I want to purchase a standalone Publisher 2021

Question

I want to purchase a standalone Publisher 2021

TrevorMolyneux-8599 30

I want to purchase a standalone Publisher 2021 or install it from Office 2021 while still running Office 365. Is this possible.

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

Zoevi-V 4,015 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-20T00:22:18.4833333+00:00

Hi Trevor Molyneux,

I haven't received any updates since your message. Have you done setting up those apps?
TrevorMolyneux-8599 30 Reputation points

2026-03-18T11:21:43.9633333+00:00

I don't really want to have two accounts because that will include another email address that I will never use and which just makes things messy.

Answer accepted by question author

Zoevi-V 4,015 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Trevor Molyneux,

Thank you contacting to Microsoft Q&A Forum regarding Microsoft Publisher.

If you want to run Microsoft 365 Personal/Family alongside a perpetual version of Office (like Office 2021 or Publisher 2021), the two don’t work well when installed under the same Windows user account. The workaround is to create a second Windows user account on your PC and install the perpetual Office version there, while keeping Microsoft 365 installed on your primary account. This way:

Each Windows user account has its own settings, documents, and applications.
Microsoft 365 runs smoothly in one account, while the perpetual Office version runs in the other.
You avoid conflicts where Microsoft tries to default to one version over the other.

Here's how to add a new Windows user account:

Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
Select Add a user account.
Create a new Microsoft account with a different username/email.
Sign in with this new account and install the perpetual Office version there.

This separation keeps both versions usable on the same device without interfering with each other.

Looking ahead, Microsoft has announced that Publisher will be retired in October 2026, with no new versions planned beyond Publisher 2021. Until then, Publisher 2021 will continue to receive support and security updates. After the retirement date, you can still keep using Publisher 2021 if it’s installed, but it will no longer receive updates or official support. For long‑term planning, it’s worth considering alternatives such as Word, PowerPoint, or third‑party desktop publishing tools.

If your workflow relies heavily on Publisher, securing the 2021 version now is a valid option, while also beginning to explore transition paths before retirement.

I hope this gives you a better picture of the situation. In case you have other concerns, feel free to let me know.
Best regards,

TrevorMolyneux-8599 30 Reputation points

2025-12-20T12:31:06.64+00:00

Thank you. This is exactly the detailed information I needed to make my decision. Perfect.
TrevorMolyneux-8599 30 Reputation points

2025-12-20T12:32:02.3433333+00:00

Perfect detailed response that is easy to follow. Thank you.
Zoevi-V 4,015 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-21T03:01:57.9466667+00:00

Hi Trevor Molyneux,

Thank you for sharing your updates. I am pleased to hear that everything has worked out well for you, and I wish you a productive week ahead as you continue with those changes.

5 additional answers

Zoevi-V 4,015 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-20T00:22:18.4833333+00:00

Hi Trevor Molyneux,

I haven't received any updates since your message. Have you done setting up those apps?
TrevorMolyneux-8599 30 Reputation points

2026-03-18T11:21:43.9633333+00:00

I don't really want to have two accounts because that will include another email address that I will never use and which just makes things messy.
TrevorMolyneux-8599 30 Reputation points

2025-12-20T12:31:06.64+00:00

Thank you. This is exactly the detailed information I needed to make my decision. Perfect.
TrevorMolyneux-8599 30 Reputation points

2025-12-20T12:32:02.3433333+00:00

Perfect detailed response that is easy to follow. Thank you.
Zoevi-V 4,015 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-21T03:01:57.9466667+00:00

Hi Trevor Molyneux,

Thank you for sharing your updates. I am pleased to hear that everything has worked out well for you, and I wish you a productive week ahead as you continue with those changes.

Answer 1

Colleen Owens 35

Why oh why can't Microsoft just give us the ability to have publisher....I don't care if they never update it. The current version is far superior then anything else available to use.....what a headache.

0 comments

Answer 2

Tony Curtis 5

Couldn't agree more. MS's decision is disgraceful. I have thousands of Publisher documents (although many will no longer be needed) and keep on making more in my work. Thirty years of material will be going down the pan!

Ron Barker 2,245 Reputation points

2026-03-22T17:07:05.57+00:00

Hi, There no longer is a stand alone version of Publisher. You can still purchase Microsoft Office Professional 2021 from the Microsoft Store (which included Publisher) Office Professional 2021

You cannot run Microsoft 365 subscription type versions of Office (Personal and Family) on the same computer, unless you add another User Account) Install and use different versions of Office on the same PC
Stefan Blom 351.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-03-22T18:02:50.5466667+00:00

You can still get Office Professional 2021; see Ron Barkers reply in this thread.

Answer 3

You cannot purchase a standalone version of Microsoft Publisher 2021 separately if you are running Office 365. Publisher is only available as part of the Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise or Office LTSC 2021, and it is not included in the Office 365 subscription. If you want to use Publisher, you would need to either subscribe to Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise or purchase Office LTSC 2021, which includes Publisher as part of the Professional Plus or Standard editions.

Additionally, if you have Office 365 installed, you cannot install Publisher 2021 from Office 2021 as they are separate products.

References:

Answer 4

joyce woods 0

Can I install publisher 2021 perpetual into 365 and it work after October 2026?

Stefan Blom 351.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-03-18T08:25:19.7366667+00:00

Can I install publisher 2021 perpetual into 365 and it work after October 2026?

Joyce, if you have Office 2021 Professional, which includes Publisher, you can use it even after October 2026. I am not sure that running both Office 2021 and a subscription version on the same machine will work, but you can always try. You will have to install the newest version (= the Microsoft 365 subscription) first and then the older one.