinuing support and suggesting Word & Powerpoint to be the alternatives.

We all know Word behaves nothing like publisher.

Stefan Blom 353.9K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-05-04T14:22:42.83+00:00

@DocNorton,

Note that you are only communicating with your fellow users of Microsoft products in the Q&A forums. Microsoft decision makers do not follow the threads here. You can send feedback in the portal at https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback .

If you don't want to use Office Professional 2021, which does include Publisher 2021, you need to find a replacement for Publisher. Affinity seems to have a good reputation, and there is a free version.

Answer 5

Completely understand the worry, a lot of church bulletin workflows were built around Publisher and it is hard to give that up. The safest move right now is to export your existing files to PDF while everything still works, so nothing gets lost. For new bulletins, Word templates can cover most of the same layouts, and Affinity Publisher is a solid one-time-purchase alternative if you want a real desktop publishing tool. Also keep a backup of your installer, just in case.