Comparison
PubKeep vs Word 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. Word is what Microsoft recommends instead of Publisher, so most people try it first. It is fine for letters and simple one-page documents, but it can't open .pub files, and its layout tools make bulletins and newsletters hard work. 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. Word has a ribbon too, but its page layout tools work differently, so a bulletin means learning new habits.
The short version
What each one is good at.
Word is the app Microsoft's own support article recommends instead of Publisher for newsletters, programs, labels and letterhead. You probably know it already, and if you have Microsoft 365, you already have it. For letters, notices, flyers and other simple one-page documents, it works well. It can't open .pub files at all, though. Microsoft's route is to save each file as a PDF from Publisher and open the PDF in Word, and Microsoft notes the layout may vary from the original. Word is also built around flowing text, so floating text boxes, linked stories, master pages and folded booklets take more work than they did in Publisher.
PubKeep is a desktop app for Windows and Mac made for the .pub files you already have. It opens them as they are, so the bulletin you made last year looks the way you left it. Then you keep working with the same ribbon, tabs and menus you used in Publisher: change the date, swap a photo, run a mail merge onto labels, and print or save a PDF.
Side by side
The comparison.
| Feature | PubKeep | Word |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A desktop app built for Publisher files | A word processor, part of Microsoft 365 |
| Opens your .pub files | Yes, page for page, with the layout, fonts and pictures where they belong | No. Word can't open .pub files. Microsoft's route is to save a PDF from Publisher and open that in Word |
| Feels like Publisher | Yes. Open it and feel at home: the ribbon, tabs and menus match Publisher's | Partly. Word has a ribbon, but its page layout tools work differently from Publisher's |
| Templates | Built-in templates for bulletins, newsletters, programs, flyers and more, with new ones added regularly | Templates in Word and on Microsoft Create |
| Bulletins and newsletters | Master pages, linked text boxes, mail merge from Excel or CSV, Avery labels, and booklet printing | Has linked text boxes and a Book fold setting, but floating boxes shift as text changes, and there are no master pages |
| Where your work lives | Files on your computer, saved as .pubk, plus PDF and pictures | Files on your computer or in OneDrive, saved as .docx |
| Runs on | Windows and Mac | Windows, Mac, web browser, phones and tablets |
| Cost | $99 once (Founder price through October 31, then $149). 7-day free trial | Free in a web browser. The desktop app comes with Microsoft 365, US$99.99 a year for Personal or US$129.99 for Family, or with Office Home 2024 for US$179.99 once, as of October 2026. Also sold on its own |
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 60 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 Word if you mostly write letters, notices and simple one-page flyers, and you don't need your old .pub files. You may already have it.
Choose PubKeep if you have bulletins, newsletters or programs made in Publisher and you want to open them as they are and keep working the way you did.
Plenty of people use both: PubKeep for their Publisher files, and Word for letters. Try PubKeep free for 7 days with your own files, no card needed. See everything it does on the features page.
Need a .pub as a Word document? See how to convert a .pub to Word.
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.
No. Word can’t open .pub files at all. Microsoft’s suggested route is to save each file as a PDF from Publisher, then open the PDF in Word, and Microsoft notes the layout may vary from the original, especially with many graphics. Without Publisher, you need another tool to make the PDF first. PubKeep opens the .pub file itself, with the layout, fonts and pictures where they belong.
For letters, flyers and simple one-page documents, Word is a fine choice, and you may already have it. Microsoft recommends it for newsletters and programs too, but bulletins with floating text boxes, linked stories and folded pages take more work in Word. For the bulletins, newsletters and programs you already made in Publisher, PubKeep opens them as they are and lets you keep working the way you did.
Yes, with some effort. Word has a Book fold page setting, and you can link text boxes so a story flows from one to the next. But Word is built around flowing text, so floating boxes and pictures can shift when you edit the text above them, and Word has no master pages. PubKeep has master pages, linked text boxes and booklet printing where Publisher had them.
Most people already know Word’s basics. Its page layout tools work differently from Publisher’s, though, so laying out a bulletin means learning new habits. 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.
Word is free in a web browser with a Microsoft account. The desktop app comes with a Microsoft 365 subscription, US$99.99 a year for Personal or US$129.99 a year for Family, or with Office Home 2024 for US$179.99 once, as of October 2026. Word is also sold on its own. PubKeep is a one-time purchase with no subscription: $99 through October 31, then $149, with a 7-day free trial.
Keep reading
Related comparisons.
PubKeep vs Canva
Quick social graphics, or the .pub files you already have.
PubKeep vs Affinity
A free designer's app, or the Publisher interface you know.
PubKeep vs LibreOffice Draw
A free importer, or a Publisher replacement.
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.