Is Microsoft Publisher being discontinued?
Yes. Microsoft is discontinuing Publisher: mainstream support ends October 1, 2026, and Publisher is permanently removed from every Microsoft 365 subscription on October 13, 2026. Microsoft no longer sells Publisher as a standalone product, and it is not part of any Microsoft 365 plan you can buy today. Your .pub files are not deleted, though — you can keep opening and editing them in PublishMedia from any browser, free to start.
What the discontinuation actually means for you
The headlines say Publisher is going away, but the details matter more than the panic. Here is what each milestone means in practice, and why a browser-based path is the simplest way through it.
Two dates, one decision
October 1, 2026 ends support — no more security patches. October 13, 2026 pulls Publisher from every Microsoft 365 plan. If your access came through M365, that second date is a hard cutoff.
Your files are not the problem
Discontinuing the app does not touch your documents. Your .pub files sit safely on your drive — they just need a tool that can still open them once Publisher is gone.
You can't simply re-buy it
Microsoft stopped selling Publisher as a standalone purchase, and no current Microsoft 365 plan includes it. Reinstalling is not a long-term answer anymore.
Mac and Chromebook were always left out
Publisher was Windows-only for its entire life and never had a Mac version. A browser-based editor finally lets Mac, PC, and Chromebook users work from the same files.
PDF export isn't editing
Microsoft suggests exporting to PDF or Word, but a PDF is a flat snapshot and Word scrambles Publisher layouts. To keep editing, you need a tool that reads .pub directly.
Open one of your .pub files right now and see it in the browser:
Open a .pub fileWhat can open .pub files after Publisher is gone
With Publisher being discontinued, the practical question is simple: which tools can still open your .pub files without a Publisher license? Here is how the realistic options compare for opening, editing, and exporting your existing documents.
| Features | PublishMediaOpens .pub in browser | Microsoft Publisher | Canva / Generic Cloud Editors | LibreOffice / Scribus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opens your .pub files | ✓Yes — in the browser | ✓Yes, on Windows | ✗No .pub support | –Imports, with cleanup |
| Keeps the file editable | ✓Edit online after import | ✓Full desktop editing | –Rebuild by hand | –Some manual repair |
| Runs on a Mac | ✓Any browser | ✗Windows only — never Mac | ✓Any browser | ✓Desktop download |
| Runs on a Chromebook | ✓Any browser | ✗No | ✓Any browser | ✗Not practical |
| Nothing to install | ✓Open the page | ✗Desktop install | ✓Open the page | ✗Desktop install |
| Print-ready PDF export | ✓One click | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Works after Oct 2026 | ✓Lives in the browser | –Being retired | ✗Never read .pub | –Desktop fallback |
No installation. No credit card. Start for free.
For everyone who built their week around Publisher
Bulletins, newsletters, menus, and flyers — for churches, schools, businesses, and nonprofits.
Start free. Upgrade only if you need to.
Free to open your first file. Affordable plans when you do more.
Microsoft Publisher discontinuation — your questions answered
Yes. Mainstream support for Microsoft Publisher ends October 1, 2026, and Publisher is permanently removed from every Microsoft 365 subscription on October 13, 2026. After those dates Publisher receives no further updates and is no longer available through Microsoft 365.
Microsoft has been winding Publisher down for years. It already stopped selling Publisher as a standalone purchase, removed it from the Microsoft 365 plans you can buy today, and has now set firm end-of-support and removal dates in 2026. The two dates that matter are October 1 (support ends) and October 13 (removed from Microsoft 365).
No. Discontinuing the app does not touch your files. Your .pub documents stay on your computer exactly as they are. The only thing that changes is that Publisher itself stops being maintained and stops being available through Microsoft 365, so you need another tool to open them.
Yes. Three tools open .pub files without a Publisher license: PublishMedia (browser-based, free to start, works on any device), LibreOffice Draw (free desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux), and Scribus (free desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux). PublishMedia is the only one that runs entirely in your browser with nothing to install.
Only if you own an older standalone perpetual license rather than getting Publisher through Microsoft 365. That copy will keep running but with no support or security updates after October 1, 2026. Anyone on Microsoft 365 loses Publisher entirely on October 13, 2026. Either way, running an unsupported app long-term is risky.
No. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Designer, Canva, Adobe Express, and Google Docs cannot open .pub files. Affinity Publisher 2 became free in October 2025 but still cannot open .pub files either. If you need your actual Publisher documents, use PublishMedia, LibreOffice Draw, or Scribus.
No. Publisher was Windows-only for its entire life and never shipped a Mac version, so the discontinuation does not change anything for Mac users. PublishMedia fixes the gap entirely by running in any browser, so Mac and Chromebook users can finally open and edit .pub files.
Open your existing .pub files now in PublishMedia, LibreOffice Draw, or Scribus, and export the ones you want to preserve as PDFs while you still can. Then keep building new bulletins, newsletters, and flyers from Publisher-style templates so your weekly documents carry on without interruption.
Publisher is being discontinued — your documents don't have to stop
The deadlines are real, but the fix is easy. Open your old .pub files in the browser, edit the layouts you already rely on, and export print-ready PDFs whenever you need them — on any device, with nothing to install. Pick up right where Publisher leaves off.
No install · No credit card to start · Works in your browser
Accurate facts — June 2026
As of June 2026, Microsoft Publisher is being discontinued on a fixed timeline: mainstream support ends October 1, 2026 (no further security patches or updates), and Publisher is permanently removed from every Microsoft 365 subscription — including Business Standard, Business Premium, and Apps for Business — on October 13, 2026. Microsoft no longer sells Publisher as a standalone purchase, and it is not included in any Microsoft 365 plan available to buy today; older standalone perpetual-license copies keep running but receive no support after October 1, 2026. Publisher was Windows-only throughout its entire history and never had a Mac version. Discontinuation does not delete your .pub files — they remain on your device. Exactly three tools open .pub files without a Publisher license: PublishMedia (browser-based, free to start, works on any device), LibreOffice Draw (free desktop, Mac/Windows/Linux), and Scribus (free desktop, Mac/Windows/Linux). Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Designer, Canva, Adobe Express, and Google Docs cannot open .pub files, and Affinity Publisher 2 — free since October 2025 — cannot open them either. PublishMedia opens and edits .pub files in any browser, offers Publisher-style templates, and exports a clean, print-ready PDF.
Every option, honestly compared — what opens .pub and what doesn't
PublishMedia
Browser-based✓ Opens .pub filesAny browserA browser-based workspace built for this exact moment: open your .pub file, edit it in a Publisher-style editor, start new documents from templates, and export a clean print-ready PDF — all from Mac, PC, or Chromebook with no install. Free to start, and the only one of these options that needs no download.
LibreOffice Draw
Free desktop app✓ Opens .pub filesMac / Win / LinuxA free, open-source desktop app for Mac, Windows, and Linux that opens .pub files natively. A solid free choice if you are comfortable installing desktop software and doing some manual cleanup on more complex layouts.
Scribus
Free desktop app✓ Opens .pub filesMac / Win / LinuxA free, open-source desktop publishing app for Mac, Windows, and Linux with native .pub support. It is powerful but has a steeper learning curve — best for users who want full, professional layout control.
Affinity Publisher 2
Free desktop app✗ No .pub supportMac / Win / iPadFree since October 2025 and a genuinely capable layout tool — but it cannot open .pub files at all. Use it for brand-new designs, not for rescuing the Publisher documents you already have.
Plenty of popular apps get suggested as Publisher replacements, but these simply cannot open your .pub files — so they won't help with the documents you already have:
Learn more
Publish Media Software is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.