Forum Discussion
Publisher replacement ideas
Below are the alternatives available:
- Affinity Publisher:
- A popular choice for its simplicity and affordability.
- Offers a one-time purchase (no subscription) and is compatible with macOS, Windows, and iPad.
- Scribus:
- A free, open-source desktop publishing tool.
- Great for creating professional layouts, though it might have a slight learning curve.
- Canva:
- Web-based and very intuitive.
- Ideal for creating visually appealing designs, though it may lack advanced desktop publishing features.
- Affinity Publisher:
I’m very disappointed that Microsoft is retiring Publisher.
For me, Publisher has never just been a tool for producing brochures or newsletters. I’ve found it uniquely useful as a visual workspace for developing ideas - pasting in sketches, photographs, screenshots and bits of text, moving them around freely, and gradually turning rough ideas into a finished layout.
Word is not a replacement for this, and PowerPoint is built around slides rather than pages and publications. Publisher sits in a very useful space between a simple document editor and a professional design application.
I also have important existing .pub files that I still need to open and edit. If Microsoft is going to retire Publisher, it should at least provide a proper migration path that preserves the layout and editability of existing Publisher files.
I would genuinely like Microsoft to reconsider retiring Publisher, or at minimum continue making it available for existing users who rely on it.