Microsoft to Discontinue Publisher and Suggests Alternative Tools

After more than 20 years of service, Microsoft continues to make significant changes to its software offerings. Following the announcement that Skype will be retired in favour of Teams, another long-standing application is also being phased out: Microsoft Publisher.

The End of Publisher Announced

According to a recent statement from Microsoft, Publisher will no longer be supported from 1st October 2026. While this deadline is further away than Skype’s discontinuation in May 2025, users should start considering alternative solutions.

Microsoft Publisher has been widely used for its ease of use, allowing users to create brochures, business cards, and posters with ready-made templates. However, with the rise of more modern and versatile tools, it has gradually become outdated.

What Alternatives Does Microsoft Recommend?

Microsoft is now encouraging Publisher users to switch to Designer, Word, or PowerPoint, depending on their needs:

• Microsoft Designer for advanced graphic design, assisted by AI.
• PowerPoint for visual content, such as posters and flyers.
• Word for simpler layouts suited to rich-text documents.

However, one major drawback remains: Publisher does not allow direct conversion of .PUB files into formats compatible with Word or PowerPoint. The only option suggested by Microsoft is to export files as PDFs, which may limit further editing.

What Will Change After 1st October 2026?

Microsoft has outlined the following transition plan for Publisher’s discontinuation:

• Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer have access to Publisher from 1st October 2026.
• Users of the perpetual Office 2021 version will still be able to use Publisher, but without support or updates.
• Office LTSC 2024, available since September 2024, no longer includes Publisher.

As a result, unless users keep an older version of Office, Publisher will no longer be a viable option after this date.

With evolving user needs and the rise of more advanced tools such as Canva and Microsoft Designer, this decision seems inevitable. However, for long-time Publisher users, the transition could prove challenging.

What are your thoughts on the end of Publisher? Have you already switched to an alternative?