Microsoft Publisher: Retirement

Summary

Microsoft is retiring the Publisher application. It will no longer be part of Microsoft 365 on October 1, 2026 (it is no longer included with Office installation, and 365 users can't open/edit .pub files after that), and support for the perpetual Office LTSC 2021/Office 2021 version ends October 13, 2026. Existing .pub files won't be deleted, but Microsoft recommends converting them beforehand — save as PDF to preserve formatting, then open that PDF in Word if you need an editable copy.

Issue 

• I heard Microsoft Publisher is going away
• Will I still be able to use Publisher after this year?
• I can't open or edit my Publisher (.pub) files
• What should I use instead of Publisher?
• My Publisher files won't open anymore

Environment

• Microsoft Office: Publisher

Resolution 

Convert Your Existing Publisher Files

1. Open the file in Publisher.
2. Select File > Export > Create PDF/XPS (or Save As and choose PDF) to preserve the original formatting for viewing or archiving.
3. If you need an editable version going forward, open the exported PDF in Word (File > Open, then select the PDF).
4. Word will convert the PDF into an editable Word document. Review the layout carefully, since some formatting may shift during conversion.
5. Save the converted file in its new format (.docx or .pptx, depending on which application you move to — see below).

Choose a Replacement Application

Publisher will no longer be included with Microsoft 365 or available to open/edit files starting October 1, 2026. Use the table below to pick the best Microsoft 365 replacement based on what you're creating.