Publisher replacement ideas

I am submitting this complaint as a long-time Microsoft 365 customer responding to the recent announcement that Microsoft Publisher files will become inaccessible after October is unacceptable and represents a serious breach of trust with me, my small company and to the non-profit organizations for which I do work. 

.I have hundreds of active .pub files that are essential to my daily work routine, most notably: greeting cards, 12-page personalized calendars, brochures, signage, labels, and archival materials.

Eliminating access to existing files is not a minor inconvenience. It is a direct threat to business continuity and will force users like me to rebuild years of work from scratch. There is no equivalent tool within Microsoft 365 that replicates Publisher’s layout capabilities. Word, PowerPoint, and Designer are not substitutes for a true page‑layout program.

I am requesting the following:

1. Guarantee continued ability to open and edit existing .pub files, even if Publisher is no longer updated.
2. Provide a reliable migration path that preserves layout fidelity for complex documents.
3. Correct the messaging so customers understand exactly what will and will not be supported.

THANK YOU -- HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME ... ALLEN

I am so miffed. Do the Microsoft techies not know that MS Word is a word processing app not a publishing app?! Word is limited—limited on design and graphics. We pay a small fortune for 365, and the personally, it will not be worth it without Publisher. 

I started using MS Publisher in the late 90's. It was my go-to program for almost everything - client handouts, business proposals, flyers, booklets, etc. So easy to use. I have tons of content in MS Pub - hundreds of files. I even started my website design journey in Publisher, though that was NOT a good idea, LOL. It generated awful HTML.

InDesign, as others suggested above, is a STEEP learning curve, and rather complex. I used it to design an e-book at one point because it was better for designing epubs. IMHO, unless you live in the design world and create day-in and day-out, it's not worth the complexity. Think the complexity of Photoshop times 10... It's also quite expensive for occasional use.

I'm not a real fan of Canva, though that is probably what has driven MS to abandon Publisher. Much of the content I create is text-heavy: multi-page handouts, small books, etc. I find text management in Canva to be onerous if there is a lot of text on a page. Canva's sweet spot seems to me to be graphic-heavy design with a small percentage of text. 

Similarly, I find Powerpoint doesn't do what I want, and misses certain features, though there is at least the ability to push to the edge of the page. Word is a pain to lay out anything other than text formatting and an occasional image. You can't even create a simple graphic heading that spans the entire top of the page. If it could do that, Word might be adequate some of the time. 

I have heard that there is another, open source Office program (which apparently can not be named here) that might be an option, and that they offer the ability to import .pub files. I haven't tried it yet, but am hoping that is accurate. Otherwise, I have no idea what to do with all of these .pub files, many of which I still need info out of or are handouts I actively use with clients. 

To Hugh_B, I've bought the installation software but have not loaded it yet. I am, however, intrigued that this issue/topic is marked "Solved" by a post recommending we move away from an MS product to other applications. (Thank you, Kidd_Ip, for the ideas.) Still totally gutted but just using the current version until Doomsday!

Anyone managed to purchase Publisher 2021 and made it work with an existing Office/365 account?

I keep seeing, on MS as well, use standalone Publisher 2021 but cannot find it? Also, a lot of warnings that it may screw my exixting Office/365 setup. As others have said, trying to use PowerPoint as a replacement is a joke. Has anyone managed to find a solution as we move towards cut off?

I too hate to see MS Publisher go, it was so easy to use, operate, adjust and insert photos etc: I have a family history book that dates back to 1762 and stops in 1995. The lady who put this all together had it professionall bound and published. Unfortunately the name of the publisher is not listed. I intended to use publisher to bring it up to date and and make an insert for our family. So does anyone out there have any ideas or has already found a software that works for updating family history and photos.

Yes, being told to replace with Word and Powerpoint is a joke. There are a plethora of functions that you lose in either app. I use the external work area all the time for juggling elements in the monthly magazine I create for a not-for-profit. I also create signage, certificates and calendars. Usually have elements half on and half off the page, that goes! I'm an Office user since Windows for Workgroups days, have produced my mag for 26 years and now gone!

I also worked in IT for 20 years (back 10+ years ago) and we were an MS house. I trained to a high level in all the Office suite, so I believe I know my way around them and cannot contemplate doing the publisher work in Word.

Sadly, I'll be walking!

I am not impressed to be losing Publisher. With a big tech company like Microsoft, why can't they combine the properties that Publisher has such as calendars, banners, posters, etc into Word? Why are they suggesting that we pay for another product and deleting Publisher from Microsoft 365? Is it being replaced by a newer up-to-date product that will be included in Microsoft 365? Or will seniors, ADHD folks, etc all going to have to learn new programs that are not as user friendly and creative as publisher? Yes, I am very upset!