Microsoft Publisher Discontinued: The Best Alternatives
There is big news in the graphic design world that you need to know—Microsoft Publisher is being discontinued. After 34 years of popularity as a design tool, Microsoft has announced that it will be “investing resources into other, more popular tools or services,” and after October 2026, Publisher will no longer be supported. So if you’ve got brochures, business cards or newsletters saved in Publisher, you’ll want to plan ahead so you don’t lose any of your assets.
Best Microsoft Publisher Alternatives
As you plan for the transition away from Microsoft Publisher, you’ll want to explore other options. We’ve got a list of alternatives to help you pick a new publishing software tool. No matter your budget or your level of ability, these apps are fully able to handle everything Microsoft Publisher currently does.
Here are our picks for design software to help you keep publishing professional-looking materials with ease.
Swift Publisher for Mac
Swift Publisher is a standout, affordable macOS alternative to Microsoft Publisher. This design software offers an intuitive interface and templates to design everything from menus and calendars to brochures and marketing materials.
Users like that it’s easy to use from the start, yet offers advanced features for control over every element of a page design. Swift Publisher is a great option for a wide range of designers, from hobbyists to professionals.
Pros
- One-time purchase (no subscription fees)
- Built-in templates for easy design work
- Simple interface with drag-and-drop features
- Seamlessly integrates with Apple Contacts and Photos
- Make full use of macOS features for a native experience
- The most affordable choice from paid apps
Cons
- Mac only
- Compared to higher-end software, there are more limited text style options
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is the standard software used by top design firms and publishers, and its pricing reflects that. If you need powerful tools for enterprise-level publishing, as well as the ability to collaborate with a team, InDesign is an excellent option. InDesign offers tools to create marketing materials, posters, and magazines as well as interactive e-books and digital media. It also supports HTML5, style sheets, XML and other markup languages, which is helpful when using tagged content online.
Many users like that this app integrates with the full suite of products Adobe offers, like Illustrator, Photoshop and Lightroom. For creative professionals that need the most powerful capabilities, InDesign is a top choice.
Pros
- Integrates with other Adobe apps
- Adobe's Creative Cloud streamlines teams collaborating on projects
- Easily handles complex layouts and long documents
- Excellent typography controls
Cons
- Monthly subscription required, with no one-time purchase option
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- No tablet or web version
- Requires more computer power and storage to run smoothly
Scribus
For designers watching their budget, or even creators who have a one-off need for a publishing tool, Scribus is worth considering. This open-source program allows for page layout design on Mac OS and Windows, as well as Linux, BSD Unix, Solaris, and other lesser-known platforms. It has all the features you might expect in a paid tool, like the ability to create custom shapes, color management, and graphic support, as well as collaboration tools.
Pros
- Free, with no subscriptions or purchases
- Professional-grade features
- Doesn’t consume as much storage space as other publishing programs
- Open source
- Works on multiple platforms
Cons
- Not intuitive for beginners
- Fewer templates than other options
- Community-based support only, no company support
Affinity Publisher
Price for iPad: US$18.49
Affinity Publisher is a professional desktop publishing program that is available for Windows, Mac, and iPad. Design and produce books, magazines and long-format documents with features like master pages for consistent layouts, as well as autoflow for text and images. There are tools and templates to create social media and web layouts. Design teams find it useful since it connects with other Affinity apps, like Affinity Designer, a vector graphics app, making it perfect for creating detailed print or digital media.
For professional-grade design tools at a more affordable price than Adobe InDesign, Affinity Publisher is a solid choice.
Pros
- One-time purchase (no monthly fees)
- Professional-quality output in multiple formats
- User-friendly design tools that allow for a lot of precision
Cons
- Steep learning curve for anyone who hasn't used publishing software
- Interface can appear more visually crowded than some desktop publishing options
- Does not always work smooth with Adobe files, such as those created with InDesign or Photoshop
QuarkXPress
Perpetual License: US$699
QuarkXPress has been around since 1987, and has been popular especially among magazine and newspaper publishers over the decades. Despite not being the industry standard any longer, it is still a highly capable publishing app with a large, loyal customer base thanks to its reliability and features. Quark XPress is ideal for designs that are text heavy, like books or magazines. But you can also create page layouts, digital media, graphics and illustrations, and edit photos all in one software.
Pros
- Easy to create quick layouts with templates
- Excellent for long, text-heavy publications
- User-friendly interface
- No subscription needed, one-time purchase
Cons
- The most expensive choice on our list
- Interface feels dated compared to newer options
- Not as beginner friendly as some other tools on our list
- Slower and less responsive than other publishing software
Canva
Pro: US$12.99/month
Canva is unique because it is a web-based publishing tool that offers a wide variety of capabilities. As one of the first online design tools, Canva led the way in making design accessible to anyone, thanks to its visual web interface. Software offers templates by designers for everything from party invitations to resumes and social media materials. The program makes it easy to create Instagram posts, web banners and branding materials, even if you’ve never used a graphics program.
Pros
- Simple and intuitive to use
- Thousands of templates
- Works in any web browser
- Thousands of illustrations and graphics, plus a built-in AI image maker
Cons
- Limited offline capabilities
- Less precise control over design elements
- Premium features require subscription
- Not suited for complex or multi-page documents
Marq (former Lucidpress)
Pro: US$10/month
Marq was formerly called Lucidpress, but it is the same web-based tool it’s always been, offering brand templates and design. It is a collaborative design tool that helps teams create and customize branded content. A full range of templates are all there–brochures, logos, catalogs and social posts, so creators can get started without advanced design skills.
If you have a small team who needs to collaborate on branding or marketing materials, Marq is worth exploring.
Pros
- Real-time collaboration features
- Cloud-based program
- Templates for branded content
Cons
- Subscription required for full features
- Can be slow with large documents
- Fewer advanced design features than desktop options
How to Switch from MS Publisher Smoothly
Making the switch from Microsoft Publisher doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you plan ahead. Here are a few steps to make it easy.
- Take inventory of your Microsoft Publisher files. Choose those you want to convert or recreate in another tool. Prioritize the most important materials and those you use the most.
- To avoid compatibility issues after October 1, 2026, export your Microsoft Publisher files (.pub) to PDF now to ensure continued access to your documents. In Publisher, go to File > Export and choose PDF for the best quality. This format won’t allow you to edit the files later, but it will preserve your work.
- Try out other publishing programs to recreate and save your most important templates. Take advantage of free trial periods to discover which you most like working with. Be sure to follow a couple of tutorials to get hands-on experience and find out what feels most comfortable for your workflow.
Also, check out Microsoft’s helpful tips on migrating your files and how to preserve your work.
Conclusion
It’s never easy to make a switch from software you’re familiar with and have used a long time. But with the change comes new opportunities to upgrade your design capabilities. You might like a free option, like Scribus, or a Mac-focused tool like Swift Publisher that integrates easily with other Apple software. Or you may have a large team that needs the full capabilities of Adobe InDesign or Affinity Publisher. No matter your situation, one of the seven options listed above has you covered.
Start exploring the other desktop publishing options now, so you can get comfortable using new software before Microsoft Publisher finally retires in October 2026. The best alternative for you is one that gives you all the design features you need, works well on the computer you use, and fits your budget.