Microsoft Publisher end of life: the dates and what still works
Microsoft says Publisher reaches its end of life in October 2026. Microsoft 365 subscribers lose access on or shortly after 1 October, as a removal update rolls out. Support for versions bought once (“perpetual”), including Office LTSC 2021 for organisations, ended on 13 October. Those copies still work, without support.
The Microsoft Publisher end of life timeline
The table below lists each date with the versions it affects. Every row links to the Microsoft page it comes from. Microsoft Publisher retirement is not one event on one day: it depends on how you got Publisher.
| Date | What happens | Who it affects | Microsoft's page |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | Publisher 2016 and Publisher 2019 reached the end of Extended Support (the last stage of Microsoft’s support), a year before the retirement. | Publisher 2016, Publisher 2019 | Publisher 2016, Publisher 2019 |
| Until 1 October 2026 | You could keep using Publisher with its current functionality. | Everyone with Publisher | Support article |
| On or shortly after 1 October 2026 | Microsoft 365 subscribers lose access to Publisher as the removal update rolls out. It is a rollout, not a switch that flips on one day for every PC. | Microsoft 365 subscribers | Support article |
| 13 October 2026 | Support for the perpetual version of Publisher (bought once, not a subscription) ended, when Office LTSC 2021 (a version for organisations) and consumer Office 2021 reached end of support. Microsoft lists Publisher 2021 and Publisher LTSC 2021 on this date. | Publisher 2021, Publisher LTSC 2021 (Office 2021, Office LTSC 2021) | Support article, Ending Support in 2026 |
| After October 2026 | Microsoft says Publisher will no longer be available for installation or download with a Microsoft 365 subscription. | Microsoft 365 subscribers | Support article |
| Not applicable | Office LTSC 2024 never included Publisher, because of the planned retirement. | Office LTSC 2024 | Overview of Office LTSC 2024 |
Microsoft’s lifecycle pages for Publisher 2021 and Publisher LTSC 2021 show the end as 14 October 2026. Microsoft’s support article and its “Ending Support in 2026” list both say 13 October, so this page uses that. See the lifecycle pages for Publisher 2021 and Publisher LTSC 2021.
When we last checked (30 October 2026), both October dates had passed. We cannot tell you whether the removal has reached your own computer yet. If Publisher still opens for you, treat that as temporary.
What still works and what doesn’t
The answer depends on which kind of Publisher you have.
| Microsoft 365 subscription | Perpetual version (bought once) | |
|---|---|---|
| Installing Publisher | No. Microsoft says it will no longer be available for installation or download after October 2026. | Yes. Microsoft says you can still install and use the app beyond the end-of-support date. |
| Opening and editing .pub files in Publisher | No. Microsoft says that once the removal reaches your computer you can no longer open or edit your Publisher files in Publisher. | Yes. Microsoft says you can still access and edit your files. |
| Support and updates | Not applicable once Publisher is removed. | No. When a product reaches end of support, Microsoft stops security updates, other updates and assisted support. |
The sources: Microsoft’s support article for installing and opening files, and Ending Support in 2026 for what end of support means.
Microsoft’s notice is about opening and editing, and does not say your files are deleted. Our advice: leave your .pub files where they are and make a backup copy. What changes is whether Microsoft’s program can open them. For a copy without Microsoft’s program, see how to open a .pub file without Publisher.
Our advice, not Microsoft’s: a perpetual copy that keeps working gets no more security updates once its support has ended, so think twice before opening files from people you do not know in it.
What Microsoft recommends you do
Microsoft’s advice is to convert your existing files before the removal, while you can still open them. Its route is to open the file in Publisher and save it as a PDF. For a copy you can edit, Microsoft says to open that PDF in Word, and warns that the layout may change, especially if the page has many graphics. Microsoft points to Word for newsletters and says many common Publisher jobs are already possible in Word and PowerPoint. All of this is on the same support article.
- Find your .pub files and copy them into a backup folder first.
- If Publisher still opens on your computer, open each file and choose File > Save as > PDF.
- Keep the original .pub file next to the PDF. A PDF is for reading and printing; it is not an editable copy.
- If you need an editable copy, open the PDF in Word, and check the result page by page.
- Without Publisher, open the .pub file in our free browser viewer and download a PDF or a Word file; check it page by page too.
Microsoft’s support article also offers a sample script for exporting many files at once, and it needs a working, licensed copy of Publisher installed. Without Publisher, see how to convert a whole folder of .pub files.
If you no longer have Publisher
Microsoft’s page mentions that third-party converters exist and says they vary in quality and that Microsoft does not support them. It also names Affinity as a third-party program that may be able to import native Publisher files. We compare the options, with what each vendor says about opening .pub files, on our Publisher alternatives page.
Common questions
- Is Microsoft Publisher going away in 2026?
- Yes. Microsoft says Publisher reaches its end of life in October 2026, after which it is no longer included in Microsoft 365 and existing on-premises suites are no longer supported.
- Will I be able to use Publisher after 2026?
- Microsoft says that if you have the perpetual version (bought once, not a subscription) you can still install and use it beyond the end-of-support date, without support. With a Microsoft 365 subscription you will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher once the removal reaches you.
- Why does my Office 365 not have Publisher?
- Microsoft says Microsoft 365 subscribers will not be able to access Publisher on or shortly after 1 October 2026, as the removal update rolls out, and that Publisher will no longer be available for installation or download after October 2026.
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