EdgeNoteMicrosoft Publisher alternatives: what to use now
Microsoft has retired Publisher. If you used it for flyers, newsletters, cards, labels or certificates, here's what happens to your files and the best replacements for Windows, free and paid.
Updated October 2026. We make EdgeNote, one of the options below.
The short answer
- Publisher has gone from Microsoft 365 since 1 October 2026. Subscribers can no longer open or edit .pub files in it.
- One-off purchase versions (such as Publisher 2021) stopped being supported on 13 October 2026, but they still install and run.
- Save your .pub files as PDF while you still can, so you always have a copy you can view and print.
- Free replacements: Affinity, Scribus and LibreOffice. Microsoft itself suggests Word and PowerPoint.
What happens to your Publisher files
According to Microsoft's retirement notice:
- To keep a copy to view or print, open each file in Publisher and save it as a PDF.
- To keep editing in Word, open that PDF in Word. Microsoft warns the result is "optimized for text editing", so designs with lots of pictures and shapes may move around.
- Lots of files? Microsoft gives a sample PowerShell script on the same page to convert many files at once.
The alternatives at a glance
| App | Price | Opens .pub files | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Included with Microsoft 365 or Office | No (via PDF) | Newsletters, letters, labels, simple flyers |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Included with Microsoft 365 or Office | No | Posters, signs, banners |
| Affinity (by Canva) | Free, AI tools paid | Not confirmed | Professional page layout and print |
| Scribus | Free, open source | Yes (import) | Brochures and magazines, if you'll learn it |
| LibreOffice Draw | Free, open source | Yes (import) | Rescuing old .pub files, simple layouts |
| Canva | Free plan, Pro paid | No | Quick designs from templates, online |
| EdgeNote | 15 days free, then a subscription | No | Flyers, cards, booklets, labels and calendars printed at home |
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Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
If you already pay for Microsoft 365, start here. Microsoft recommends Word for invoices, envelopes, labels, letterheads, newsletters and programmes, and PowerPoint for banners, signs and posters. Both have lots of templates under File → New.
- Good
- You already have them, and everyone can open the files.
- Not so good
- Moving pictures and text boxes around in Word can be fiddly compared with Publisher.
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Affinity (by Canva)
Affinity Publisher was a well-loved paid app. In late 2025 Canva merged it with Affinity Photo and Designer into one free app; only its AI features need a paid Canva plan. It's a full professional layout tool, with master pages, text flowing between frames and print-ready PDFs.
- Good
- Professional results, free, and it works offline.
- Not so good
- Far more than most people need for a flyer, so there's a lot to learn.
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Scribus
The long-standing free desktop publishing app. It can import Publisher files, and it's built for multi-page documents like brochures, newsletters and magazines.
- Good
- Free forever, imports .pub files, serious print features.
- Not so good
- It looks and feels technical, and has fewer ready-made templates.
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LibreOffice Draw
Best known as a way to open old Publisher files. Draw imports .pub files so you can rescue the text and pictures, then edit or export them as PDF.
- Good
- Free, and a handy way into old .pub files.
- Not so good
- Imports aren't always perfect, and it's not a full Publisher replacement.
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Canva
Thousands of templates for flyers, posters, invitations and social media posts, edited in your browser. Great for quick, good-looking designs.
- Good
- Very easy, huge template library.
- Not so good
- You need to be online and signed in, and many templates and pictures need the paid plan.
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EdgeNote
EdgeNote is a notes app for Windows with a page designer built in, made for the everyday jobs people used Publisher for. Start from a ready-made design and print at home:
- Designs: flyers, sale posters, party invitations, folded birthday and thank-you cards, newsletters, tri-fold brochures, 8-page booklets, certificates and café menus, on A4 or A5.
- Folding done for you: folded cards, tri-folds and booklets print in the right order to fold.
- Print tab: address labels in common sizes, business cards ten to a sheet, and a calendar for any month.
- Good
- Quick and simple, works offline, everything stays on your PC.
- Not so good
- It doesn't open .pub files, and it's not a professional layout tool like Affinity or Scribus.
Free templates for common Publisher jobs
Most people opened Publisher for the same handful of things. We've made free templates for them in Word and PDF, with no sign-up:
Questions
When was Microsoft Publisher retired?
Publisher was removed from Microsoft 365 on 1 October 2026. Support for one-off purchase versions ended on 13 October 2026, though those versions still install and run.
Can I still open my .pub files?
If you still have Publisher 2021 or another one-off version installed, yes. Otherwise, LibreOffice Draw and Scribus can import .pub files for free. Microsoft recommends saving everything as PDF so you always have a copy.
What's the best free Microsoft Publisher alternative?
For professional layout, Affinity, now free from Canva. For opening old .pub files, LibreOffice Draw or Scribus. For quick designs from templates, Canva's free plan.
Is there a Publisher alternative that works offline on Windows?
Yes: Word and PowerPoint, Affinity, Scribus, LibreOffice and EdgeNote all run on your PC. Canva works in a web browser, so you need to be online.
Will Word open my Publisher files directly?
No. Save the .pub file as a PDF first, then open the PDF in Word. Expect to tidy up the layout, especially on designs with lots of pictures.