Once you learn how to use a piece of software, it’s a challenge, at least for some of us, to adapt to something new.
When I worked at the Boston Globe, for example, they updated our content management system (CMS) software, and even after extensive training, it took me weeks to become comfortable with the new version.
In other cases, we’ve worked with programs for so long that it seems unfathomable that they could go away or be replaced. I’ve used Microsoft Word since college in 1991, and probably started using Excel not long after.
My computer wasn’t connected to the internet, because in those days the internet was just an academic repository. I didn’t even have an email address, but using those two programs was essentially the same as using them now.
That made it hard to work for a company that uses Google Docs and Google Sheets instead of Microsoft Word and Excel. Except that, while my company does not pay for them, I can still use the Microsoft Office products and move documents to Google as needed.
That’s not the case for the Office product, Publisher, which will begin a two-stage shutdown on Oct. 1.
Microsoft is killing Publisher
When Microsoft launched Publisher in 1991, it offered consumers a robust but easy-to-use tool to create flyers, newsletters, and other graphic design products.
“The approach we took with the original version of Publisher was to give users a powerful set of tools, while making it easy for them to use those tools,” Adam Eversole, a lead software development engineer for Publisher at Microsoft Corp. and member of the original Publisher development team, said in a Microsoft retrospective marking the software’s 10th anniversary.
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That was needed because at the time, there were very basic programs that could do those things crudely, or expensive professional offerings dominated by Adobe PageMaker and QuarkXPress, the program I used to build my college newspaper.
Publisher was sold in some Office bundles when it launched, and it could be purchased on its own. It’s fair to say that it brought more people and companies graphic design capabilities that were previously much more expensive.
Now, the company has set an end date for the most common version of Publisher.
“In October 2026, Microsoft Publisher will reach its end of life. After that time, it will no longer be included in Microsoft 365, and existing on-premises suites will no longer be supported. Microsoft 365 subscribers will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher. Until then, support for Publisher will continue, and users can expect the same experience as today,” Microsoft shared on its website.
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What does this mean for Publisher users?
Microsoft still sells Office as a perpetual license, even though it does not promote that as heavily as its Office 365 subscriptions. The problem is that the latest version of that product, Office 2024, does not include Publisher.
You have to use the 2021 version of the Office suite to get Publisher as a perpetual license, and that’s no longer officially sold by Microsoft, although copies for sale can be found online at credible retailers.
Another issue is that Microsoft is about to drop support for Publisher altogether.
“Support for the perpetual version of Publisher will end on October 13, 2026, when Office LTSC 2021 and Consumer Office 2021 reach end of support,” the company shared.
Microsoft offered a breakdown of what’s happening:
- You can continue to use Publisher with its current functionality until Oct. 1, 2026.
- Microsoft 365 subscribers will not be able to access Publisher after Oct. 1, 2026.
The company also offered some advice to Publisher users.
“Convert your existing files to another format before 10/1/2026,” the company suggested.
That’s fine for archival purposes, but the suggested format, PDFs, essentially become uneditable historical records.
Microsoft does note that for new work, it has largely made Publisher irrelevant by integrating its features into other products.
“Many common Publisher scenarios — including creating professionally branded templates, printing envelopes and labels, and producing customized calendars, business cards, and programs — are already available in other Microsoft 365 apps such as Word and PowerPoint,” the company shared.
Microsoft offers further conversion options on its website.
TheStreet first reported on this decision in October 2025.
People react to the end of Microsoft Publisher
Megan Swanson, Commission on Communications chair for the Desert Southwest Conference, is among the Publisher users scrambling to preserve their old files.
“If you’re like me, then you have probably used Microsoft Publisher for documents ranging from bulletins to flyers to newsletters and were crushed when Microsoft announced that it was retiring Publisher on October 1, 2026,” she wrote on the United Methodist Church’s website.
For Swanson, the biggest challenge is preserving access to the organization’s existing Publisher files.
“Like most churches, we don’t have a perpetual version of Publisher. I was crushed! I have been slowly working all summer to start downloading all of the Publisher files that we have as PDF documents, so we will still be able to access them after October 1,” she added.
Marcin Policht, a volunteer moderator and “MVP” on a website offering support for Microsoft users, shared some information on the shutdown.
“Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct replacement from Microsoft, but they recommend using Word, PowerPoint, or Microsoft Designer for most layout and design tasks going forward. These tools cover common scenarios like brochures, flyers, and simple marketing material,” he shared.
ComputerWorld’s Preston Galla explained why Microsoft is making the move.
“There are multiple reasons Microsoft killed Publisher, but one is that it was getting long in the tooth and wasn’t as capable or easy to use as newer programs. Publisher also didn’t work with mobile devices, didn’t allow multiple people to work on the same document, and didn’t have web-based versions. Many, but not all, competing programs do,” he wrote.
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