--- title: Microsoft Publisher is dead in October, but this... description: Microsoft Publisher is being removed from Microsoft 365 in October, and Scribus, a free 25-year-old open-source desktop publishing app for Windows, macOS, and... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-publisher-is-dead-in-october-but-this-25-year-old-open-source-app-already-replaced-it-kacoy5jey twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Microsoft Publisher is dead in October, but this 25-year-old open-source app already replaced it | daily.dev og:description: Microsoft Publisher is being removed from Microsoft 365 in October, and Scribus, a free 25-year-old open-source desktop publishing app for Windows, macOS, and... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-publisher-is-dead-in-october-but-this-25-year-old-open-source-app-already-replaced-it-kacoy5jey og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/kACOy5jeY.png og:image:alt: Microsoft Publisher is dead in October, but this 25-year-old open-source app already replaced it og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Microsoft Publisher is dead in October, but this 25-year-old open-source app already replaced it **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 3 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Microsoft Publisher is being removed from Microsoft 365 in October, and Scribus, a free 25-year-old open-source desktop publishing app for Windows, macOS, and Linux, is presented as a close replacement. Scribus supports similar media types (brochures, books, business cards, newsletters) plus features Publisher lacks, like CMYK color support and ICC color management. It lacks Office integration and has a dated interface, but is described as good enough for casual users who don't need Adobe InDesign's professional tools or a subscription. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Microsoft Publisher is being discontinued, what's a good free alternative? Scribus, a free and open-source desktop publishing application available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, replaces most of what Publisher offered. It covers the same media types Publisher handled, including books, brochures, business cards, newsletters, and PDF presentations, and adds CMYK color support and ICC color management for more accurate print color matching, features Publisher lacked. _Anyone migrating off a retiring app can track viable open-source replacements like Scribus through daily.dev._ ### When is Microsoft Publisher being discontinued? Microsoft Publisher is being removed from Microsoft 365 in October. Existing users relying on it for design tasks like brochures, newsletters, or business cards will need to find an alternative before that date, such as the free open-source desktop publishing app Scribus. _Developers and power users tracking software end-of-life dates like Publisher's can follow the news on daily.dev._ ### What are the downsides of using Scribus instead of Microsoft Publisher? Scribus lacks Microsoft Office integration since it is a standalone application, making file migration from Publisher less seamless. Its interface also feels dated, resembling software from 2001 rather than modern Office apps, and it does not offer the same polished, Office-consistent look and commands that Publisher provided. _Weighing open-source tools against familiar paid software is easier with comparisons like this tracked on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Microsoft says it's improving your 365 subscription by deleting Publisher from it in two month's time](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-says-it-s-improving-your-365-subscription-by-deleting-publisher-from-it-in-two-month-s-tim-opd1bxppi) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Microsoft closes the book on Publisher and unplugs Project Online](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-closes-the-book-on-publisher-and-unplugs-project-online-lijlhzalq) · The Register · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Affinity is a great Adobe alternative, but these underrated open-source apps are even better](https://daily.dev/posts/affinity-is-a-great-adobe-alternative-but-these-underrated-open-source-apps-are-even-better-iv1letuaz) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Your 2026 quick guide to free Office alternatives](https://daily.dev/posts/your-2026-quick-guide-to-free-office-alternatives-s6laz6ap3) · All Things Open · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#open-source](https://daily.dev/tags/open-source), [#microsoft](https://daily.dev/tags/microsoft) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-publisher-is-dead-in-october-but-this-25-year-old-open-source-app-already-replaced-it-kacoy5jey) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Microsoft Publisher is dead in October, but this 25-year-old open-source app already replaced it","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-publisher-is-dead-in-october-but-this-25-year-old-open-source-app-already-replaced-it-kacoy5jey","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-publisher-is-dead-in-october-but-this-25-year-old-open-source-app-already-replaced-it-kacoy5jey"},"datePublished":"2026-08-21T21:34:28.625Z","dateModified":"2026-09-13T19:33:16.670Z","description":"Microsoft Publisher is being removed from Microsoft 365 in October, and Scribus, a free 25-year-old open-source desktop publishing app for Windows, macOS, and...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/93fb17bf4bd5affd4dd28e88668dfe60?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/93fb17bf4bd5affd4dd28e88668dfe60?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"XDA Developers","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"XDA Developers","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--kCg6yyAP--/f_auto,q_auto/v1774964407/logos/xda-developers?_a=BAMAMiWQ0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-publisher-is-dead-in-october-but-this-25-year-old-open-source-app-already-replaced-it-kacoy5jey","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"open-source,microsoft","timeRequired":"PT3M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"XDA Developers","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Microsoft Publisher is dead in October, but this 25-year-old open-source app already replaced it"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-publisher-is-dead-in-october-but-this-25-year-old-open-source-app-already-replaced-it-kacoy5jey#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Microsoft Publisher is being discontinued, what's a good free alternative?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Scribus, a free and open-source desktop publishing application available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, replaces most of what Publisher offered. 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