Download Microsoft Publisher for Windows
When you download Microsoft Publisher for Windows for free, you can access the desktop publishing application with a subscription through Microsoft 365. This software has a few similarities with Microsoft Word. Still, instead of placing the emphasis on text composition, spelling and grammar, and other proofreading tools that focus on the text itself, Microsoft Publisher looks more at the big picture.
With Microsoft Publisher, the emphasis is on the layout of your page or pages. It has a huge number of tools that aim to help you improve the graphic design of your published piece, whether you are creating a flyer to promote an event at work or designing a newsletter for your family. The goal of Microsoft was to create a tool for smaller businesses or personal users who don’t have the budget or skills to use other advanced software. With Microsoft Publisher, you get a simpler version of the tools necessary to create a beautiful piece of published work.
Features and Integrations: What tools can I expect from Publisher?
Just like many of the other Microsoft products, Publisher allows you to start with a blank canvas or choose from pre-generated templates that might give you a bit of inspiration. The overall layout is very similar to other Microsoft products, with ribbons (similar to toolbars) holding tools and formatting options. You can upload images, text, and other multimedia for your published piece and move them around easily to format the page exactly as you want. This applies to background design, too – you can choose your background and apply it throughout the published work for ease of access.
Because it’s designed for compatibility with other Microsoft 365 products, Publisher can integrate work from Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel with ease. For example, if you are looking to highlight a sales table that charts just how much money your company is making this quarter, you can compile all that data in Excel, put together a table or chart, and upload the chart into Publisher with ease. For those looking to include some heavier amounts of text in their published work, you can write up an article or paragraph in Microsoft Word and upload the document into Microsoft Publisher. You’ll be able to perfect the layout and design of your published piece through Publisher with much greater ease than if you tried to combine media and text in Microsoft Word.
Compatibility and system requirements: What do I need to be running on my computer for Microsoft Publisher to work?
You will need to be running Windows 8 or later on Windows in order to use Microsoft Publisher through Microsoft 365. The file format for Publisher is .pub and can be opened in any version of Microsoft Publisher. Microsoft Publisher 2021 runs on Version 16.0 and is only compatible on Windows computers. Older versions of Microsoft Publisher purchased through Microsoft Office are compatible with older systems. However, if you are using traditional licenses instead of Microsoft 365, you won’t have access to OneDrive and will not be able to access your work from anywhere via the cloud-based saving feature. Instead, the work will be saved directly on your computer.
Microsoft 365: Which plans include Microsoft Publisher?
You can get access to Microsoft Publisher through a Microsoft 365 subscription, but you’ll need to make sure you’re paying for the right plan. There are four subscriptions available for small businesses through Microsoft 365.
- Microsoft 365 Apps for business: Up to five computers, smartphones, or tablets get access to Office applications – including Windows, Apple, and mobile platforms. This includes Microsoft Publisher.
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: Optimal for small to medium-sized businesses, this will give you access to Office 365 online apps. It also comes with 1 TB of cloud storage for the business to share. However, this does not include Microsoft Publisher.
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: Optimal for medium to large-sized businesses, this includes both the features of Microsoft 365 Business Basic and Microsoft 365 Apps for Business. This includes Microsoft Publisher.
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium: Optimal for large businesses with as many as 300 employees, this plan includes all the features of Microsoft 365 Business Standard along with Windows 10 Business, Microsoft Intune, Defender for Office 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Azure AD P1, and Defender for Business. This includes Microsoft Publisher.
You can also choose to download and purchase Microsoft Publisher with a traditional license for a single computer through Microsoft Office. Microsoft plans to discontinue Publisher in October 2026. After this date, you will no longer have access to Publisher through Microsoft 365 – regardless of the plan you are paying through. The only way you will have continued access to Microsoft Publisher is through a preexisting Microsoft Office license you purchased, although these will no longer receive updates.
