By Project Type

What Should You Use Instead of Publisher for Calendars?

Short answer: Canva. Its calendar templates already handle monthly grids, date numbering, and layout — the parts of calendar-making that used to take the most time in Publisher.

See Your Options Check the FAQ First
The Short Version

Here's the fast path for your calendar

Canva's calendar templates do the grid work for you

Monthly and yearly layouts with the dates already structured, so you're customizing, not building from scratch.

Photo calendars are especially easy in Canva

Family or event calendars with a photo per month are a common, well-supported template type.

Your old .pub calendar rebuilds panel by panel

Export to PDF, then recreate each month using it as a style reference.

Word isn't built for calendar grids

It can approximate one with a table, but you'll be entering dates by hand instead of using a real calendar template.

Your Options

Three tools that can replace Publisher for calendars

Best For Almost Every Calendar

Canva

Monthly, yearly, and photo calendar templates with the grid work already done for you.

Compare Canva to Publisher
Best If You Want Zero Cost, More Manual Setup

LibreOffice

Free forever, and can open an old .pub calendar directly, though the grid layout takes more manual work than Canva's templates.

Compare LibreOffice to Publisher
Not Recommended For Real Calendar Layouts

Word

Can approximate a grid with a table, but has no calendar-specific tooling to help with dates or layout.

Compare Word to Publisher
Getting Started

How to actually make the switch

  1. Decide what kind of calendar you're making

    Monthly wall calendar, event calendar, or family photo calendar — search Canva for that specific template type.

  2. Export your old Publisher calendar to PDF today

    Do this if you want to reuse its layout or photos, while you still have Publisher access.

  3. Rebuild month by month using your old file as reference

    Swap in your dates, events, and photos as you go.

  4. Double-check the year and dates before printing

    Template dates don't always update themselves — confirm every month is correct before your final export.

Common Questions

Calendar questions people actually ask

Does Canva have calendars for a specific year?

Most Canva calendar templates are pre-dated for the current year, but double-check the dates match before you print — some are undated and expect you to fill them in.

Can I make a photo calendar with one photo per month?

Yes — this is one of Canva's most common calendar template types, and it's built for exactly this.

What if I need to reuse last year's calendar layout?

Export it to PDF from Publisher, or open it directly in LibreOffice Draw, and use it as your starting reference.

Is Word ever a reasonable choice for a calendar?

Only for a very simple, text-only monthly grid — you'd build the table by hand, with no calendar-specific tooling to help.

Do I need to pay for a calendar template?

No — Canva's free plan includes a wide selection of calendar templates for most common needs.

Not sure which tool fits your calendar project?

The Publisher Retirement Kit includes a decision guide made for exactly this kind of call — no guessing required.

Get the Retirement Kit