Microsoft Publisher is retired: how to open your .pub files

Publisher was the program many small businesses, schools and clubs used for newsletters, flyers, price lists and certificates. With Microsoft ending it in October 2026, people are finding old .pub files that nothing on their computer will open. This guide explains what has changed and what your options are, in the order we would try them. Check Microsoft’s own announcement for the exact dates that apply to your version.

What actually changed

Publisher is no longer part of Microsoft’s plans going forward, and Microsoft has not replaced it with a program that opens its files. Copies of Publisher that are already installed generally keep running for as long as that version is supported, but a new computer, a new Microsoft 365 install or a reinstall will not include it. Word, Excel and PowerPoint have never been able to open a .pub file, so there is no built-in fallback.

Step 1: if Publisher still works anywhere, export now

This is the only route that keeps the exact layout. On a computer that still has Publisher:

1. Open the file and choose File → Export → Create PDF/XPS Document. A PDF looks the same on every device, forever.
2. For pictures, use File → Save As and pick a picture format (JPEG or PNG) to save each page as an image.
3. Keep the original .pub too, in case you want to edit it later.

Once you have a PDF, convert it to Word, shrink it or merge several with Altto’s other free tools.

Step 2: no Publisher? Pull the text and pictures out

Want to keep editing your Publisher files? Altto Layout is a free Publisher alternative that runs in your browser: it opens .pub files with their layout (text boxes, linked text, pictures, shapes and master pages), lets you change them, and saves them as PDF, pictures or Word.

Altto’s Publisher opener reads the file inside your browser, shows the words and pictures it finds, and saves them as a Word document, a PDF, plain text or a zip of pictures. It is free, needs no sign-up and nothing is uploaded. The honest limit: it recovers content, not design. Fonts, columns, tables and exact positions are not kept.

Got a whole archive of .pub files? Altto’s bulk conversion turns a whole folder into PDF and Word in one go, free, still on your own device.

Step 3: other programs that can read .pub

• LibreOffice Draw (free) imports many Publisher files and can export them to PDF. Results vary with how complex the file is.
• Scribus (free desktop publishing) can also import Publisher files through the same library.
• An old computer or a colleague with Publisher installed is often the quickest way to get a clean PDF.

Whichever you use, check the result against the original before you rely on it, especially numbers, prices and dates. On a Mac? See how to open a .pub file on a Mac. On Windows 11? See how to open one without Publisher. On an iPhone, iPad or Android phone? See how to open a .pub file on a phone.

Step 4: rebuild the document somewhere current

If the file is a living document you will keep editing, the long-term answer is to recreate it in a program that is still developed. Our Publisher alternatives guide compares the options. Word covers a lot of what Publisher was used for; Canva is popular for flyers and posters. Our Recommended box on the opener page lists both, with a disclosure that some links may earn altto a commission at no cost to you.

What not to do

• Don’t rename .pub to .docx or .pdf. It changes the label, not the contents, and the file will fail to open.
• Don’t upload private files (customer lists, invoices, school records) to a random converter website. Prefer tools that work on your device.
• Don’t delete the original until you have checked the converted copy.

More on formats in our which app opens which file reference.

Microsoft and Publisher are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Altto is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.