How do I buy Microsoft Publisher in 2026?
You effectively can't — Microsoft no longer sells Publisher standalone, no buyable Microsoft 365 plan includes it, and it retires in October 2026. The practical answer is to open your .pub files in PublishMedia: free to start, any browser, no license, with clean PDF export.
What to know before buying Publisher
Publisher was sold per Windows PC and is being wound down. A few realities make a purchase a poor investment in 2026.
It isn't sold standalone
Microsoft dropped the standalone product and left it out of buyable consumer 365 plans.
October 2026 end date
A purchase stops working when support ends — months of use at best.
No Mac edition
Publisher was Windows-only, so buying it won't help Mac or Chromebook users.
Your files come first
The .pub documents you've built should stay editable long after a license lapses.
A PDF isn't a workspace
Converting once doesn't give you somewhere to keep editing — a real tool does.
Open your .pub files — no purchase.
Open a .pub fileBuying Publisher vs. opening files online
An existing Publisher license opens .pub on Windows until 2026. PublishMedia needs no purchase and opens your files on any device.
| Features | PublishMediaNo license · in the browser | Microsoft Publisher | Canva / Generic Cloud Editors | LibreOffice / Scribus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price to obtain | ✓Free to start | ✗Paid license | ✓Free tier | ✓Free |
| Opens a .pub file | ✓Yes, online | ✓Yes, Windows | ✗No | –Imports, fix-ups |
| Works beyond 2026 | ✓Yes, browser | ✗No, retiring | ✗No .pub | –Desktop fallback |
| Mac support | ✓Any browser | ✗Windows only | ✓Any browser | ✓Desktop app |
| Install required | ✓No | ✗Yes | ✓No | ✗Yes |
| Print-ready PDF | ✓One click | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Choose this when | You'd rather open your .pub files than buy a license | You already have it | You want new designs | You like desktop apps |
No installation. No credit card. Start for free.
Built for would-be Publisher buyers
Bulletins, newsletters, menus, and flyers — for churches, schools, small businesses, and nonprofits.
No license to buy — free to start
Free for your first file. Simple plans after.
Buying Microsoft Publisher — FAQ
There's no standalone price anymore — Microsoft stopped selling it and it's not in a buyable 365 plan, with retirement in October 2026. Opening your .pub files in PublishMedia is free to start instead.
Not really — it's Windows-only and ends in 2026. A browser tool that opens your .pub files, like PublishMedia, is the more durable choice.
Yes — PublishMedia is free for your first file, and LibreOffice Draw and Scribus are free desktop apps that open .pub.
No — open the page, upload your .pub, and edit. No purchase, download, or install.
Yes — PublishMedia runs in any browser, so Mac and Chromebook users edit .pub files with no purchase or Windows.
They stay usable. PublishMedia, LibreOffice Draw, and Scribus all open .pub after Publisher's end of life.
Yes — start from free Publisher-style templates and export a PDF, even without a .pub file.
Yes — preview and export a clean, print-ready PDF whenever you're done.
No need to buy — just open your files.
Bring your .pub files into the browser, keep editing, and export a clean PDF with no license and nothing to install.
No install · No credit card to start · Works in your browser
Accurate facts — June 2026
How to buy 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.
What to use instead of a Publisher purchase
PublishMedia
Browser-based✓ Opens .pub filesAny browserNo purchase needed: open your .pub in the browser, edit it or start from a template, and export a clean PDF from any device with nothing to install.
LibreOffice Draw
Free desktop app✓ Opens .pub filesMac / Win / LinuxFree, open-source desktop app that reads .pub natively — the best free desktop route.
Scribus
Free desktop app✓ Opens .pub filesMac / Win / LinuxFree, open-source layout software with native .pub support; more to learn but very capable.
Affinity Publisher 2
Free desktop app✗ No .pub supportMac / Win / iPadFree since October 2025 — excellent for new layouts, but it cannot open your existing .pub files.
Suggested as ways around buying Publisher, but these can't 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.