A .pub file is a Microsoft Publisher document: a newsletter, bulletin, flyer, brochure or certificate. Publisher has only ever existed on Windows, and from October 1, 2026 it stops working for Microsoft 365 subscribers. That leaves a lot of people with files they can't open. Here are your options.
Upload the file to PubRescue. We open it in real Microsoft Publisher and return a print-perfect PDF, an editable copy that keeps your layout (for PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote and Canva), page images and a Word file with the text. It works from any device, including Mac, Chromebook, iPad and PC. You see a free preview before paying, and prices start at $3.
LibreOffice Draw can open many .pub files. It reverse-engineers the format, so expect shifted text boxes, substituted fonts or missing elements on complex layouts. It's fine for grabbing text from a simple file.
If someone emailed you the file, the easiest fix is to ask them to use File → Save As → PDF in Publisher while they still can.
The one-time-purchase versions of Office that include Publisher keep running after October 2026, but get no more security updates. That's only worth it if you'll keep editing in Publisher regularly.
No Publisher, on a Mac, or hundreds of files? Drop them on PubRescue. We convert every file with genuine Microsoft Publisher to a print-perfect PDF plus an editable copy that keeps your layout (for PowerPoint, Google Slides and Canva), and you see a free preview before paying.
Convert my .pub files →