Itch.io is a gaming platform meaning it is a website for games. Publisher is a company that supports ideas. They are two different things and being a developer with the abilty to sell does not automanty make it into a publisher.
- gaming platform is a website to play games, sell and trade.
- publisher is supporting an idea through money or other means.
An example for platform is itch.io because anyone can have a chance to be a developer and anyone can play games.
An example of a publisher is Steam, rejecting bad ideas, accepting good ideas and kinda spending money or such.