Comparison
PubKeep vs LibreOffice for your .pub files.
LibreOffice Draw is the free way to open a Publisher file, and it is a genuinely good tool. But it reads the format from the outside and edits one file at a time, so it is not always the right call. Here is the honest breakdown.
The short version
Different jobs, honestly.
LibreOffice Draw is free, open source, and can open and edit many .pub files. It is a great pick if you want to keep tweaking a simple file and do not mind fixing up fonts and spacing afterward. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
PubKeep is built to keep your work exactly. It turns .pub files into PDFs that match the original page for page and font for font, and it does a whole folder at once. It is the right call when the layout has to survive and when you have more than a file or two.
Side by side
The comparison.
| Feature | PubKeep | LibreOffice Draw |
|---|---|---|
| What it makes | Exact PDF, page for page and font for font | An editable document, re-interpreted from the .pub |
| Layout fidelity | Exact, nothing re-flowed | Varies; fonts and spacing often shift |
| Whole folders at once | Yes, subfolders kept | No, one file at a time |
| Keep editing the file | The desktop app opens .pub natively | Yes, with cleanup |
| Install | Nothing, runs in the browser | Download and install the suite |
| Cost | First 2 free, then $49/50, $99/250, $299/1000 files | Free |
Which should you use?
Pick by the job.
Choose LibreOffice Draw if you have one or two simple files you want to keep editing for free, and you are comfortable fixing the odd font or spacing issue.
Choose PubKeep if the layout has to come out exactly, or if you have a folder of files to get through. Convert the archive to exact PDFs now, and if you still need to edit your .pub files, the PubKeep desktop app opens them natively. See the full rundown of every method in how to open a .pub file.
Questions
Common questions.
Yes. LibreOffice Draw imports most .pub files, for free. Because it reads the closed format from the outside, fonts and spacing can shift, so complex layouts often need cleanup.
LibreOffice re-interprets the file and substitutes fonts it does not have, so text reflows and spacing changes. A PDF keeps the page exactly as Publisher drew it. If you need the exact look, convert to PDF instead.
No, it opens one file at a time. PubKeep takes a whole folder of .pub files at once, subfolders included, and returns a matching zip of PDFs plus a short report.
Keep reading
Related guides.
How to open a .pub file without Publisher
Every method that works in 2026, honestly compared.
PubKeep vs Zamzar
Batch and privacy versus the online single-file converters.
Convert .pub to Word (or PDF?)
Why Word breaks the layout and PDF keeps it.
Microsoft Publisher alternatives
What to move to, for editing versus just keeping your files.
Ten minutes
Keep your .pub files exactly.
First 2 files free, just your email.