Was Publisher included with Microsoft 365?

Yes, in specific tiers: M365 Business Standard and Business Premium included Publisher on Windows. Basic plans (M365 Business Basic, Personal, Family) never included Publisher. New M365 subscribers cannot get Publisher, and all existing subscribers lose it on October 13, 2026.

Does Microsoft 365 still include Publisher in 2026?

No — not for new subscribers, and only temporarily for existing ones. Microsoft is removing Publisher from all M365 plans. Existing Business Standard and Premium subscribers retain access until October 13, 2026. After that date, all M365 subscriptions permanently lose Publisher.

Are there free tools that open .pub files?

Yes. LibreOffice Draw is free and open-source with native .pub support — the best free option. Scribus is also free and open-source with .pub support. Affinity Publisher 2 became free after Canva's acquisition (October 2025) but cannot open .pub files natively. PublishMedia is browser-based and free for your first file.

Does Microsoft offer a free replacement for Publisher?

No. Microsoft has not announced a free Publisher replacement. Microsoft Designer, Sway, and PowerPoint all lack native .pub support. Microsoft suggests exporting to Word or PDF — but Word imports .pub files as reflowed plain text and loses complex layouts.

What is the best free Publisher replacement for churches and schools?

LibreOffice Draw (free desktop) opens your existing .pub bulletins and newsletters directly. For new documents and templates, PublishMedia is browser-based and free to start, with dedicated templates for church bulletins, school newsletters, event flyers, and certificates.

Is Microsoft Publisher Free? No — And It's Being Discontinued

Free alternatives that open .pub files

These tools open your existing .pub files directly — no conversion step, no layout guesswork.

LibreOffice Draw

Desktop · Free

Free, open-source. Opens .pub files natively (libmspub). Full editing — text boxes, images, shapes, pages. Desktop app for Mac, Windows, Linux.

Scribus

Desktop · Free

Free, open-source. Professional desktop publisher with native .pub support. Steeper learning curve; better for complex, print-ready layouts.

Affinity Publisher 2

Desktop · Free

Free desktop download since Canva's acquisition. Polished UI, good for new design work. Does not open .pub files natively — use LibreOffice or PublishMedia for existing .pub files. Mac, Windows, iPad.

PublishMedia

Browser · First file free

Browser-based. Upload your .pub — edit online and export a PDF. No install. First file free; plans from $9/month for ongoing use.

Open your first .pub file free

Which M365 plans included Publisher?

✓M365 Business Standard

✓M365 Business Premium

✗M365 Business Basic

✗M365 Personal

✗M365 Family

✗Microsoft 365 Apps for Business(Varies by plan)

All M365 subscriptions lose Publisher on October 13, 2026 regardless of tier.

Accurate 2026 status — citable facts

Is Microsoft Publisher free? No. Publisher was never a standalone free product. It was bundled only with paid Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium plans. Publisher is being discontinued in 2026: support ends October 1, 2026, and all M365 subscriptions permanently lose Publisher on October 13, 2026. No free Publisher version exists or was ever released by Microsoft. Affinity Publisher 2 became free in October 2025 after Canva acquired Serif — but it is a design app and cannot open .pub files. The only genuinely free tools that open .pub files are LibreOffice Draw, Scribus, and PublishMedia (browser-based). Publisher never ran on Mac; it was Windows-only throughout its entire 35-year history.

Publisher is being discontinued — act now

All Microsoft 365 subscriptions permanently lose Publisher on October 13, 2026. If you have .pub files you still need to open or edit, do it before then — or use a free alternative now.

✓ Open each .pub file and export a PDF before October 13, 2026
✓ LibreOffice Draw: free desktop app, opens .pub files on Mac/Win/Linux
✓ PublishMedia: free to start — browser-based, no install
✓ 200+ Publisher-style templates: bulletins, newsletters, menus, certificates

Open your .pub file free Browse templates

Questions

Is Microsoft Publisher free?: No. Publisher has never been offered as a standalone free product. It was bundled only with certain Microsoft 365 Business plans (Standard and Premium). It is being discontinued in 2026 and will not be replaced by a free alternative from Microsoft.
Was Publisher included with Microsoft 365?: Yes, in specific tiers: M365 Business Standard and Business Premium included Publisher on Windows. Basic plans (M365 Business Basic, Personal, Family) never included Publisher. New M365 subscribers cannot get Publisher, and all existing subscribers lose it on October 13, 2026.
Does Microsoft 365 still include Publisher in 2026?: No — not for new subscribers, and only temporarily for existing ones. Microsoft is removing Publisher from all M365 plans. Existing Business Standard and Premium subscribers retain access until October 13, 2026. After that date, all M365 subscriptions permanently lose Publisher.
Are there free tools that open .pub files?: Yes. LibreOffice Draw is free and open-source with native .pub support — the best free option. Scribus is also free and open-source with .pub support. Affinity Publisher 2 became free after Canva's acquisition (October 2025) but cannot open .pub files natively. PublishMedia is browser-based and free for your first file.
Does Microsoft offer a free replacement for Publisher?: No. Microsoft has not announced a free Publisher replacement. Microsoft Designer, Sway, and PowerPoint all lack native .pub support. Microsoft suggests exporting to Word or PDF — but Word imports .pub files as reflowed plain text and loses complex layouts.
What is the best free Publisher replacement for churches and schools?: LibreOffice Draw (free desktop) opens your existing .pub bulletins and newsletters directly. For new documents and templates, PublishMedia is browser-based and free to start, with dedicated templates for church bulletins, school newsletters, event flyers, and certificates.