What can I replace Microsoft Publisher with before Oct. 2026?

Question

What can I replace Microsoft Publisher with before Oct. 2026?

DianeHoitenga-4806 180

My husband and I have thousands of Publisher documents and I cannot find an adequate replacement. What other software can you recommend? I tried transferring into Word but the format is completely changed, so I need something outside of Microsoft Office.

Zoevi-V 3,990 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-15T07:02:08.64+00:00

Hi DianeHoitenga-4806,

I haven't received any updates since your message. Has everything been resolved yet?
Knneth Todd 120 Reputation points

2025-12-07T21:27:42.16+00:00

I really think that it is lousy that Microsoft is doing this. More time is needed to move, transfer or convert literally decades of files. Its ridiculous. I don't understand why some of my publisher files work and others do not. It is not OCTOBER 2026 yet? SO frustrating....
Marion Greaves 55 Reputation points

2026-02-18T11:18:32.7666667+00:00

If you no longer want Publisher why can't you sell it onto another company so we can still use it
Daryl Stedman 70 Reputation points

2026-02-18T13:52:03.9733333+00:00

Please sell software! Only reason I use 365 is use of Publisher. You canceled Money on me years ago, now Publisher! I can not count on Microsoft for my needs. Maybe it is time to find new operating system I can count on.
Muriel Foster 25 Reputation points

2026-02-24T15:06:20.9466667+00:00

The reason they are doing this is because publisher is not a cloud-based application and doesn't fit their preferred model to make money going forward. They dont want you to store your docs locally anymore period. They will advertise the benefits of "collaboration" and other things that no one asked for to push their objectives onto us all. It's the same gripes I've had with Microsoft for awhile now. Users report issues that go unresolved and its only gotten worse. This announcement is just the latest in a long line of headaches they've dished out. If the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, look forward to more inconveniences to come.
Gitana La Marque 45 Reputation points

2026-03-07T23:14:03.58+00:00

Please allow existing subscribers to use Publisher for another year. That is the only program I use in Microsoft. I will have to cancel my yearly subscription if I am not allowed to use Publisher. Sorry for your decision. We have been using it for more than 12 years. Sadly, we will lose more than 20,000 products, templates, and photos. We are angry, sad, and helpless at not being able to run our business anymore. We can't produce the products in PDF or Word; those programs are incompatible with the production. We hope you reconsider extending the use of Publisher for another year.
Elizabeth Benn 105 Reputation points

2026-04-02T21:26:45.8566667+00:00

I'm in the same situation. PLEASE at least sell the software so I can keep the 1000's of file I have in Publisher. Publisher works just fine. None of the "alternatives" do what it does.
Randall Hamer 25 Reputation points

2026-04-07T20:23:57.7166667+00:00

Like Dianne, I have thousands of Publisher documents and it is ridiculous for Microsoft to put the burden on the customer to "convert" our files. There is nothing to convert them to. I chose to use Microsoft solely for the use of Publisher. It is the first program of its kind I ever used and when I tried others they did not give me the control I wanted or were too complicated for the level of use I needed. I am a speaker, and everything i use my Publisher notes I tweak tweak them.

Your customers have paid monthly charges because you would not sell the program anymore. I believe you have a legal responsibility, and even greater, a moral responsibility to allow your custo.ers a full download if your Publisher program.

Thinking about it, seems like the Coca-Cola marketing scheme. You are going to tell us we can't have it so that you can sell us on a new product next year. That's just wrong.
Randy Mueller 10 Reputation points

2026-04-07T21:00:50.12+00:00

So, your telling us to drop our MS sub and move on??
David P 25 Reputation points

2026-04-07T22:36:47.9333333+00:00

Perhaps the only way to get some action on this is if someone has good contacts with the press to make public, beyond the Publisher user community, how Microsoft disregards the position it has placed thousands of customers in.
Dave-o 25 Reputation points

2026-04-20T13:01:38.2966667+00:00

I am.

When a product provider no longer meets my needs, they are no longer of any use to me and at that point, undeserving of my dollars.
Dave-o 25 Reputation points

2026-04-20T13:06:34.5366667+00:00

They dont want you to store your docs locally anymore period.

If you store them locally, they can't mine them for data and advertising opportunities. They also can't sell your data to others wishing to do the same thing (see: FB, TikTok, etc).

Personally, I don't trust Microsoft to do the ethical thing, let alone the right thing and serve the needs of their customers that have already paid for a product.
David P 25 Reputation points

2026-04-20T13:15:14.9166667+00:00

Unfortunately, it all falls on deaf ears, this is their MO, develop a great piece of software, then when it gets boring pull the plug regardless of the impact on the customer base e.g SyncToy, MS Money to name two. It could have followed the same development route as the rest of Office, so it seems this has been on the cards for a long time. I suspect MS Access is the next app to follow this route. Maybe, that perfectly good Windows 10 machine they forced you to replace could be kept off-line with Publisher loaded so that it can't be auto deleted come October?
Elizabeth Benn 105 Reputation points

2026-04-24T15:32:43.36+00:00

DianeHoitenga-4806 I wish I did have a good option. People have suggested Affinity, Libre, Powerpoint, etc. I did have someone back up all my publisher files to .pdf, but that's all. I'm going to be 79 years old in a few months, and I'm thinking of just retiring from all my volunteer activities!
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-04-25T02:46:25.4733333+00:00

Elizabeth Benn: You have a ways to go to catch up with me, I'm 83, as is my husband. We both have over a thousand documents on our computers, many of which are from ministries, and organizations, plus many of mine are family oriented, ie: picture collages, family trees, obits, recipes, etc. which were to go to the kids someday. The only suggestion that looked promising is Affinity and it's not available in my region for some unknown reason, not even through Microsoft Store... I've tried so many and none compare to Publisher. I do have an idea I may try, after I do another backup. If it works, I'll definitely be letting others know...
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-04-25T02:51:45.3633333+00:00

Great idea David P, I'll have to dust off my "old" desktop and fire it up and see if it still works. Not quite what I planned to do, but will find out. I have something else I was thinking of trying, but will try this idea first.

3 answers

Your answer

Zoevi-V 3,990 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-15T07:02:08.64+00:00

Hi DianeHoitenga-4806,

I haven't received any updates since your message. Has everything been resolved yet?
Knneth Todd 120 Reputation points

2025-12-07T21:27:42.16+00:00

I really think that it is lousy that Microsoft is doing this. More time is needed to move, transfer or convert literally decades of files. Its ridiculous. I don't understand why some of my publisher files work and others do not. It is not OCTOBER 2026 yet? SO frustrating....
Marion Greaves 55 Reputation points

2026-02-18T11:18:32.7666667+00:00

If you no longer want Publisher why can't you sell it onto another company so we can still use it
Daryl Stedman 70 Reputation points

2026-02-18T13:52:03.9733333+00:00

Please sell software! Only reason I use 365 is use of Publisher. You canceled Money on me years ago, now Publisher! I can not count on Microsoft for my needs. Maybe it is time to find new operating system I can count on.
Muriel Foster 25 Reputation points

2026-02-24T15:06:20.9466667+00:00

The reason they are doing this is because publisher is not a cloud-based application and doesn't fit their preferred model to make money going forward. They dont want you to store your docs locally anymore period. They will advertise the benefits of "collaboration" and other things that no one asked for to push their objectives onto us all. It's the same gripes I've had with Microsoft for awhile now. Users report issues that go unresolved and its only gotten worse. This announcement is just the latest in a long line of headaches they've dished out. If the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, look forward to more inconveniences to come.
Gitana La Marque 45 Reputation points

2026-03-07T23:14:03.58+00:00

Please allow existing subscribers to use Publisher for another year. That is the only program I use in Microsoft. I will have to cancel my yearly subscription if I am not allowed to use Publisher. Sorry for your decision. We have been using it for more than 12 years. Sadly, we will lose more than 20,000 products, templates, and photos. We are angry, sad, and helpless at not being able to run our business anymore. We can't produce the products in PDF or Word; those programs are incompatible with the production. We hope you reconsider extending the use of Publisher for another year.
Elizabeth Benn 105 Reputation points

2026-04-02T21:26:45.8566667+00:00

I'm in the same situation. PLEASE at least sell the software so I can keep the 1000's of file I have in Publisher. Publisher works just fine. None of the "alternatives" do what it does.
Randall Hamer 25 Reputation points

2026-04-07T20:23:57.7166667+00:00

Like Dianne, I have thousands of Publisher documents and it is ridiculous for Microsoft to put the burden on the customer to "convert" our files. There is nothing to convert them to. I chose to use Microsoft solely for the use of Publisher. It is the first program of its kind I ever used and when I tried others they did not give me the control I wanted or were too complicated for the level of use I needed. I am a speaker, and everything i use my Publisher notes I tweak tweak them.

Your customers have paid monthly charges because you would not sell the program anymore. I believe you have a legal responsibility, and even greater, a moral responsibility to allow your custo.ers a full download if your Publisher program.

Thinking about it, seems like the Coca-Cola marketing scheme. You are going to tell us we can't have it so that you can sell us on a new product next year. That's just wrong.
Randy Mueller 10 Reputation points

2026-04-07T21:00:50.12+00:00

So, your telling us to drop our MS sub and move on??
David P 25 Reputation points

2026-04-07T22:36:47.9333333+00:00

Perhaps the only way to get some action on this is if someone has good contacts with the press to make public, beyond the Publisher user community, how Microsoft disregards the position it has placed thousands of customers in.
Dave-o 25 Reputation points

2026-04-20T13:01:38.2966667+00:00

I am.

When a product provider no longer meets my needs, they are no longer of any use to me and at that point, undeserving of my dollars.
Dave-o 25 Reputation points

2026-04-20T13:06:34.5366667+00:00

They dont want you to store your docs locally anymore period.

If you store them locally, they can't mine them for data and advertising opportunities. They also can't sell your data to others wishing to do the same thing (see: FB, TikTok, etc).

Personally, I don't trust Microsoft to do the ethical thing, let alone the right thing and serve the needs of their customers that have already paid for a product.
David P 25 Reputation points

2026-04-20T13:15:14.9166667+00:00

Unfortunately, it all falls on deaf ears, this is their MO, develop a great piece of software, then when it gets boring pull the plug regardless of the impact on the customer base e.g SyncToy, MS Money to name two. It could have followed the same development route as the rest of Office, so it seems this has been on the cards for a long time. I suspect MS Access is the next app to follow this route. Maybe, that perfectly good Windows 10 machine they forced you to replace could be kept off-line with Publisher loaded so that it can't be auto deleted come October?
Elizabeth Benn 105 Reputation points

2026-04-24T15:32:43.36+00:00

DianeHoitenga-4806 I wish I did have a good option. People have suggested Affinity, Libre, Powerpoint, etc. I did have someone back up all my publisher files to .pdf, but that's all. I'm going to be 79 years old in a few months, and I'm thinking of just retiring from all my volunteer activities!
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-04-25T02:46:25.4733333+00:00

Elizabeth Benn: You have a ways to go to catch up with me, I'm 83, as is my husband. We both have over a thousand documents on our computers, many of which are from ministries, and organizations, plus many of mine are family oriented, ie: picture collages, family trees, obits, recipes, etc. which were to go to the kids someday. The only suggestion that looked promising is Affinity and it's not available in my region for some unknown reason, not even through Microsoft Store... I've tried so many and none compare to Publisher. I do have an idea I may try, after I do another backup. If it works, I'll definitely be letting others know...
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-04-25T02:51:45.3633333+00:00

Great idea David P, I'll have to dust off my "old" desktop and fire it up and see if it still works. Not quite what I planned to do, but will find out. I have something else I was thinking of trying, but will try this idea first.

Answer 1

Erik Juul Madsen 20

Hi Diane Hoitenga

It is frustrating, so what is next.... Microsoft should at least allow users to purchase the Publisher program, as we used to do in the old days, where we had to purchase the programs everytime a new updated version was released.. Most people can live with lack of future updates. Please consider that option.

DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-03-26T14:38:20.5733333+00:00

Thank you Erik, for your suggestion..

.It is very frustrating to say the least and "YES" they should and most likely could let those of us that use it constantly, to purchase just the Publisher program. I DO NOT need all their fancy dancy layouts, forms, etc.. I make my own for my purpose and use... At 83 I may not have enough time to convert them all to PDF one at a time so my family can access them. My husband has over a thousand on his computer as well... Their suggestion of Power Point, Word, etc. do not work for us.

Come on Microsoft, think about what your doing to so many of your customers... This isn't a bit funny... I'll wager you lose more customers than you'll gain by doing this...

Answer 2

Zoevi-V 3,990 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi DianeHoitenga-4806,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A Forum and sharing your situation. I understand how challenging it can be to manage thousands of Publisher documents, especially when formatting doesn’t transfer well into Word.

While Microsoft Publisher doesn’t have a direct successor outside of the Office suite, there is a few alternatives that may suit your needs depending on how you use your files:

Affinity Publisher – A professional desktop publishing tool with strong layout and design features. It’s a one-time purchase rather than subscription-based.

Adobe InDesign – Industry-standard for publishing, offering powerful tools for complex layouts. It does require a subscription, but it’s highly versatile.

Scribus – A free, open-source desktop publishing program. It’s not as polished as commercial options, but it can handle many layout tasks.

Lucidpress (now Marq) – A web-based option that makes collaboration and sharing easier. It’s subscription-based and works directly in your browser.

Unfortunately, none of these tools will open Publisher files natively. You may need to export your Publisher documents into formats like PDF or RTF first, then import them into whichever new platform you choose. For large-scale migration, Affinity Publisher and Adobe InDesign tend to offer the most reliable formatting preservation, though some manual adjustments are usually necessary.

I’d recommend starting with a small batch of documents to test which platform works best for your workflow before committing to a full migration.

I hope this helps you get the thing sorted out quickly!

Jack Franklin 5 Reputation points

2025-11-19T23:08:28.4566667+00:00

I have the same problem. Libre Office comes close but is not an exact replacement. It will open publisher documents, but the layout is a little different. Also, copy from publisher, paste to Libre produces garbage in libre
Zoevi-V 3,990 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-21T06:05:11.42+00:00

Hi Jack Franklin,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. To help me assist you more effectively, could you confirm whether you’ve already tried any of the suggestions I mentioned earlier?

I look forward to your reply.
Zoevi-V 3,990 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-22T06:16:09.91+00:00

Hi Jack Franklin,

In case you need assistance, feel free to share your situation. I'd be happy to help you with.
Daryl Stedman 70 Reputation points

2025-12-27T15:39:24.3133333+00:00

This is second time Microsoft has quit supporting software I use. First time was Money and now Publisher. I think it's time to change operating systems since I can no longer count on them. Why don't you sell publisher to another company that can continue the program.
Knneth Todd 120 Reputation points

2025-12-27T17:19:33.98+00:00

I completely agree with you, its so frustrating to have literally decades of Publisher documents to somehow "save" without an adequate transition in place. Sure I can save things to PDF and look at them, maybe recreate them down the road, but its a pain. I have tried to learn Canva, it is NOT like publisher and its all just so annoying. Publisher is already here, popular and could only get better. Why ditch it?!
WordWizzard 995 Reputation points

2025-12-28T09:06:48.42+00:00

Knneth Todd,

Have you tried Affinity Publisher as Zoevi-V suggested? It's free.

To edit your Publisher files using Affinity, you first need to convert them to PDF. Then use Affinity to import them.

However, you may get better results if you convert the Publisher files directly to Affinity using https://markzware.com/markzportal/converting-microsoft-publisher-to-affinity-publisher/
Pleasant Valley Methodist Church 20 Reputation points

2026-02-16T19:19:14.81+00:00

Publisher has been our choice for creating our monthly church newsletter for many years. Canva doesn't come close to being as useful for us. I haven't been able to import and then EDIT any of the text in my Publisher files. I really resent Microsoft yanking the rug out from under its users. I guess it's time to switch to Chrome.
Knneth Todd 120 Reputation points

2026-02-16T19:22:44.7666667+00:00

Agreed, I just don’t see a reason to ditch publisher? Make it better,… sure. But toss it? Ridiculous. So many have so much content and most of us will never be able to convert a fraction of our publications.
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-02-17T00:59:53.9833333+00:00

No need to make Publisher better. It's great the way it is... I have NOT found a suitable replacement yet. Not a day goes by that I don't use Publisher, and I keep trying other programs but none compare to the usability of Publisher.

Hopefully they are just testing the water to see how many people they can upset.
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-02-17T01:17:06.2566667+00:00

**FOR Zoevi-V: Sorry, I just received your query regarding if your answer resolved my problem regarding Publisher... No, I have NOT found a suitable replacement, and when you say you "**understand how challenging it can be to manage thousands of Publisher documents, especially when formatting doesn’t transfer well into Word." I don't think you understand what you are doing to thousands of customers that have relied on Publisher for years... Then to make matters even worse, NOT EVEN BEING ABLE TO OPEN WHAT WE HAVE AFTER OCTOBER 2026, is criminal, in my opinion.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
Jesse Rodriguez 0 Reputation points

2026-02-17T15:09:28.2166667+00:00

I used Adobe to export PDF versions of my Publisher files to PowerPoint and that has worked out pretty well for us.
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-02-19T03:33:29.2666667+00:00

Sorry, I just received your query regarding if your answer resolved my problem regarding Publisher.

No, I have not found a suitable replacement, and when you say you "**understand how challenging it can be to manage thousands of Publisher documents, especially when formatting doesn’t transfer well into Word." I don't think you understand what you are doing to thousands of customers that have relied on Publisher for years... Then to make matters even worse, not even being able to open what we have after October 2026.

I use columns within the text box, pictures within the columns, angled text boxes within text boxes, and a biggy for me is the ability to use the area outside the page as a sorting/holding area.

I'm open to any suggestions, programs that can do that.
David P 25 Reputation points

2026-03-16T09:07:26.8866667+00:00

Libre Office (Opensource) will work with .pub files so you can continue to work with them. They may need some adjustments to look identical to the Publisher output, but it means you don't lose access to them after October.
Dave-o 25 Reputation points

2026-03-27T01:59:50.55+00:00

Keep taking features away from users and we'll find different operating systems - ones that aren't buggy and easy to hack.
Steve Galloway 20 Reputation points

2026-04-06T10:26:00.2666667+00:00

Please just allow us to buy a local copy of Publisher. No need for any subsequent upgrades unless a security issue emerges
Randall Hamer 25 Reputation points

2026-04-07T21:32:47.5266667+00:00

None of these options help us with the thousands of files we have created in your product
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-04-19T22:57:27.7566667+00:00

You suggest Affinity Publisher.... So I tried to download it and I'm told it "isn't available in my market." Went to Microsoft Store and couldn't get it there either. Still as bummed out as I was in the beginning. Thought I'd found it, but not... Still looking and open for suggestions..
Sandra Barron 10 Reputation points

2026-04-20T00:36:40.71+00:00

I have used Publisher to "publish" women's golf newsletters, ladies association newsletters, not to mention several community newsletters, teacher projects, etc. for more than 25 years. Abandoning this software, in my opinion, is close to a crime against your buying public. I don't expect more and more "improvements" or updates. It works very well as it stands. Just keep it going. P.S. I don't think I have contacted the "help desk" more than one or twice in all those years. I think that tells you what a good Publisher is as it stands. KEEP SUPPORTING IT!!
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-04-20T02:15:18.56+00:00

I also think what MS is doing is criminal. I have used it for more than 25 years as well, most of my valued documents are family oriented. I'd have to buy stock in printer ink and paper to print them all out... I have several external drives that would need to be converted as well... MS apparently does not care about the hardship they are putting on their, "used to be," "valued customers." Can't wait for the day they want me to renew my subscription.. Yea, Right!!!
Elizabeth Benn 105 Reputation points

2026-04-20T02:39:34.6166667+00:00

I agree with everyone on here ... what MS is doing is horrible!!! I've stuck with MS for over 20 years, mainly because of Publisher, even though many people have told me there are better options. Publisher does what I need to combine text and pictures. WORD does not.
DianeHoitenga-4806 180 Reputation points

2026-04-24T02:05:32.42+00:00

Elizabeth Benn: My sediments as well... Just wondering though, do you know what "better options" you were told about? I'm still looking for an answer to the situation we've been put in...

Answer 3

Jesse Rodriguez 0

Maybe using an Adobe Pro trial and exporting PDF copy of your Publisher files to Powerpoint as I have been doing this and Powerpoint seems to preserve most of the formatting and has been easiest to manage my converted Publisher documents with.

0 comments

Share via

What can I replace Microsoft Publisher with before Oct. 2026?

3 answers

Your answer