--- title: "How to Open a .pub File Without Publisher (2026)" description: "Four ways to open a Microsoft Publisher .pub file now that Publisher is retired: free LibreOffice Draw, an online converter, an old copy, or a colleague." url: https://aretus.app/open-pub-file last_updated: 2026-10-28 site: Aretus --- # How to open a .pub file without Microsoft Publisher > To open a .pub file without Publisher, install the free LibreOffice and open the file in LibreOffice Draw, where you can view, edit and export it as PDF. If you only need to read or print it, upload it to an online converter and download a PDF. Anyone with an older Publisher copy can also save it as PDF. ## Open a .pub file with LibreOffice Draw 1. **Install LibreOffice.** Go to libreoffice.org, download the free version for Windows, Mac or Linux, and install it like any other program. 2. **Open the .pub file.** Start LibreOffice, choose File > Open, and pick your .pub file. LibreOffice opens it in Draw automatically. You can also right-click the file and choose Open with > LibreOffice Draw. 3. **Check every page.** Click through the page thumbnails on the left. Look closely at headlines, text boxes that continue onto another page, and pictures with text wrapped around them. 4. **Save or export a copy.** For an editable copy, choose File > Save As and keep the ODF Drawing (.odg) format. For a copy to print or email, choose File > Export as > Export as PDF. ## Which way to open a .pub file should you pick? A .pub file is a Microsoft Publisher document. Without Publisher, your computer doesn't know what to do with it. Pick the route that matches what you need: | You want to… | Best route | Cost | |---|---|---| | Read, edit or reuse one file | LibreOffice Draw | Free | | Just see or print it, nothing to install | An online converter (PDF) | Free preview, paid download | | Get the exact look Publisher gave | Someone with Publisher saves it as PDF | Free | | Convert a whole folder or archive | A batch converter or LibreOffice command line | Free to $59 | All four are explained below. If you aren't sure which version of Publisher made your file, or what a .pub file is, see [what a .pub file is](https://aretus.app/what-is-a-pub-file). ## Option 1: Open it free in LibreOffice Draw LibreOffice is a free, open-source office suite for Windows, Mac and Linux. Its drawing program, Draw, can open Publisher files. It has been able to [since LibreOffice 4.0 in 2013](https://ask.libreoffice.org/t/can-i-use-microsoft-publisher-files-with-libreoffice/26). The steps are above: install LibreOffice, then use **File > Open** and pick the .pub file. What's good about it: - It's free and it runs on your own computer, so the file never leaves it. - You can edit text, swap pictures and move things around. - You can export a PDF for printing or email, or save an editable ODG copy. What to know: - It's one-way. LibreOffice opens .pub files but can't save back to .pub. - Draw isn't a full desktop-publishing program. It handles newsletters, bulletins, flyers and other short documents well, and long, complex booklets less well. - Results vary with how complex the layout is. Check every page before relying on it. Our [step-by-step LibreOffice guide](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-in-libreoffice) shows the common problems and how to fix them. ## Option 2: Convert it to PDF online, with nothing to install If you just need to see a file, print it, or send it to someone, a PDF is the easiest thing to have. A PDF opens on any computer, phone or tablet. The converter on this site lets you [convert a .pub file to PDF](https://aretus.app/) from your browser; the conversion runs on our servers. You can also get page images (PNG and JPG), an editable ODG file for LibreOffice Draw, and a text-only Word file. Here's how it works: - **See before you pay.** You get a free, watermarked preview of every page for the first 10 files in a batch, so you can check the result first. - **One-time price, no account.** It's $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, and one clean file is free per email address. Details are on the [pricing page](https://aretus.app/pricing). - **Short storage.** Uploaded files and results are deleted after 24 hours. To be upfront: our converter uses the same open-source Publisher importer as LibreOffice Draw (called libmspub), then repairs some of its layout problems, such as stories in linked boxes and text wrap around pictures. If your files look right in LibreOffice and you're happy converting them one at a time, you don't need us. What we add is those repairs plus convenience: whole folders or ZIP files at once, a free preview, and a clean download with your folder structure kept. ## Option 3: Use a copy of Publisher you or a colleague already have Microsoft removed Publisher from Microsoft 365, but one-time-purchase copies (Publisher 2016, 2019 and 2021) still install and run. They no longer get security updates. If you or someone you know still has one, this route gives you Publisher's own output: 1. Open the .pub file in Publisher. 2. Choose **File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document** (or **File > Save As** and pick PDF). 3. Choose **High quality printing** if it's going to a printer, then save. Microsoft describes these steps in its [guide to saving a publication as PDF](https://support.microsoft.com/office/save-as-or-convert-a-publication-to-pdf-or-xps-using-publisher-657332d0-d2c2-464a-9870-e9b3d22e6469). Asking a colleague, a neighboring church office or the district office to do this for a handful of important files is free and gives the most faithful result. ## Is there a Publisher viewer? No official one. Microsoft's own [support page](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/where-is-the-publisher-viewer-a5a05230-654f-420e-8aa3-3b50f645c359) says Publisher doesn't have a viewer, and Microsoft never released one. The closest things to a viewer today: - **LibreOffice Draw**, free, which opens, shows and prints .pub files on Windows, Mac and Linux. - **Our converter's free preview**, which shows every page of the first 10 files in a batch right in your browser, with nothing to install. That also works on a [Chromebook](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-chromebook), where you usually can't install LibreOffice. ## Printing a .pub file without Publisher To print, open the file in LibreOffice Draw and choose **File > Print**, or make a PDF and print that from any computer. A PDF is the safer choice when someone else will print it, because it looks the same on every machine. For folded bulletins and booklets, print one test copy first and check the paper size and page order before running the full batch. ## Why can't I just double-click the file anymore? Microsoft retired Publisher in October 2026. Microsoft 365 subscribers lost access starting October 1, 2026, and support for the last one-time-purchase version ended on October 13, 2026 ([Microsoft's notice](https://support.microsoft.com/office/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026-ee6302a2-4bc7-4841-babf-8e9be3acbfd7)). Microsoft has never offered a free Publisher viewer either. Its own [support page](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/where-is-the-publisher-viewer-a5a05230-654f-420e-8aa3-3b50f645c359) says Publisher doesn't have one. So on a Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer without Publisher, Windows has no program to open .pub files with. Your files haven't gone anywhere. They're still on your computer, OneDrive or shared drive, and you can still open and convert them. For the full timeline, see [Microsoft Publisher end of life](https://aretus.app/microsoft-publisher-end-of-life). If a file still won't open in LibreOffice either, see [Publisher file won't open?](https://aretus.app/publisher-file-wont-open) for other causes and fixes. ## Related guides - [How to open a Publisher file on a Mac](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-mac) - [How to open a Publisher file on a Chromebook](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-on-chromebook) - [How to convert a Publisher file to Word](https://aretus.app/publisher-to-word) - [Bulk converting a whole archive of .pub files](https://aretus.app/bulk-convert-publisher-files) - [Microsoft Publisher alternatives](https://aretus.app/microsoft-publisher-alternatives) for making new documents ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I open a .pub file in Word? No. Word can't read .pub files. Turn the file into a PDF first; Word can then convert that PDF into an editable document, although the layout usually shifts. ### Is there a free .pub file viewer? Microsoft never made a Publisher viewer. The closest free option is LibreOffice Draw, which opens .pub files on Windows, Mac and Linux. Our converter also shows a free watermarked preview of every page of the first 10 files in a batch, in your browser. ### Why won't my .pub file open in Publisher anymore? If you had Publisher through Microsoft 365, Microsoft removed it from subscriptions starting October 1, 2026. One-time-purchase copies such as Publisher 2016, 2019 and 2021 still open files; they just no longer get updates. ### Can I open a .pub file on a phone, tablet or Chromebook? Usually not directly. The simplest route is a browser-based converter: upload the .pub file, download a PDF, and open the PDF on any device. ### Can I edit the file after I open it? Yes, in LibreOffice Draw you can change text, pictures and layout. You can't save back to .pub, so save your edited copy as an ODG file (LibreOffice's own format) or export it as a PDF. ### Will opening the file change or damage the original? No. LibreOffice and our converter read the file without changing it. Keep the original .pub anyway, in case a better tool comes along later. ## Sources 1. [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) 2. [Microsoft Support: Where is the Publisher viewer?](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/where-is-the-publisher-viewer-a5a05230-654f-420e-8aa3-3b50f645c359) 3. [Microsoft Support: Save As or convert a publication to .pdf or .xps using Publisher](https://support.microsoft.com/office/save-as-or-convert-a-publication-to-pdf-or-xps-using-publisher-657332d0-d2c2-464a-9870-e9b3d22e6469) 4. [Ask LibreOffice: Can I use Microsoft Publisher files with LibreOffice?](https://ask.libreoffice.org/t/can-i-use-microsoft-publisher-files-with-libreoffice/26) 5. [Office Watch: How to open Publisher files now that Microsoft killed Publisher](https://office-watch.com/?p=77956) 6. [LibreOffice download page](https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/) ## Cite this page “How to open a .pub file without Microsoft Publisher.” Aretus, last updated October 28, 2026. https://aretus.app/open-pub-file Quoting this page? Please link to it, so your readers can check the source.