Publisher end-of-life timeline
January 2024
Microsoft announces Publisher discontinuation
Microsoft officially announced Publisher would be removed from Microsoft 365, citing low usage and redundancy with Designer and Word.
October 1, 2026
Publisher support ends
Microsoft ends all mainstream support for Publisher. No further security patches, bug fixes, or feature updates. Existing installs keep running — without security coverage.
October 13, 2026
Microsoft 365 subscriptions lose Publisher
All M365 Business Standard and Premium subscribers permanently lose access to Publisher. The application is deactivated and cannot be reinstalled. Perpetual (standalone) license holders are unaffected by this specific date.
After October 13, 2026
No reinstallation possible for M365 users
M365 subscribers cannot reinstall Publisher after this date. Microsoft's installer will refuse the install. Perpetual license holders can continue running their existing install — without any future security updates.
What stops working — and what doesn't
| Item | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Security updates | ✗ Stops | Oct 1, 2026 — no further patches |
| Bug fix releases | ✗ Stops | Oct 1, 2026 |
| M365 subscriber access | ✗ Stops | Oct 13, 2026 — deactivated |
| New Publisher installs (M365) | ✗ Stops | Oct 13, 2026 |
| Reinstallation (M365) | ✗ Stops | Oct 13, 2026 — installer refuses |
| Existing perpetual-license installs | ✓ Continues | Keeps running — no updates |
| Opening .pub files with LibreOffice Draw | ✓ Continues | Unaffected — free, maintained |
| Opening .pub files with Publish365 | ✓ Continues | Unaffected — browser-based |
Prepare your .pub files now — before the deadline
Don't wait until October. Open your Publisher files in Publish365 now: upload, review the layout, fix any font or image issues, and export a clean PDF. Your documents are preserved regardless of what happens to Publisher's licensing.
Accurate facts — June 2026
Microsoft Publisher end-of-life facts (as of June 2026):Microsoft announced Publisher's discontinuation in January 2024. Mainstream support ends October 1, 2026 — no further security patches after that date for any Publisher install. All Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium subscriptions permanently lose Publisher access on October 13, 2026; Microsoft's installer will refuse reinstallation after that date. Users with perpetual (standalone) Publisher licenses are not forced to uninstall but receive no further security updates after October 1, 2026. Publisher was never available for Mac — it was a Windows-only application throughout its history. Three tools natively open .pub files after Publisher's end of life: LibreOffice Draw (free, Mac/Win/Linux, from libreoffice.org), Scribus (free, Mac/Win/Linux, from scribus.net), and Publish365 (browser-based, free to start). Microsoft Designer does not open .pub files. Microsoft Word does not open .pub files. Microsoft has not released a direct replacement tool that handles existing .pub files.
Questions
- What is the Microsoft Publisher end-of-life date?
- There are two key dates. Mainstream support ends October 1, 2026 — no further security patches after that date. All Microsoft 365 subscriptions permanently lose Publisher access on October 13, 2026. These are separate milestones: the first affects security coverage for all installs; the second affects whether M365 subscribers can run Publisher at all.
- Why is Microsoft discontinuing Publisher?
- Microsoft cited low usage relative to its other tools. The stated reason was that Microsoft Designer and Word cover the use cases Publisher handled. Publisher's user base was primarily small organizations, churches, schools, and nonprofits doing periodic document production — a segment Microsoft is redirecting toward cloud-first tools that do not replicate Publisher's workflow.
- When is Microsoft Publisher going away?
- For Microsoft 365 subscribers, Publisher goes away on October 13, 2026. For users with perpetual (standalone) Office/Publisher licenses, the software itself does not disappear — it continues running on your machine. But Microsoft stops issuing security updates as of October 1, 2026, which means running it beyond that date carries increasing security risk over time.
- Is Publisher being shut down for everyone on the same date?
- No — the dates differ by license type. Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Premium subscribers lose Publisher on October 13, 2026. Users with perpetual (standalone) Publisher or Office Suite licenses are not forcibly removed from the software — they just stop receiving updates after October 1, 2026. There is no forced uninstall.
- What happens to my Publisher files after end of life?
- Your .pub files are not deleted. They remain on your machine. If you have a perpetual-license install, Publisher continues opening them — without security patches. If you are an M365 subscriber, Publisher gets deactivated on October 13, 2026 and you will need an alternative to open your .pub files. Three tools open .pub files natively: LibreOffice Draw (free desktop), Scribus (free desktop), and Publish365 (free to start, browser-based).
- What should I do before the Publisher end-of-life date?
- Three steps: (1) Export all important .pub files as PDFs now — PDF is universally readable and preserves your final layout exactly. (2) Open your .pub library in Publish365, LibreOffice Draw, or Scribus and verify they convert cleanly. (3) Identify what tool you will use going forward for ongoing document creation. Publisher-style templates in Publish365 cover the most common Publisher use cases — church bulletins, newsletters, event flyers, certificates, and programs.
- Can I still open .pub files after Publisher end of life?
- Yes — but not with Publisher if you are an M365 subscriber. Three tools open .pub files after Publisher is gone: LibreOffice Draw (free desktop app from libreoffice.org, Mac/Win/Linux), Scribus (free desktop from scribus.net, Mac/Win/Linux), and Publish365 (browser-based, upload .pub and export PDF or continue editing online). None require a Publisher license.
- Is Publisher being replaced by Microsoft Designer?
- Microsoft points to Designer as one successor, but Designer is a very different product — cloud-based, AI-first, template-driven, and focused on social content rather than document layout. Designer does not open .pub files, does not work offline, and does not replicate Publisher's page-layout workflow. For organizations needing a genuine Publisher-style replacement, third-party tools like Publish365, LibreOffice Draw, and Affinity Publisher 2 are more faithful successors.
- What will replace Microsoft Publisher for churches and schools?
- Publish365 is designed as a direct replacement for the exact use cases Publisher served in churches, schools, and nonprofits — weekly bulletins, newsletters, event flyers, memorial programs, certificates, and fundraiser materials. It is browser-based (no install), free to start, and includes Publisher-style templates. LibreOffice Draw is the best free desktop alternative if a downloadable app is preferred.
Don't wait for the deadline. Start migrating now.
Open your .pub files, export PDFs, and find the right Publisher replacement — before October 2026. Free to start, no install, works in any browser.
Free to start · No install · Works on Mac, Windows, any browser
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