Publisher End of Life: What Happens to Your Files?

Publisher end of life arrived in October 2026, and what happens next depends on how you got the app. Microsoft 365 subscribers lost Publisher from 1 October 2026 and can no longer open .pub files in it. If you bought Publisher as part of a one-time Office licence, the app keeps working, but it no longer gets security fixes. In both cases, convert important .pub files to PDF or Word now.

Microsoft Publisher End of Life at a Glance

Microsoft's Publisher retirement page confirms these points and lists which Word and PowerPoint templates replace each type of publication.

When Did Microsoft Publisher Reach End of Life?

Microsoft Publisher reached end of life in October 2026, with two dates that matter. Microsoft told subscribers they could use Publisher with its normal features until 1 October 2026, after which it was removed from Microsoft 365. Then, on 13 October 2026, the last perpetual version, Publisher 2021, lost support when Office 2021 and Office LTSC 2021 reached their own end of support.

"End of support" and "stops working" are not the same thing. A perpetual licence, meaning a one-time purchase rather than a subscription, gives you the right to keep using that version indefinitely. What ends is Microsoft's servicing: no security patches, no bug fixes and no technical help. Our Office end of support dates table shows how this works for every Office version.

What Happens to Your .pub Files After Publisher End of Life?

Your .pub files are not deleted or changed; they stay exactly where they are, on your PC, OneDrive or SharePoint. The problem is opening them. Microsoft 365 users no longer have an app that reads the .pub format, so the files become hard to use until they are converted.

The cause is simple: .pub is a proprietary format that only Publisher fully understands. Word and PowerPoint cannot open it. Once the only app that can read a format is gone, every file in that format is effectively frozen. That is why Microsoft's advice is to convert files rather than rely on keeping Publisher around.

If you still have a perpetual copy of Publisher, your files are safe for now. Even so, it is worth converting the ones you will need in five years' time, because that copy will eventually stop installing cleanly on newer versions of Windows.

How Do You Convert Publisher Files to PDF or Word?

You convert a Publisher file by opening it in Publisher and saving a copy as a PDF, which Word can then turn into an editable document. If you no longer have Publisher, do this on any PC that still has a perpetual copy installed.

1. Find your files first. Search your PC, OneDrive and SharePoint for .pub to list every publication you have.
2. Open a file in Publisher.
3. Go to File → Save As, choose a folder, and set Save as type to PDF.
4. Select Save. Keep the original .pub file as well, in case you need it later.
5. To edit the content again, open Word and go to File → Open, then select the PDF. Word converts it into an editable document.
6. Check the result carefully. Layouts with many text boxes, images or overlapping objects may shift, so fix spacing and image positions before reusing it.

For large collections, Microsoft provides a sample PowerShell script that converts .pub files to PDF in bulk. It is linked from the retirement page above and is best run by someone comfortable with scripts.

What Should You Use Instead of Publisher?

Microsoft recommends Word and PowerPoint as the replacements for Publisher, depending on what you were making. Both are included in every Office edition and in Microsoft 365, so most people already have them.

• Word suits documents built around text: newsletters, letterheads, invoices, forms, labels, envelopes and programmes.
• PowerPoint suits large, visual, single-page designs: posters, banners and signs. It is surprisingly good at print layouts because every slide is a free-form canvas.
• Either app works for flyers, brochures, certificates, business cards, calendars and greeting cards.

If you want a supported, one-time-purchase replacement, Office 2024 Professional Plus includes Word and PowerPoint and is supported until 9 October 2029. It does not include Publisher, so convert your files before you move to it.

Can You Still Buy or Install Publisher?

Yes, you can still install Publisher from a perpetual Office licence that included it, but no new version will ever be released. Office Professional Plus 2021, 2019 and 2016 all include Publisher; Home & Business and Home & Student editions do not. Publisher has also never been available for Mac.

Some customers ask us for Office 2021 Professional Plus specifically because it is the last suite with Publisher. That works, and the licence is genuine, but be clear about the trade-off: Office 2021 support ended on 13 October 2026, so it no longer receives security updates. Treat it as a way to keep opening and converting old publications, not as a long-term design tool. You can compare every edition in our Microsoft Office collection.

A Common Mistake We See

The most common problem is people who move to Office 2024 or a new PC first and only then discover their .pub files. By that point the old copy of Publisher may be gone with the old computer, and converting becomes much harder.

Convert before you upgrade. Run the .pub search, save everything you need as PDF, and only then wipe or sell the old machine. If you are deciding between a subscription and a one-time licence for your next setup, our Microsoft Office vs Microsoft 365 guide explains the difference. Every key we sell comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and lifetime replacement warranty, and our support team can help you through activation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Microsoft Publisher being discontinued?

Yes. Microsoft retired Publisher in October 2026. It was removed from Microsoft 365 from 1 October 2026, and support for the last perpetual version, Publisher 2021, ended on 13 October 2026. No new version is planned, and Office 2024 does not include it.

Will my Publisher files be deleted?

No. Microsoft does not delete .pub files from your PC, OneDrive or SharePoint. The files remain, but Microsoft 365 users can no longer open them in Publisher. Converting them to PDF, and then to Word if you need to edit them, keeps the content usable.

Does Publisher still work after end of support?

A perpetual copy from Office 2021, 2019 or 2016 still opens and runs after its support date. It simply stops receiving security updates and bug fixes. The Microsoft 365 version is different: it was removed from the subscription and can no longer be installed or used.

Can Word open .pub files?

No. Word and PowerPoint cannot open Publisher's .pub format directly. You need to save the publication as a PDF from Publisher first. Word can then open that PDF and convert it into an editable document, although complex layouts may need some tidying afterwards.

Is Publisher included in Office 2024?

No. Neither Office 2024 nor Office LTSC 2024 includes Publisher, because Microsoft was already retiring it. Office 2024 does include Word and PowerPoint, which Microsoft recommends as the replacements for newsletters, flyers, posters, cards and other publications.

What is the best free alternative to Publisher?

If you already have Office or Microsoft 365, the best alternative costs nothing extra: use Word for text-heavy layouts and PowerPoint for posters and visual designs. Microsoft Create also offers ready-made templates that open in Word and PowerPoint.

Conclusion

Publisher end of life means the app is gone from Microsoft 365 and unsupported everywhere else, but your work does not have to disappear. Find your .pub files, convert them to PDF while you still have Publisher, and rebuild future designs in Word or PowerPoint. For a supported one-time licence that includes both, see Office 2024.

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