Microsoft Publisher is retired. What now?

If Publisher vanished from your computer this month, you are not alone and you have not lost your files. Here is what happened, what still works, and your choices, in plain words. The quickest way back into your files is to turn them into Word and PowerPoint with EditMyPub.

What happened

October 1, 2026: Microsoft began removing Publisher from Microsoft 365. Microsoft says subscribers lose access on or shortly after this date as the update rolls out, and can no longer open or edit Publisher files in Publisher.
October 13, 2026: Support ended for the perpetual (one-time purchase) version of Publisher, when Office LTSC 2021 and Consumer Office 2021 reached end of support.
Office 2016 and Office 2019 had already reached the end of their support on October 14, 2025.
The newest one-time-purchase business version, Office LTSC 2024, never included Publisher. Microsoft says this is because of Publisher's planned retirement.

What still works

Your .pub files are still there. Nothing deletes them. They just need a different program, or a conversion, to open them.
Older perpetual copies of Publisher still run. Microsoft says that if you have a perpetual version, you can still install it and use it, and still open and edit your files. There are no more updates or security fixes, so treat it as a short-term tool, not a long-term plan.
Other programs can open .pub files. LibreOffice Draw and Scribus (both free) can import them, and EditMyPub converts them. See how to open a .pub file without Publisher.

The easiest route: convert with EditMyPub

EditMyPub is a small independent service (not affiliated with Microsoft) that turns a .pub file into files for software you already know. There is nothing to install; it works in any web browser.

Upload your .pub file at editmypub.com.
Check the free watermarked preview.
Pay and download one .zip with Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), LibreOffice Draw (.odg), a PDF and page images, plus a list of the fonts the file uses.

Text stays in editable text boxes and each page keeps its layout. Stories that flow through linked text boxes are re-flowed in reading order, which is where free converters most often go wrong on newsletters. It costs $12 for one file, or $39 for 10 and $99 for 50 (USD, sales tax added where it applies), with a full refund within 30 days, no questions asked. For a whole folder, use bulk upload. Tables, WordArt and some effects may come through as plain shapes or text.

Step 1: Find your files

Microsoft suggests searching for ".pub" on your computer, in OneDrive and in SharePoint. Do not forget shared office computers, old USB sticks and email attachments. Make a list, and decide which files you actually need again. Many old bulletins only need to be readable, not editable.

Step 2: Save a readable copy of everything

A PDF is the safest archive copy. It opens on nearly any device and keeps the look. Every EditMyPub conversion includes one. Other ways:

If you still have Publisher: open each file, choose File > Save As, and pick PDF. For many files, Microsoft publishes a sample PowerShell script that converts a whole folder to PDF, but it needs a working, licensed copy of Publisher installed.
LibreOffice Draw (free) can open a .pub and export a PDF, and can convert a whole folder from the command line. You need to install it first. See converting a folder of .pub files.

Check the PDFs. Fonts that are not on your computer, and stories that flow through linked text boxes, are the two most common things that go wrong. LibreOffice can pile linked-story text up in every box; EditMyPub re-flows it.

Step 3: Choose where you will make new things

Microsoft's own suggestions for Publisher jobs:

Newsletters, letterhead, labels, envelopes and forms: Word.
Flyers, brochures, certificates, calendars and cards: Word or PowerPoint.
Banners, signs and posters: PowerPoint.

Other common choices are Canva (in a web browser), Google Slides or Docs, LibreOffice and Scribus, all with free options. Pick the one your volunteers or staff will actually be comfortable using. Familiar beats powerful, which is why EditMyPub gives you Word and PowerPoint files.

Step 4: Get editable copies of the files you reuse

For the templates you use every week or month:

Convert them with EditMyPub into Word and PowerPoint, keeping each page's layout. Guides: PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva, Word.
Other ways: rebuild them by hand in your new program, which can be quick for a simple bulletin but means redoing the layout; or edit them in LibreOffice Draw and save as .odg, which is free but means installing and learning another program, and checking multi-column pages closely.

Get back into your files today

You don't need to learn new software to keep using your old Publisher files. Upload one to EditMyPub, see the free watermarked preview, and open the result in Word or PowerPoint. Have a whole folder? Convert up to 50 files at once.