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Convert a Publisher .pub file to Word, free

Word can’t open .pub files, and Microsoft retired Publisher in October 2026. Drop your .pub file here and get its words and pictures back as a Word document you can edit. It all happens on your device.

Bulk conversion: a whole folder of .pub files at once

Choose dozens or hundreds of Publisher files, or a whole folder, and get every one back as PDF and Word in a single ZIP, with your folder structure kept. Like everything on Altto, it runs on your device: nothing is uploaded.

Bulk conversion is part of Altto Pro. Converting one file at a time, above, stays free forever.

Altto Pro is coming soon: £3.99 a month, or a one-off £9.99 Archive rescue pass for clearing out an old archive. See what’s included.

What this does, and what it doesn’t

It recovers the words, in order, and the JPEG and PNG pictures stored in the file. It does not keep the page layout, columns, fonts, colours, tables or text effects, and it can’t read password-protected files. For an exact copy of the design, the file needs a still-installed copy of Publisher (which can export to PDF) or a desktop-publishing app.

How to convert a .pub file to Word

  1. Choose your .pub file above, or drop it on the box. It is read on your own device.
  2. Check the text that appears. You can correct anything in the box before saving.
  3. Press “Download as Word (.docx)”. The pictures go into the document too, and you can also download them separately as a zip.
  4. Open the file in Word (or Google Docs, Pages or LibreOffice) and rebuild the layout around the recovered content.

Turning the Word file back into a finished document

The Word file is a clean starting point: headings and paragraphs in reading order, with the pictures underneath. To get back to something that looks like the original:

  • Start from a Word template. In Word, choose File → New and search for “newsletter”, “flyer” or “brochure”, then paste your recovered text into it.
  • Use Layout → Columns for newsletter-style columns, and Insert → Text Box for panels and pull quotes.
  • Right-click a picture → Wrap Text to place it beside the text rather than above it.
  • Check prices, dates and phone numbers against the original before you print or send anything.

If you still have a copy of the original as a PDF, Altto’s PDF to Word converter keeps more of the layout than a .pub conversion can.

Common questions

Can I convert a .pub file to Word without Publisher?

Yes. Altto reads the .pub file in your browser, pulls out the words and the pictures, and saves them as a Word (.docx) document you can open in Word, Google Docs, Pages or LibreOffice. You do not need Publisher installed.

Will the Word document look like my Publisher file?

Not exactly. You get the words in reading order and the pictures, so you can rebuild the page in Word. Columns, text boxes, fonts and exact positions are not carried over, because those are stored in a way only Publisher fully understands.

Can Word open a .pub file directly?

No. Word has never been able to open Publisher files, and Microsoft retired Publisher in October 2026. You need to get the content out of the .pub file first, which is what this tool does.

Is my file uploaded?

No. The conversion runs inside your browser tab on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server, so private newsletters, price lists or school documents stay private.

Can I convert a whole folder of .pub files to Word?

Yes. Use bulk conversion to turn many .pub files, or a whole folder, into Word documents in one ZIP, still on your own device.

What if the Word file has no text in it?

Some files, such as very old Publisher versions, damaged files or password-protected files, store their text in a way this tool cannot read. If you can reach a computer with Publisher, export the file to PDF there, then use Altto's PDF to Word converter.

See also: open a .pub file as PDF, .pub to JPG or PNG, Publisher retired: your options, Publisher alternatives, open a .pub file on a Mac, on Windows 11, on iPhone, iPad and Android.

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