Publisher alternatives
Publisher alternatives: what still opens your .pub files.
Some tools are good for new documents, others for the files you already have. Here is what each one does with .pub files, and where it falls short.
Two questions, often mixed up
Looking for a Publisher alternative usually means two separate things. The first is where to make new newsletters, flyers and cards from now on. The second is what to do with the .pub files you already have. Many good layout programs answer the first question and cannot open a single .pub file, so it helps to keep them apart.
Publisher's file format was never published. The few programs that read it rely on reverse-engineered import code, and each handles complex pages differently. Whatever you choose, test it on a few of your own files, including a difficult one, before you trust it with an archive.
Word and PowerPoint: Microsoft's own answer
In its retirement notice, Microsoft suggests Word for newsletters, programs, labels, letterhead and forms, PowerPoint for posters, banners and signs, and either one for flyers, brochures and cards. If you already have Microsoft 365, that covers most new work.
For existing files, Microsoft's advice is to save them as PDF while Publisher still runs. To edit one later, you open that PDF in Word, and Microsoft notes that the layout may vary from the original. That works for a few simple pages; for a newsletter with several columns and linked text boxes, expect to rebuild parts of it.
LibreOffice Draw: free, and it imports many .pub files
LibreOffice is a free, open-source office suite for Windows, Mac and Linux. Its Draw program opens many .pub files directly, and you can save or export the result as PDF. From the command line it can also convert a whole folder in one go.
Simple one-page flyers often come through well. The trouble spots are the ones that matter in real archives: text that flows across linked boxes, tables, WordArt, rotated or grouped objects, and fonts you don't have installed. LibreOffice does not tell you what it changed, so you have to check every page yourself.
Scribus: free desktop publishing with a .pub import
Scribus is a free, open-source desktop publishing program. Versions 1.5 and later can import Publisher files, using the same kind of import code as LibreOffice, so the strengths and limits are similar. Its own strength is print work: colour management, CMYK and PDF/X output for commercial printers.
Scribus suits you if you want to keep laying out documents in a real publishing tool and are ready to rebuild your main templates once. It is less suited to converting hundreds of old files, because each import needs checking and tidying by hand.
Have a folder of .pub files to rescue?
PUB Rescue converts them on your PC to PDF and editable PowerPoint, with a report for each file.
Licences from US$49.99, one-time. See prices
Free from the Microsoft Store · Windows 10 and 11
Affinity, Canva and other layout apps
Affinity Publisher, Canva and similar apps are popular for new designs. None of them opens .pub files. The usual workaround is to export a PDF from Publisher first and import that, but a PDF has no text frames or styles left, so you are editing a fixed page rather than your old document.
Use them for new work, and treat your old .pub files as a separate job: keep the originals, export or convert them, and rebuild only the templates you still use.
Online converters
Several websites convert a single .pub file to PDF after you upload it. That can be quick for one public notice. Before uploading, think about what is in the file: member lists, school newsletters and client material often contain personal details. Check how long the service keeps uploads, and whether it limits file size or the number of files.
As with any converter, compare the result with the original before you rely on it.
PUB Rescue: for existing .pub files on Windows
PUB Rescue is our Windows app, and it answers only the second question. It does not design new documents. It reads .pub files itself, without Publisher, and converts a file or a whole folder on your PC to PDF (optionally PDF/A) and to PowerPoint with editable text. It writes a report for every file listing detected changes, such as substituted fonts, and never changes your originals. Nothing is uploaded.
It runs on Windows 10 and 11 only. The free trial converts your own files to PDF with a watermark, so you can check the result before buying; a one-time licence removes the watermark and adds the PowerPoint output.
Which one fits
A rough guide, by situation:
- You still have Publisher: export PDFs of everything important now. The guide to your .pub files has the steps.
- A few simple files, no budget: LibreOffice Draw. Check each page against the original.
- You will keep designing print documents: Scribus or Affinity for new work; rebuild the templates you use most.
- You already pay for Microsoft 365: Word and PowerPoint for new documents.
- A whole archive, on Windows, with a record of what changed or editable slides: PUB Rescue; try your own files in the free trial first.
Have a folder of .pub files to rescue?
PUB Rescue converts them on your PC to PDF and editable PowerPoint, with a report for each file.
Licences from US$49.99, one-time. See prices
Free from the Microsoft Store · Windows 10 and 11