Comparison
PubKeep vs LibreOffice Draw for Publisher users.
PubKeep opens the .pub designs you already have, with the layout, fonts and pictures where they belong. Open it and feel at home: the same ribbon and menus you know from Publisher. LibreOffice Draw is free and imports .pub files, but layouts often shift, and Draw works differently from Publisher. Here is an honest comparison.
Updated October 2026
Why people pick PubKeep
Your files, and a program you already know.
Your .pub files open as they are.
PubKeep is built to open .pub files faithfully: the layout, fonts and pictures where they belong, page for page. We check its output against Publisher's own. We built it to be the most faithful way to open your .pub files.
Open PubKeep and feel at home.
The same ribbon, tabs and menus you know from Publisher. Text boxes, pictures, master pages and mail merge are where you expect them, so there is no new program to learn. LibreOffice Draw is a drawing app with its own menus and toolbars, so you learn a different way of working.
The short version
What each one is good at.
LibreOffice Draw is free and open source, and it runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It imports .pub files through the same open-source library Scribus uses. It is a good way to look inside an old file, copy out the text, or save a PDF. Draw is a drawing app, though, not a page layout app. Images and formatting can go missing in newer files, fonts and spacing often shift, and a multi-page newsletter is clumsy to edit.
PubKeep is a desktop app for Windows and Mac made for the .pub files you already have. It opens them as they are, page for page and font for font, so they look the way you left them. Then you keep working with the same ribbon, tabs and menus you used in Publisher: change the date on the bulletin, swap a photo, run a mail merge onto labels, and print or save a PDF.
Side by side
The comparison.
| Feature | PubKeep | LibreOffice Draw |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A desktop app built for Publisher files | A drawing app in a free office suite |
| Opens your .pub files | Yes, page for page, with the layout, fonts and pictures where they belong | As an import. Images and formatting can go missing, and fonts and spacing often shift |
| Feels like Publisher | Yes. Open it and feel at home: the ribbon, tabs and menus match Publisher's | No. Draw works differently from Publisher |
| Bulletins and newsletters | Pages list, master pages, linked text boxes, and fold-over booklet printing | Possible, but editing a multi-page newsletter in a drawing app is clumsy |
| Mail merge and labels | Mail merge from Excel or CSV, Catalog Merge, and Avery label sheets | Not in Draw. Mail merge lives in LibreOffice Writer |
| Saves as | .pubk (an open format), plus PDF and pictures | LibreOffice's own format, plus PDF. Neither saves back to .pub |
| Runs on | Windows and Mac | Windows, Mac, and Linux |
| Cost | $99 once (Founder price through October 31, then $149). 7-day free trial | Free |
Also good to know
New designs, one purchase, two platforms.
Built-in templates. Start something new from bulletins, newsletters, programs, flyers, certificates, calendars, cards and labels.
Buy once and keep it. No subscription. The version you buy keeps working, and a year of updates is included.
Windows and Mac. The same app on both, so a Mac user can finally open those Publisher files.
Help when you need it
A real person answers.
Write to hello@pubkeep.com or use Report an issue in the app, and a real person reads it and writes back. PubKeep is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 70 reviews on Trustpilot.
“I was panicked about losing all of the files I have created during my 30-year career as an educator. … I can completely attest to the authenticity of this product; moreover, the personal interaction I receive from Adam, the founder, is beyond my expectations. PubKeep is an amazing resource that has allowed me to continue using a program that I love!”
“I am a new user of PubKeep, I find it so easy to transition from MS Publisher. It opens documents and makes it editable. Also, when I’ve had questions, the support team has been quick to reply with just the right answers.”
“I am so thankful for finding your program! PubKeep has been amazing! … PubKeep has continually updated to fix any issues that have arisen, and in a timely fashion. If you used MS Publisher in the past, I strongly advise trying out PubKeep. You won’t be sorry!”
Which should you use?
Pick by what you do with your files.
Choose LibreOffice Draw if you only need to look inside an old file, copy some text out, or save a PDF now and then, and free matters most. It is also the option on Linux.
Choose PubKeep if you still make things from these files, like a weekly bulletin, a newsletter, or name labels, and you want them to look right and work like Publisher.
Try PubKeep free for 7 days with your own files, no card needed. See everything it does on the features page.
If you only need PDFs of a whole archive, PubKeep Converter turns a folder of .pub files into exact PDFs, and your first 3 files are free.
Questions
Common questions.
Yes. LibreOffice Draw imports Publisher files for free, through the open-source libmspub library. Images and formatting can go missing in some newer files, and fonts and spacing often shift, so complex layouts need cleanup.
Use LibreOffice Draw if you want a free way to look inside an old file, copy out text, or save a PDF. Use PubKeep if you still edit and print those files, like a weekly bulletin or a newsletter, and want them to look the way you left them, on Windows or Mac.
Draw rebuilds each page as a drawing and swaps in fonts it can't match, so text reflows and spacing changes. PubKeep opens the file as Publisher laid it out, page for page and font for font, using the fonts installed on your computer.
No. Draw is a drawing app with its own menus and toolbars. PubKeep has the same ribbon, tabs and menus you know from Publisher, so you feel at home and there is no new program to learn.
No. LibreOffice saves to its own format or to PDF. PubKeep saves your work as .pubk, an open format, and exports print-ready PDFs. If a coworker still has Publisher, send them a PDF.
Keep reading
Related comparisons.
PubKeep vs Canva
Canva for quick social graphics, PubKeep for your Publisher files.
PubKeep vs Affinity
A free designer's app, or the Publisher interface you know.
PubKeep vs InDesign
The professional print standard, or a one-time app that feels like Publisher.
Microsoft Publisher alternatives
Nine options compared, for editing versus just keeping your files.
Start here
Open your .pub files and feel at home.
A one-time $99 Founder price through October 31, then $149. No subscription. No card for the 7-day trial.