--- title: "How to Open a Publisher File on a Mac (No Publisher)" description: "Microsoft Publisher never had a Mac version. How to open, view, edit or convert a .pub file on a Mac with free LibreOffice or an online converter." url: https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-mac last_updated: 2026-10-28 site: Aretus --- # How to open a Publisher file on a Mac > Microsoft Publisher was never made for Mac, so a Mac can't open .pub files on its own. The free fix is LibreOffice: install it, then open the .pub file in LibreOffice Draw to view it, edit it or export a PDF. Or upload the file to an online converter and download a PDF that opens in Preview. ## Open a .pub file on a Mac with LibreOffice 1. **Download LibreOffice for macOS.** Go to libreoffice.org and download the macOS version. Choose Apple Silicon for Macs with an M-series chip, or Intel (x86-64) for older Macs. Apple menu > About This Mac tells you which chip you have. 2. **Install it.** Open the downloaded file and drag LibreOffice into your Applications folder. The first time you open it, macOS may ask you to confirm that you want to open an app downloaded from the internet. 3. **Open the .pub file.** In LibreOffice choose File > Open and pick the .pub file, or Control-click the file in Finder and choose Open With > LibreOffice. It opens in LibreOffice Draw. 4. **Check the pages and save a copy.** Click through every page. Then choose File > Export as > Export as PDF for a copy that opens anywhere, or File > Save As to keep an editable .odg file. ## Is there a Microsoft Publisher for Mac? No, and there never was. Publisher was a Windows-only program for its whole 35-year life. A [Microsoft community moderator](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/a/11300038) confirms it only ran on Windows, and university IT help desks [tell Mac users the same thing](https://td.wku.edu/TDClient/34/Portal/KB/PrintArticle?ID=2688). Microsoft 365 for Mac comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, but not Publisher. Since October 2026, Publisher has been [retired on Windows too](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7), so a Mac version isn't coming. If you're looking for "Microsoft Publisher for Mac" because someone sent you a .pub file, the options below will get you there. ## Option 1: Open it free with LibreOffice LibreOffice is a free office suite that runs natively on Mac, including Apple Silicon Macs. Its Draw app opens Publisher files and lets you: - view and print every page - edit text, pictures and layout - export a PDF, or save an editable copy in LibreOffice's own format (.odg) The steps are above. Two Mac-specific tips: - **Double-clicking won't work at first.** No Mac app is linked to .pub files, so use **File > Open** inside LibreOffice, or Control-click the file and choose **Open With**. To make it permanent, select the file in Finder, choose **File > Get Info**, set **Open with** to LibreOffice, and click **Change All**. - **Fonts may look a bit different.** Many Publisher files use Windows fonts such as Calibri or Cambria, which aren't on a Mac unless Microsoft Office is installed. LibreOffice comes with look-alike fonts that have the same letter widths, so line breaks usually stay put. Unusual fonts are swapped for something plainer. LibreOffice can't save back to .pub. Once you've edited a file, keep it as .odg or PDF. ## Option 2: Convert it online, with nothing to install If you just need to read or print the file, or your Mac is managed by school or church IT and you can't install apps, a browser-based converter is the quickest route. The converter on this site lets you [convert a .pub file to PDF](https://aretus.app/) from Safari or Chrome; the conversion runs on our servers. The PDF opens in Preview. - You see a free, watermarked preview of every page for the first 10 files in a batch before paying anything. - If you want the files, you pay once: $5 for up to 10 files, $15 for up to 60, $29 for up to 300, or $59 for up to 2,000. Only files that convert count. See [pricing](https://aretus.app/pricing). - You get a PDF, page images (PNG and JPG), an editable ODG file for LibreOffice Draw, and a text-only Word file. - No account is needed, and files are deleted after 24 hours. It runs on the same open-source Publisher importer that LibreOffice uses, then repairs some of its layout problems: stories in linked boxes on the same page flow in order, and text wraps around pictures. You also get no install, a free preview, and whole folders at once. ## Option 3: Ask someone with Publisher on Windows For the most faithful copy, ask a colleague who still has a one-time-purchase copy of Publisher (2016, 2019 or 2021) on a Windows PC to open the file and choose **File > Save As > PDF**. Those copies still work, even though Microsoft no longer updates them. For one or two important files, such as a design a printer needs to match exactly, this is often the best free option. ## Option 4: Run Windows on your Mac (only if you already own Publisher) If you already own a one-time-purchase copy of Publisher and need to keep editing files exactly as before, you can run Windows in a virtual machine such as Parallels Desktop and install Publisher there. Older Intel Macs can also use Boot Camp. This costs money (a Windows license and usually a Parallels subscription), and it keeps you on software that Microsoft no longer supports. For most people it's only worth it as a short bridge while moving to a [Publisher alternative](https://aretus.app/microsoft-publisher-alternatives). ## What about Pages, Affinity or Swift Publisher? Several good Mac layout apps exist, but none of the ones we checked opens .pub files directly: - **Pages and Keynote** (free from Apple) don't read .pub files. - **Affinity** (now free) imports PDF and InDesign files, not Publisher files. - **Swift Publisher** (a paid Mac layout app) doesn't list Publisher import among its features, as far as we could find. The practical path is to convert the .pub file first. Keep the PDF as your record, open the ODG in LibreOffice Draw if you need to edit, and rebuild anything you make regularly in your new app. ## Related guides - [How to open a .pub file without Publisher](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file) (Windows and general) - [What is a .pub file?](https://aretus.app/what-is-a-pub-file) - [How to convert a Publisher file to Word](https://aretus.app/publisher-to-word) - [Microsoft Publisher end of life](https://aretus.app/microsoft-publisher-end-of-life) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a Microsoft Publisher for Mac? No. Publisher was only ever made for Windows, and Microsoft 365 for Mac never included it. Microsoft has now retired Publisher on Windows too, so there won't be a Mac version. ### Can Pages, Preview or Keynote open a .pub file? No. None of Apple's apps read Publisher files. Convert the file to PDF first and it opens in Preview, or open the .pub in LibreOffice Draw to edit it. ### Can I open a .pub file on an iPad or iPhone? Not directly in most cases. Use a browser-based converter to turn it into a PDF, which opens in the Files app or Books. ### Is LibreOffice safe to install on a Mac? Yes. LibreOffice is free, open-source software from The Document Foundation, a nonprofit. Download it only from libreoffice.org, not from look-alike download sites. ### My Mac is managed by school IT and I can't install apps. What can I do? Use a browser-based converter, which needs no install, or ask your IT team or a colleague with Windows and Publisher to save the file as PDF for you. ## Sources 1. [Microsoft Q&A: Publisher is available for Windows only (community moderator answer)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/a/11300038) 2. [Western Kentucky University IT: Opening Publisher files on macOS](https://td.wku.edu/TDClient/34/Portal/KB/PrintArticle?ID=2688) 3. [Microsoft Support: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7) 4. [LibreOffice download page](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/) 5. [Ask LibreOffice: Can I use Microsoft Publisher files with LibreOffice?](https://ask.libreoffice.org/t/can-i-use-microsoft-publisher-files-with-libreoffice/26) ## Cite this page “How to open a Publisher file on a Mac.” Aretus, last updated October 28, 2026. https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-mac Quoting this page? Please link to it, so your readers can check the source.