Microsoft Publisher, a beloved legacy app for church bake-sale flyers, will officially retire in October 2026. Don’t panic! This article explains why Publisher is disappearing and how you can rescue your files before it’s too late.
**Why is Microsoft Publishing retiring?**
Publisher has become redundant due to the rise of cloud-native tools like Microsoft Designer and other productivity apps that offer advanced text-wrapping, templates, and AI-powered layout suggestions. The shift to the web has also made Publisher’s desktop-only nature obsolete.
**What happens to your PUB files?**
Once Publisher is removed from Microsoft 365 in October 2026, your PUB files will become digital fossils unless you take action. To preserve your designs or edit them later, export your files as PDFs and then open those PDFs in other apps like Microsoft Word.
**Alternative options**
Consider switching to modern tools like:
* Microsoft Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for flyers and posters
* My Top Pick (a professional-grade powerhouse for pro printing and layout)
* Adobe Photoshop alternative (for higher-quality stock images and precise PDF control)
**Open-source alternatives**
For power users who want total control over their tools without a subscription or cloud account, check out:
* InDesign (free) for pro typesetting
* LibreOffice Draw (part of the LibreOffice suite) for vector layouts
Don’t wait until it’s too late! Start auditing your apps and searching for more efficient alternatives before October 2026.
Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/why-microsoft-publisher-is-officially-ending-what-to-use-instead