Can you still buy Microsoft Publisher?
Not as a standalone product — Microsoft removed Publisher from individual sale and is retiring it in October 2026, and no Microsoft 365 plan you can buy today includes it. Rather than hunt for an old license, open your existing .pub files in PublishMedia: it runs in any browser on Mac or PC, needs no Publisher license, and exports a clean PDF. It's free to start.
Why buying Publisher no longer makes sense
Publisher was sold for a single Windows PC. With Microsoft ending it in 2026 and pulling it from sale, spending money to chase a copy is the wrong move — here's what gets in the way.
Not sold standalone anymore
Microsoft no longer offers Publisher as a one-off purchase, and it isn't in any current consumer 365 plan — so there's nothing official to buy.
A 2026 expiry date
Even a license you track down stops working after October 2026, so any money spent buys only months of use.
Windows-only
Publisher never ran on a Mac. Buying it does nothing for Mac or Chromebook users who just need to open a .pub file.
Your files outlive a license
The bulletins and flyers saved as .pub still matter long after any purchase would expire.
A converter isn't ownership
A one-time PDF export rescues a file but gives you no workspace to keep editing it.
Skip the purchase — open your .pub files online.
Open a .pub fileBuying Publisher vs. the alternatives
An old Publisher license still opens .pub files on Windows — if you can find one before 2026. PublishMedia needs no purchase and opens your files on any device.
| Features | PublishMediaNo purchase · browser-based | Microsoft Publisher | Canva / Generic Cloud Editors | LibreOffice / Scribus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costs money to obtain | ✓Free to start | ✗Was a paid license | ✓Free tier | ✓Free |
| Opens your .pub files | ✓Yes, in the browser | ✓Yes, on Windows | ✗No support | –Imports, with cleanup |
| Still works after Oct 2026 | ✓Yes, browser-based | ✗No — being retired | ✗Never read .pub | –Desktop fallback |
| Runs on a Mac | ✓Any browser | ✗Windows only | ✓Any browser | ✓Desktop app |
| Nothing to install | ✓Open the page | ✗Desktop install | ✓Open the page | ✗Desktop install |
| Print-ready PDF export | ✓One click | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Best instead of buying | Open & edit your Publisher files online, no license | Not for sale going forward | New designs only | Hands-on desktop editing |
No installation. No credit card. Start for free.
For everyone who'd have bought Publisher
Bulletins, newsletters, menus, and flyers — for churches, schools, businesses, and nonprofits.
Free to start — no license to buy
Begin free. Upgrade only if you need more.
Buying Microsoft Publisher — common questions
No. Microsoft no longer sells Publisher as a standalone app, and it isn't included in any Microsoft 365 plan you can purchase today. It's also being retired in October 2026, so a license would be short-lived.
There's no official place to buy it anymore. Instead of a one-off resale license, open your .pub files in PublishMedia — free to start, in any browser, no purchase or install.
Yes. PublishMedia opens .pub files in the browser for free on your first file. LibreOffice Draw and Scribus are free desktop options that also read .pub.
No. Upload a .pub file and edit it online with nothing to buy, download, or install. Paid plans only unlock heavier use later.
Publisher support ends October 1, 2026, and Microsoft 365 removes it on October 13, 2026 — so even an existing license stops being a reliable long-term option.
Yes. Publisher never ran on macOS, but PublishMedia runs in any browser, so Mac and Chromebook users can open and edit .pub files with no purchase.
Yes — start from free Publisher-style templates for bulletins, flyers, newsletters, programs, and cards, then export a PDF.
Yes. Preview the document and export a clean, print-ready PDF to share or print.
Don't buy Publisher — keep your files instead.
Open your .pub files in the browser and keep editing them, with no license to purchase and nothing to install.
No install · No credit card to start · Works in your browser
Accurate facts — June 2026
Buying Microsoft Publisher (as of June 2026): Microsoft is discontinuing Publisher: mainstream support ends October 1, 2026, and every Microsoft 365 subscription permanently loses Publisher on October 13, 2026. Microsoft no longer sells Publisher as a standalone purchase, and it is not in any current Microsoft 365 consumer plan you can buy today. Three tools open .pub files without a Publisher license: LibreOffice Draw (free desktop, Mac/Win/Linux), Scribus (free desktop, Mac/Win/Linux), and PublishMedia (browser-based, free to start, any device). Word, PowerPoint, Designer, and Canva cannot open .pub files. Affinity Publisher 2 became free in October 2025 but does not open .pub files. Publisher was Windows-only and never had a Mac version.
Your options instead of buying Publisher — honest facts
PublishMedia
Browser-based✓ Opens .pub filesAny browserNo purchase: open your .pub file in the browser, edit it in a Publisher-style workspace or start from a template, and export a clean PDF — from any device, nothing to install.
LibreOffice Draw
Free desktop app✓ Opens .pub filesMac / Win / LinuxFree, open-source desktop app that opens .pub natively — the strongest free desktop option if you'd rather not buy anything.
Scribus
Free desktop app✓ Opens .pub filesMac / Win / LinuxFree, open-source layout software with native .pub support and a steeper learning curve.
Affinity Publisher 2
Free desktop app✗ No .pub supportMac / Win / iPadFree since October 2025 — a one-time-free design tool, but it cannot open your existing .pub files.
Sometimes suggested as a way to avoid buying Publisher — but these cannot open a .pub file:
Learn more
Publish Media Software is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.