Is Microsoft Publisher Free? What You Can Still Download in 2026

No. Microsoft Publisher has never been free. It came with certain paid Microsoft 365 plans on Windows PCs and with paid perpetual Office suites, and as of October 1, 2026, Microsoft no longer includes it in Microsoft 365 at all. There is no official free download, free trial, web version or Mac version. What you can still get for free is a way to open, view and convert your .pub files, plus several tools for making new flyers, bulletins and newsletters. This guide covers both, and explains why the "free Publisher download" sites are best avoided.

We make Korva, a desktop publishing app that opens .pub files, so we hear this question a lot. It usually comes from someone with an old bulletin or flyer to update and no copy of Publisher. The honest answer is below, including where our own product fits and where it does not.

Microsoft, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Publisher are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Korva is an independent product, not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft, and it does not offer Microsoft Publisher or a Publisher download.

The short answer

Question	Answer
Is Microsoft Publisher free?	No. It was always paid for, either through Microsoft 365, an Office suite or a standalone licence
Is it still in Microsoft 365?	No. As of October 1, 2026, Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer access it
Is there a free trial?	No. A Microsoft 365 trial no longer includes Publisher
Is there a free online version?	No. Publisher never had a web version
Is there a Mac version?	No. Publisher was only ever a Windows app
Does Office 2024 include it?	No. Microsoft left Publisher out of Office 2024
Can perpetual owners still install it?	Yes, but support ended on October 13, 2026
Can I still open .pub files for free?	Yes, with third-party tools, covered below

Why Publisher was never free

People have been searching for “Microsoft Publisher free download” for as long as Publisher has existed. There was never a legitimate free version. Publisher reached people in three paid ways:

• Microsoft 365 subscriptions that included the desktop Office apps, on Windows PCs only.
• Perpetual Office suites, meaning one-time purchases. In recent versions, Publisher came only in the Professional and Professional Plus editions, plus some volume-licensed editions for organizations. The Home & Student and Home & Business editions did not include it.
• A standalone paid licence, which Microsoft sold at times.

Publisher often felt free because it arrived bundled with something else, such as a work or school Microsoft 365 licence, a family subscription, or an Office Professional copy that came with a PC. The only way to use it without paying was a time-limited trial of a paid Microsoft 365 subscription. That route closed when Publisher left Microsoft 365.

What changed on October 1, 2026

Microsoft set out the details on its official support page, Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026. The key statements are:

• Microsoft 365 subscribers lose access. “Microsoft 365 subscribers will not be able to access Publisher after October 1, 2026.” For subscribers, Publisher is “no longer available for installation or download.”
• Perpetual owners keep the app. “If you have the Perpetual version of Publisher, you will still be able to access and edit your files,” and you can still “install and use the app beyond this date.”
• Perpetual support ended on October 13, 2026. Microsoft said support “will end on October 13, 2026,” which is “when Office LTSC 2021 and Consumer Office 2021 reach end of support.” From then on, the app gets no fixes and no security updates.
• Microsoft recommends converting your files. It advises converting .pub files “to PDF or Word format.” The Word route runs through a PDF first, and Microsoft warns that the layout “may vary from the original PDF—particularly if the document includes many graphics.” It also notes that third-party conversion tools exist, but “Microsoft does not provide support for them.”

Microsoft also left Publisher out of the latest perpetual Office. Its Office LTSC 2024 overview states plainly: “Microsoft Publisher is not included with Office LTSC 2024.” The consumer Office 2024 editions don’t include it either.

For the fuller timeline, see Is Microsoft Publisher being discontinued? and our Publisher end-of-life guide.

Can you still download Microsoft Publisher?

It depends on what you already have.

You subscribe to Microsoft 365. No. As of October 1, 2026, Publisher is no longer part of the subscription, and Microsoft no longer offers it to subscribers for installation or download.

You own a perpetual copy, such as Office Professional 2021 or an earlier Professional edition. Yes. Microsoft says you can still install and use it. Be clear about what that means, though. Since October 13, 2026, it has been unsupported software, with no security fixes and no help if a future Windows update breaks it. Use it while it works to export your important files to PDF, and don’t treat it as a long-term plan.

You own neither. Then there is no current Microsoft product that includes Publisher. Office 2024 left it out, and Microsoft 365 no longer carries it. You may still find older Office 2021 Professional keys for sale from resellers. Paying for software with an October 2026 end of support is poor value, and keys from unofficial sellers can turn out to be invalid.

Why “free Microsoft Publisher download” sites are risky

Search “Microsoft Publisher free download” and you will find plenty of pages promising exactly that. Treat all of them with suspicion, for a simple reason: Microsoft does not offer Publisher for free, so any site that does is distributing a copy it has no right to share.

These downloads usually come in a few forms. There are repackaged installers, “pre-activated” or “cracked” builds, key generators, “portable” zip files and fake “Publisher Viewer” apps. Microsoft does not offer a free Publisher Viewer.

The risks are real:

• Malware and adware. Unofficial installers are a common way to spread malicious software. Installers usually ask for administrator rights, so whatever is bundled inside gets full access to your computer.
• Licence violation. Using a cracked or unlicensed copy breaks Microsoft’s terms. That matters for a church, school, charity or business that may be audited.
• No updates. Even a clean copy is now unsupported software with no security fixes, and you would be using it to open files that other people send you.

Common warning signs include a download that arrives as a differently named .exe or a “download manager,” instructions to turn off your antivirus, password-protected archives, and requests for a survey or card details to unlock a “free” product. The safe rule is simple: download software only from the developer’s own website.

Is there a free Microsoft Publisher for Mac?

No. There has never been a Mac version of Publisher, free or paid. It was a Windows-only app for its entire life, and Microsoft 365 for Mac never included it. Anything calling itself “Microsoft Publisher for Mac” did not come from Microsoft.

What works on a Mac:

• Korva runs natively on macOS 12 or later, on both Intel and Apple Silicon. It opens .pub files locally, and you can edit and export them to PDF.
• LibreOffice Draw is free and can import some .pub files, though results vary with the file.
• Korva’s free browser converter turns a .pub into a PDF in the browser, without uploading the file.

Our Microsoft Publisher for Mac guide goes through the Mac options in more detail.

Is there a free Microsoft Publisher online?

No. Publisher was only ever a Windows desktop app and was never part of Office for the web. There is no official browser version to log in to.

Here is what does exist online:

• Korva’s free PUB to PDF converter runs in your browser using WebAssembly. The file is processed locally and never uploaded, and no account is needed. It converts one file at a time.
• Korva’s free .pub viewer lets you take a quick look at a Publisher file without installing anything.
• Canva’s free tier is a reasonable online tool for new designs. It needs an account and an internet connection, and it cannot open .pub files.

Be careful with other online .pub converters. Most of them upload your file to their server to process it. That is fine for a generic flyer. It is not fine for a membership directory, donor list or anything else you would not email to a stranger.

Free ways to open and convert .pub files

If your real goal is to get at old Publisher files, you have several free options.

Tool	Cost	Platforms	Opens .pub	Edits the layout	Notes
Korva desktop (Free tier)	Free; Pro is US$49 once	macOS, Windows, Linux	Yes	Yes	A new user can export the first complete project repeatedly; works offline
Korva browser converter	Free	Any modern browser	Yes	No	One file at a time; runs locally with no upload
Korva .pub viewer	Free	Browser	Yes	No	For a quick look without installing anything
LibreOffice Draw	Free, open source	Windows, macOS, Linux	Some files	Yes, in Draw	Import quality varies; cannot save back to .pub
Your existing Publisher	Already paid	Windows	Yes	Yes	Microsoft support ended October 13, 2026; export PDFs now

Korva’s Free tier is the free option built specifically for .pub files. It opens any .pub on macOS, Windows or Linux with its layout and lets you edit it. A new user can export their first complete project as often as needed. Fonts that aren’t installed are replaced, and very complex designs may need a quick touch-up. The files stay on your computer, and no account is required.

LibreOffice Draw is the fully free, open-source option. It imports simpler .pub files reasonably well and struggles with complex ones, and it cannot save back to .pub. Our LibreOffice Draw vs Publisher comparison covers where it works and where it doesn’t.

Your own copy of Publisher, if you still have one, is the most faithful converter you will ever have for your own files. Use it now to save PDFs of everything that matters, before an unsupported app meets a Windows update it cannot survive.

For a broader look at no-cost options, see our guide to free Microsoft Publisher alternatives. If you want step-by-step help, read how to open a .pub file without Publisher.

Free ways to make new layouts

Opening old files is one job. Making new flyers, bulletins and newsletters is another. These are the realistic choices:

Tool	Cost	Works offline	Opens .pub	Best for
Korva	Free tier; Pro is US$49 once	Yes	Yes	Publisher-style flyers, bulletins, newsletters, labels and certificates
Scribus	Free, open source	Yes	No	Commercial print work that needs spot colors or PDF/X
Canva (free tier)	Free tier; Pro is a subscription	No	No	Quick template-based graphics and simple flyers
LibreOffice Draw	Free, open source	Yes	Some files	Single-page flyers and posters
Microsoft Word	Paid, unless you already have it	Yes	No	Simple one-page layouts

• Korva is closest to the Publisher way of working, with a ribbon-style interface, direct placement on a real page canvas and templates such as business cards, certificates, event flyers and Avery 5160 address labels. The Free tier lets a new user finish and repeatedly export one complete project. Korva Pro is a one-time US$49 purchase that adds unlimited exports, batch conversion, editable .kva saves, mail merge and master pages. There is no subscription.
• Scribus is fully free and genuinely capable, including prepress features that most tools here lack. It has a steep learning curve and cannot open .pub files.
• Canva’s free tier is quick and full of templates, but it runs online, needs an account, and puts many features behind a Pro subscription. See our Korva vs Canva comparison.
• Word is only “free” if you already pay for it. It works for a simple page, but text boxes drift and it has no proper bleed or crop marks. Our Word vs Publisher guide explains where it falls short.

For the full field, including paid options such as Affinity Publisher and Adobe InDesign, see our roundup of Microsoft Publisher alternatives. If you would rather not start from a blank page, browse the templates.

Where Korva fits

To be clear about what Korva is: it is not Microsoft Publisher, and it is not a way to download Publisher. Korva is an independent desktop publishing app that reads Publisher’s .pub files, lets you edit the recovered layout, and exports a print-ready PDF.

• Platforms: macOS 12+, Windows 10+ and 64-bit Linux.
• Privacy: it works fully offline, with no account and no telemetry, and your files never leave your computer. The only online step is a one-time licence activation for Pro.
• Free tier: it opens and edits any .pub, and a new user can export their first complete project repeatedly.
• Korva Pro: a one-time US$49 purchase adds unlimited exports, batch conversion, editable .kva saves, mail merge and master pages.

If a legitimate, zero-cost way to open your Publisher files is what you were really looking for, you can download Korva and try it on your own .pub file before spending anything.

What to do now

• You have .pub files but no Publisher. Open them with Korva’s Free tier, or use the browser converter for a quick PDF.
• You still have a perpetual copy of Publisher installed. Export PDFs of every file that matters now, while the app still runs. Microsoft’s support for it ended on October 13, 2026.
• You were a Microsoft 365 subscriber. As of October 1, 2026, Publisher is no longer part of your subscription. Move your living documents to a tool that can open .pub files, and convert the rest to PDF.
• You want to design new material at no cost. Try Korva’s Free tier for Publisher-style work, Scribus if you need prepress features, or Canva’s free tier for quick online graphics.
• You found a site offering Publisher for free. Close the tab. Microsoft does not offer a free Publisher, so that download is not what it claims to be.

Publisher is not coming back as a free product, and the paid routes to it have mostly closed. Your .pub files, though, are still perfectly readable, and there are safe, legitimate, free ways to open them and move on.

Microsoft, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Publisher are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Korva is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.