Microsoft Publisher

ApplicationMicrosoft Corporation

Also called publisher, ms publisher, mspub

Microsoft CorporationProductivity

Microsoft's desktop publishing app. The process is MSPUB.EXE. Microsoft is retiring Publisher from Microsoft 365 in October 2026. It is not Word.

What you need to know

Publisher is MSPUB.EXE and .pub files. Word is not a drop-in replacement for every layout.

Microsoft Publisher is a page-layout app for flyers, newsletters, and brochures. Microsoft will remove it from Microsoft 365 after October 1, 2026, and end support for perpetual Publisher on October 13, 2026. WINWORD.EXE is a different canvas.

What is it?: A flyer and newsletter layout app
Still supported?: Microsoft is retiring it in October 2026
Same as Word?: No. Word is WINWORD.EXE

Feex says

If you still live in .pub files, I would export to PDF or Word before October 2026. I would not wait for a Word repair to bring Publisher back after Microsoft removes it from 365.

What is Microsoft Publisher?

Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing program whose Windows executable is MSPUB.EXE. It opens .pub files. It is not Word, even when Microsoft tells 365 users to move layouts to Word or PDF.

If you have never used it

If you make church bulletins, trifold flyers, or newsletters in Publisher, this is MSPUB.EXE, not Word. Word can take some content. It does not keep every Publisher frame. Microsoft 365 subscribers can use Publisher until October 1, 2026. After that, 365 will not open .pub files in Publisher. Convert important files now.

What is it used for?

Page layout

Flyers, newsletters, and brochures with frames. That is the .pub canvas, not a Word document.

Mailing and catalogs

Publisher-specific merge and catalog features that Word does not copy one-for-one.

Export before retirement

PDF or Word export while Publisher still runs. After October 2026, 365 subscribers lose the app.

Who is it for?

People with archives of .pub files
Offices that still design print pieces in Publisher
Anyone who should not assume Word opens every Publisher layout

Current status

Retiring. Microsoft 365 subscribers lose Publisher after October 1, 2026. Perpetual Publisher support ends October 13, 2026. Perpetual installs may still run without new support.

How old is it?

Publisher launched in 1991 as a desktop publishing companion to Office. It is older than Microsoft 365 and is being removed from that suite in 2026. Word continues. Publisher does not.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Publisher in Microsoft 365 (until Oct 2026)

Publisher 2021 perpetual

Older Publisher

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
CPU	1.6 GHz or faster, 2-core, per Microsoft for Microsoft 365 Apps
RAM	4 GB for 64-bit, per Microsoft. Large files want more
Storage	4 GB class install plus your documents
Operating system	A current Windows release Microsoft lists for Microsoft 365 Apps

Resource profile

CPU demand: Layout and print preview
RAM demand: Image-heavy publications

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
MSPUB.EXE	Desktop Publisher

Startup components

Publisher starts when you open a .pub file. It should not start with Windows.

File locations

Common Microsoft Publisher locations
Typical Click-to-Run	C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\MSPUB.EXE

File formats

PUBPDFDOCX

Common problems

365 will drop the app in October 2026

Export now. A later Word repair will not restore Publisher on a 365-only PC.

People open .pub in Word and lose frames

Word is a conversion path, not the same layout engine.

Getting unstuck

Inventory .pub files and export to PDF while Publisher still opens

Microsoft documents this as the preparation step before October 1, 2026 for 365 subscribers.

Do not expect Office 2024 to include Publisher

Microsoft omitted Publisher from Office 2024. A 2021 perpetual box is a different SKU.

Repair Microsoft 365 Apps only if Publisher is still in your SKU

After retirement, the suite installer will not put MSPUB.EXE back.

Alternatives

Word, PowerPoint, and a dedicated layout tool overlap after retirement. None of them is MSPUB.EXE. Convert files while you still can.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Retirement notice	support.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026 Dates and what 365 subscribers lose
Publisher help	support.microsoft.com/publisher How-to while the app still ships
Office Publisher articles	support.microsoft.com/office/publisher Export and layout help
Microsoft 365 plans	www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365 Suite page. Publisher is leaving that suite

Related hardware

Any PC that still runs current Office can run Publisher until Microsoft removes it. The urgent work is file conversion, not a GPU upgrade.

Technical details

Retirement dates come from Microsoft Support as of 2026. Perpetual versus 365 behavior differs. This article does not invent a replacement app Microsoft has not shipped.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Legacy Information. How we research.

Microsoft: Publisher retirement · Official end of support
Microsoft Support: Publisher · Current Publisher help
Microsoft Support: Office Publisher hub · How-to while the app still ships
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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