Can I still buy a stand alone version of Publisher from Microsoft in order to keep using my files.

Lotti 65

I am horrified that my subscription to Microsoft 365 is going up 40% and yet the programme I use more than any other is being discontinued in October next year.

Many of the other "benefits" of Microsoft 365 are of no benefit to me. I have no family to share it with, I don't use the cloud storage and I find Powerpoint good for presentations - but not for anything else.

Why is Publisher being discontinued when so many of us rely on it every day?

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Janet 15 Reputation points

2025-11-11T01:01:09.8666667+00:00

I too am dismayed and at a bit of a loss as to how I will be able to access and use my Publisher files after October 2026. Saving them to Pdf would be completely pointless, as they will then be unusable and uneditable. There doesn't seem to be any alternative being offered by Microsoft to replace Publisher. Neither Word nor PowerPoint have the features or the ease of use that Publisher has. Does Microsoft recommend any alternatives?
Mary Power 0 Reputation points

2026-01-12T00:01:50.3166667+00:00

where can i get a version - ANY version - of publisher that i can download and save as-is on my new windows 11 laptop??
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Answer recommended by moderator

WordWizzard 1,235

Affinity Publisher is free.

You can supposedly use it to import and edit your Publisher files, if you first convert them to PDF. See

https://www.affinity.studio/page-layout-software

https://www.affinity.studio/help/get-started-import-pdf/

For the few cases were the conversion is not acceptable, you can convert the Publisher files directly to Affinity using https://markzware.com/markzportal/converting-microsoft-publisher-to-affinity-publisher/

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sun up 5 Reputation points

2026-03-30T07:39:14.4966667+00:00

That markzware site is very expensive to use, and the result didn't look great to me. I just tested importing a PDF that had been created using Publisher into Affinity Publisher 2, and it's fine. It works in a similar way to MS Publisher, learning curve is not steep.

5 additional answers

Alex_T 6,410 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-10-27T18:25:13.5566667+00:00

Hello Lotti,

Thank you for reaching out in Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand your frustration of losing access to Publisher, the tool you rely on most, while its discontinuation leaves you without a suitable alternative.

Microsoft Publisher is being discontinued in October 2026 as part of Microsoft’s transition away from older apps. So, Publisher is not available as a standalone purchase anymore. It was previously included in Microsoft Office suites, but Microsoft has shifted fully to Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

You cannot buy a new standalone version of Publisher from Microsoft. The only way to use it is through Microsoft 365 until the discontinuation date.

If you already have Publisher installed, you can keep using it until October 2026. After that, it will no longer receive updates or security patches.

You can convert Publisher files to PDF or Word format for long-term access. Use the built-in Save As → PDF option in Publisher.

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Alex_T 6,410 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-10-28T15:31:52.4333333+00:00

Hello Lotti,

Did you find the answer you need? If yes, please mark this answer as helpful and upvote it. Others with similar questions in this forum will be grateful for that.

Thank you for understanding.

Lotti 65 Reputation points

2025-10-28T16:40:57.82+00:00

Very disappointed with Microsoft.

Sharon and Jamie Whittle 10 Reputation points

2025-11-11T01:02:28.7866667+00:00

I also use publisher everyday. I am beyond disappointed. This is such a gut punch. With autistic kids, I use it constantly to make my own charts for them. The main reason for my subscription is publisher. Going to be looking into alternatives, including moving to apple like so many other ASD parents I know have suggested.

Donald Blais 15 Reputation points

2026-01-15T23:53:30.14+00:00

What a great way to piss off a generation of faithful Publisher devotees. You should sell the copyrights possibly and let some other company carry on.

What say You?

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WordWizzard 1,235 Reputation points

2026-01-23T09:55:36.6366667+00:00

Donald Blais,

Except for DOS, I'm not aware of Microsoft selling rights to any of their software. (They released DOS into the public domain after 50+ years.) On the other hand, many companies are reluctant to buy the rights to someone else's software. The older the software is, the more likely it is poorly documented (if at all), has little or no design documentation, and due to patches over the years, it is often a maintenance headache. Using a product as-is without any bug fixes or improvement is not a long term solution.

We've worked on other companies software in the past, and I can tell you it's very time consuming and expensive. It's generally a lot cheaper for a company to develop their own software that can import the file format.

Carlos Sanchez 0 Reputation points

2026-03-13T20:49:57.57+00:00

Yeah, I'm sure MS will make tons of $ by discontinuing Publisher...

Then there are some posts on the web saying MS has a """Designer""" app that I'm unable to find...

I'm only surprised those days that nothing awkward happens, which are very few...

Rick Stockellburg 10 Reputation points

2026-04-05T22:58:47.0966667+00:00

I'm disappointed that Microsoft seems to have taken on the Apple attitude. You'll do what we say or else. To not have a stand alone version I can buy at this time is unacceptable. I've been using Publisher for 30ish years. Extremely disappointed.

judith milling 5 Reputation points

2026-04-06T15:19:23.6533333+00:00

this is CRAP. Been using publisher or more than 14 years doing an international bimonthly magazine. You cant save your items in word and powerpoint is not a layout. You should at least offer the latest publisher software as a standalone program so our files can still be used. It is so easy now to continually do the magazine without that learning curve. InDesign is very difficult. I tried it once and gave up. That is one of the reasons I pay microsoft office for all of its programs and now you are killing it.