Microsoft Publisher is gone after 35 years. The app left Microsoft 365 subscriptions on or shortly after 1 October 2026, and support for the perpetual Office 2021 version ended on 13 October 2026. Microsoft announced the retirement on 15 February 2024 and has named no replacement product.
Two Dates Ended Publisher, Not One
Publisher did not die on a single day, and which date applies depends on how the software was licensed.
Subscribers were cut off first. Microsoft’s support notice states that Microsoft 365 subscribers will not be able to access Publisher on or shortly after 1 October 2026, and that the app is no longer available for installation or download after October 2026.
Perpetual licences ran two weeks longer. Microsoft’s notice puts the end of support for the perpetual version at 13 October 2026, the same day Office LTSC 2021 and consumer Office 2021 reached end of support.
| Date | What Changed |
|---|---|
| 15 February 2024 | Microsoft announced that Publisher would be discontinued |
| 1 October 2026 | Publisher removed from Microsoft 365; .pub files no longer open in it |
| 13 October 2026 | Support ended for the perpetual Publisher 2021 release |
What Is True as of 16 October 2026?
Publisher is retired, and nothing about that is provisional.
Microsoft 365 subscribers no longer have the app and cannot reinstall it. Anyone running the perpetual Publisher 2021 release can still open and edit their own files, because Microsoft’s notice confirms that the app can be installed and used beyond the cutoff date, but it has received no fixes or security updates since 13 October 2026.
Microsoft has announced no extension and no successor product. The company’s guidance is unchanged from the version it published before the deadline: convert the files.
Why Did Microsoft Discontinue Publisher?
Microsoft’s stated reason is that it retires products to concentrate on newer ones, and that Word and PowerPoint already do most of what Publisher did.
In a Microsoft Q&A thread about the decision, a Microsoft moderator relayed the company’s position that in order to focus on delivering new benefits and improvements, some products and features are occasionally retired. Microsoft has also said it is looking at ways to handle common Publisher tasks across Word, PowerPoint and Designer.
The product history pointed the same way well before the announcement. Publisher 2021, released on 5 October 2021, was the last version Microsoft ever shipped, and Office 2024 arrived three years later without Publisher in any edition.
What Happens to Your .pub Files Now?
Nothing was deleted. The files remain exactly where they were saved; what ended is the Microsoft app that opens them.
That distinction matters because .pub is a proprietary format with no published specification, so support outside Publisher itself has always been patchy. A subscriber who still has .pub files and no perpetual install cannot open them in any Microsoft product.
Microsoft acknowledges third-party viewers and converters exist, while noting in its own notice that they vary in quality and capabilities and that Microsoft does not provide support for them.
How Do You Convert Publisher Files?
Microsoft’s route is to export to PDF first, and to go through PDF again if the file needs to stay editable. All of it requires a working Publisher install, which is why the window to do it has largely closed for subscribers.
- For viewing and archiving: open the file, choose File then Save as, select PDF as the file type and save.
- For editing later: save as PDF, then open that PDF in Word. Microsoft warns the result is optimised for text editing, so layouts can shift, particularly on documents with many graphics.
- For large collections: Microsoft publishes a sample PowerShell script that can individually or bulk export Publisher files to PDF or other formats, and says to test and modify it before relying on it.
The PowerShell route needs a licensed, working copy of Publisher on the machine running it. On organisation-owned hardware, that usually means asking IT whether a perpetual Office 2021 install still exists somewhere, and those installs are now unpatched, much like the Office 2016 and 2019 machines caught by a paused Microsoft update in September 2026.
What Should You Use Instead of Publisher?
Microsoft points to apps already in Microsoft 365 rather than to a single replacement.
- Flyers and ads: Word or PowerPoint.
- Banners, signs and posters: PowerPoint.
- Newsletters: Word.
For layout work heavier than that, the Microsoft Q&A thread on the retirement pointed users to Affinity Publisher and Adobe InDesign, both third-party products Microsoft does not support. Neither reads .pub files natively, so converted PDFs are the practical starting point.
Can You Still Get Publisher Anywhere?
Not from any current Microsoft product.
Publisher shipped only inside certain Office suites and Microsoft 365 business plans, and Microsoft’s own Office 2024 FAQ confirms that Office LTSC 2024 does not include Microsoft Publisher because it was being retired. The one-off purchase version of Office released in 2024 therefore never carried it either.
That leaves Office 2021 as the last suite that contained Publisher, and it reached end of support on 13 October 2026. Installing it now would mean running unsupported software to open an unsupported format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Publisher Still Work After October 2026?
Only the perpetual version. Publisher 2021 installs keep running and keep opening files, without updates or support. Microsoft 365 copies have been removed and cannot be brought back.
Can I Open .pub Files Without Publisher?
Not in a Microsoft app. Third-party viewers and converters can read some .pub files, but Microsoft does not support them and warns that their quality varies.
Does Office 2024 Include Publisher?
No. Microsoft’s Office 2024 FAQ states that Office LTSC 2024 does not include Publisher, citing the retirement.
Did Microsoft Release a Replacement for Publisher?
No. Microsoft has named no successor product, and instead recommends Word and PowerPoint, with Designer mentioned as part of its longer-term plans.
Will Reinstalling Microsoft 365 Bring Publisher Back?
No. Microsoft states the app is not available for installation or download after October 2026, and a Microsoft moderator confirmed it cannot be re-enabled once retired.
