Microsoft Axes Project Online and Publisher from Microsoft 365

Microsoft is planning to retire Project Online and remove Publisher from Microsoft 365 over the coming weeks. The retirement of Project Online will occur on September 30, while Publisher will be removed from subscriptions on October 1, 2026. Support for perpetual versions of Publisher will end on October 13 alongside Office LTSC 2021 and Consumer Office 2021.

Publisher, a desktop publishing application that dates back to the Windows 3.x era, was announced to be retired in 2024. Microsoft recommends moving Project Online Essentials users to Planner Plan 1 or Planner and Project Plan 3, depending on their specific needs. However, these alternatives may come with additional functionality and potentially higher costs.

For organizations that have not migrated yet, the retirement of Project Online Essentials could catch them off guard. This SKU provides relatively inexpensive licenses for users who need to update tasks, submit timesheets, and view project information without the broader capabilities of Microsoft's more expensive plans.