Can I still buy a stand alone version of Publisher from Microsoft in order to keep using my files.

Question

I am horrified that my subscription to Microsoft 365 is going up 40% and yet the programme I use more than any other is being discontinued in October next year.

Many of the other "benefits" of Microsoft 365 are of no benefit to me. I have no family to share it with, I don't use the cloud storage and I find Powerpoint good for presentations - but not for anything else.

Why is Publisher being discontinued when so many of us rely on it every day?

Answer 1

Hello Lotti,

Thank you for reaching out in Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand your frustration of losing access to Publisher, the tool you rely on most, while its discontinuation leaves you without a suitable alternative.

Microsoft Publisher is being discontinued in October 2026 as part of Microsoft’s transition away from older apps. So, Publisher is not available as a standalone purchase anymore. It was previously included in Microsoft Office suites, but Microsoft has shifted fully to Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

You cannot buy a new standalone version of Publisher from Microsoft. The only way to use it is through Microsoft 365 until the discontinuation date.

If you already have Publisher installed, you can keep using it until October 2026. After that, it will no longer receive updates or security patches.

You can convert Publisher files to PDF or Word format for long-term access. Use the built-in Save As → PDF option in Publisher.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.