PubKeep the Publisher you Keep.

Guide

Microsoft Publisher replacement and alternatives (2026): what opens your .pub files

Microsoft removed Publisher from Microsoft 365 on October 1, 2026. If you are looking for what to use instead, you probably have two questions. What should I make new things in? And what happens to the .pub files I already have? This guide answers both, tool by tool, with prices and honest downsides.

Updated October 2026

Short answer: Microsoft recommends Word and PowerPoint for most of what people made in Publisher. Canva is the easiest for new designs, Affinity is the strongest free desktop layout app, and InDesign is the professional choice. Scribus and LibreOffice Draw import .pub files for free, with cleanup. Affinity 3 can open a .pub file, but in our test the text reflowed: headlines broke mid-word and some lines were cut off. To open your existing .pub files as they are and keep editing them with the same ribbon and menus you know from Publisher, use the PubKeep desktop app on Windows or Mac.

Head-to-head comparisons

PubKeep vs Canva PubKeep vs Affinity PubKeep vs InDesign PubKeep vs LibreOffice Draw PubKeep vs Word

Before you choose

What should you ask before picking a Publisher replacement?

Most lists of Publisher alternatives jump straight to design apps. That skips the question that matters most for many people: do you have old .pub files you still need? A new design app can be a fine choice for next month's flyer and still leave years of bulletins, newsletters, and family calendars stuck in a format it can't read.

So before you compare features, answer these five questions. They will narrow the field fast.

  • Do you need to keep editing old .pub files? If yes, most of the tools below will not help with that part. Only a few read the format at all.
  • Windows or Mac? Publisher only ever ran on Windows. If you are moving to a Mac, or share files with someone who uses one, rule out anything that is Windows only.
  • What do you make most? Multi-page newsletters and programs want a tool that handles pages and text flow well. Posters, invitations, and social posts are easier in a template-first app.
  • How much time do you have to learn? Professional layout apps can do anything, but they take real hours to learn. If Publisher was appealing because it was simple, weigh that heavily.
  • Subscription or buy once? Some options are free, some are one-time purchases, and some are monthly or yearly. Over five years, that difference adds up.

Keep your answers in mind as you read the tool sections. Each one uses the same short format: what it is best for, whether it opens .pub files, what it costs, how long it takes to learn, and one honest downside.

Microsoft's guidance

What does Microsoft recommend as a Publisher replacement?

Microsoft's own answer is Word and PowerPoint. Its support article, Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026, says many common Publisher scenarios are already available in other Microsoft 365 apps, and it points people to templates on Microsoft Create.

The article includes a table of what to use for each kind of project. In short:

  • Word for newsletters, programs and folded paper projects, envelopes, labels, letterhead, and invoices, applications, and forms.
  • PowerPoint for banners, signs, and posters.
  • Word or PowerPoint for ads and flyers, brochures, certificates, business cards, calendars, and greeting cards.

Microsoft Designer is not part of that table. Microsoft's Publisher guidance names Word and PowerPoint only.

The key dates from the same article: Microsoft 365 subscribers lose access to Publisher on or shortly after October 1, 2026, as the removal update rolls out. Support for the perpetual versions ends on October 13, 2026, when Office LTSC 2021 and Office 2021 reach end of support. If you own a perpetual copy, Microsoft says you can still install and use it after that date. It just won't get support or updates.

For existing files, Microsoft recommends converting them before you lose Publisher. Its steps are to open each file in Publisher and save it as a PDF, then open the PDF in Word if you need to edit it. Microsoft notes that the converted Word document is optimized for text editing, and its layout may vary from the original, especially if the document has many graphics. It also offers a sample PowerShell script for converting many files at once, which needs a working, licensed copy of Publisher installed to run.

No copy of Publisher left, or no time to run a script? PubKeep Converter turns .pub files into exact PDFs, page for page and font for font, with no Publisher needed. Drop in a whole folder at once, and your first 3 files are free.

That advice is sound if you mainly need to read or print old files. It is harder if you need to keep editing them, because a PDF is not editable in the same way, and a PDF opened in Word often loses its layout. We cover your options for existing files in what happens to your .pub files below.

At a glance

Which Publisher alternatives open .pub files?

Read down the second column first. It is the one most lists leave out.

Tool Opens your .pub? Platforms Price Best for
Microsoft Word No Windows, Mac, web Free on the web, or with Microsoft 365 Newsletters, programs, labels
Microsoft PowerPoint No Windows, Mac, web Free on the web, or with Microsoft 365 Posters, signs, one-page flyers
Microsoft Designer No Web, iOS, Android Free, personal use only Quick AI invitations and social posts
Canva No Browser and apps Free, or Pro at US$144/year Templates, non-designers, nonprofits
Affinity Opens them, but in our test the text reflowed and some was cut off Windows, Mac Free Serious print layout, for free
Adobe InDesign No Windows, Mac US$22.99/month (annual plan) Professional print production
Scribus Imports older files, basic fidelity Windows, Mac, Linux Free, open source Free desktop publishing
LibreOffice Draw Imports, with missing pieces Windows, Mac, Linux Free, open source A free look inside one old file
PubKeep Yes, natively, and keeps them editable Windows, Mac $99 once (Founder price through Oct 31), no subscription Keep editing your .pub files

Prices are US list prices checked in October 2026. Vendors change them often, so check each one before you buy.

Each tool, compared

Which Publisher alternative fits what you make?

Here is each option in the same format, so you can compare them side by side. We start with what Microsoft recommends, then the design apps, then the free open-source tools, then PubKeep.

Is Microsoft Word a good Publisher replacement?

For a lot of people, yes. Word is the app Microsoft points to for newsletters, programs, labels, envelopes, and letterhead. You probably already know it, and if you had Publisher through Microsoft 365, you already have Word. Text boxes, shapes, pictures, columns, and page borders cover most of what a simple newsletter or program needs, and Microsoft Create has templates for many of them.

Best for
Text-heavy documents: newsletters, programs, letters, labels, and forms.
Opens .pub files
No. Microsoft's route is to save each file as a PDF from Publisher, then open the PDF in Word.
Price
Free in a browser with a Microsoft account. The desktop app comes with Microsoft 365 Personal ($99.99 a year) or Family ($129.99 a year), or Office Home 2024 ($179.99 once).
Learning curve
Low. Most people already know the basics.
Honest downside
Word is built around flowing text. Layouts with many floating pictures and text boxes can shift when you edit the text above them, and precise placement takes more fiddling than it did in Publisher.

If your publications are mostly words with a few pictures, start here. If they are mostly pictures with a few words, PowerPoint or Canva may feel easier. And if you rely on old files, remember that opening a PDF in Word gives you editable text but often not the original layout. Microsoft says as much in its own guidance.

Compare PubKeep vs Word

Can PowerPoint replace Publisher?

For single-page designs, it does a surprisingly good job. Microsoft recommends PowerPoint for banners, signs, and posters, and lists it as an option for flyers, certificates, business cards, and calendars. The reason is simple: a PowerPoint slide is a free canvas. You can place anything anywhere, and nothing reflows when you move it. You can change the slide size to letter paper or a custom size, and print or save as PDF.

Best for
Posters, signs, single-page flyers, certificates, and cards.
Opens .pub files
No.
Price
Same as Word: free in a browser, or included with Microsoft 365 or Office Home 2024.
Learning curve
Low, especially if you have made a slideshow before.
Honest downside
It thinks in slides, not pages. There is no text that flows from one box to the next across pages, so a long newsletter means copying and resizing by hand.

Many former Publisher users end up with a mix: Word for the monthly newsletter, PowerPoint for the event poster. That costs nothing extra if you already pay for Microsoft 365.

Is Microsoft Designer a Publisher replacement?

Not really, though it is handy for some of the same jobs. Microsoft Designer is a free, AI-first design app. You describe what you want, such as a birthday invitation or a poster for a bake sale, and it generates options you can edit. It also does photo touch-ups like removing backgrounds. It runs in a browser at designer.microsoft.com and as a mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Best for
Quick invitations, greeting cards, social posts, and simple posters.
Opens .pub files
No.
Price
Free with a Microsoft account. Microsoft says a subscription may be required if you create more often.
Learning curve
Low. You type what you want and adjust the result.
Honest downside
Microsoft licenses Designer for personal, non-commercial use, so it is not meant for a church office, school, or business. It is also not a page layout tool for multi-page newsletters or programs.

Designer is worth a try for a family party invitation. For anything you publish on behalf of an organization, or anything longer than one page, look at the other options here.

Is Canva a good Publisher alternative?

For new designs, Canva is the easiest place to start, and it is the alternative people mention most. It runs in your browser and in apps, has a huge template library for flyers, newsletters, posters, and social posts, and makes it simple for a few people to work on the same design. The free plan is generous. Registered nonprofits can get Canva's Pro features free for a team of up to 50 people through Canva Nonprofits.

Best for
Non-designers making flyers, posters, social graphics, and simple newsletters, especially in a team.
Opens .pub files
No. Canva imports PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and several other formats, but not .pub.
Price
Free plan. Canva Pro is US$144 a year for one person. Free Pro features for eligible registered nonprofits.
Learning curve
Low. Pick a template, change the words and pictures.
Honest downside
Your designs live in your Canva account, and many of the best templates, photos, and tools sit behind the Pro subscription. Precise print layouts, like a folded program with exact margins, take more care than in a desktop layout app.

If you want to bring an old Publisher file into Canva, you have to save it as a PDF first and import that. Expect to rebuild parts of it. Many people find it quicker to pick a Canva template that looks close and start fresh.

Compare PubKeep vs Canva

Is Affinity the best free Publisher alternative?

For serious print layout, it is the strongest free option. Affinity is now owned by Canva, which offers it as one free app that combines layout, vector design, and photo editing. It runs on Windows and Mac, and an iPad version is in development. It does what Publisher did and a great deal more: master pages, text that flows between frames, styles, and print-ready PDF export.

Best for
People who want real desktop publishing power, for free, and are willing to learn.
Opens .pub files
Technically, yes. Affinity 3 can open a .pub file, but in our test the text reflowed: headlines broke mid-word and some lines were cut off, so expect to fix every page. Affinity's help docs don't list .pub as an import format, so this comes from our own test.
Price
Free. The optional AI tools need a paid Canva plan.
Learning curve
Medium to high. It is a professional tool with professional depth.
Honest downside
It can feel like a lot if Publisher's simplicity was the point. Old .pub files open, but in our test the text reflowed and broke mid-word, so expect to fix every page.

Affinity is a great pick if you design often and want to grow. If you mainly update the same bulletin each week, the time to learn it may not pay off.

Compare PubKeep vs Affinity

Is Adobe InDesign worth it to replace Publisher?

Only if you do professional print work. InDesign is the industry standard for magazines, books, and anything a commercial printer will handle. It is excellent at long documents, typography, and print preparation. It is also more tool, and more cost, than most former Publisher users need.

Best for
Designers and organizations doing professional print production.
Opens .pub files
No. InDesign has no built-in way to open a .pub file.
Price
US$22.99 a month on an annual plan, billed monthly. 7-day free trial.
Learning curve
High.
Honest downside
It is subscription only. If you stop paying, you lose the app that edits your InDesign files.

If you already work with a designer who uses InDesign, it may make sense to hand them the work. For a volunteer making a monthly newsletter, Affinity covers similar ground for free.

Compare PubKeep vs InDesign

Is Scribus a good free Publisher replacement?

It is the most capable free and open-source layout app, and it can import Publisher files. Scribus is a long-running open-source project. It runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and handles real print work, with frames, master pages, and PDF output that printers accept. Its Publisher import arrived in version 1.5, using the open-source libmspub library that LibreOffice also uses. The current version is 1.6.6, released in April 2026.

Best for
Free desktop publishing, especially if you don't mind a learning curve.
Opens .pub files
It imports them, with basic fidelity. Its import was built for files from roughly Publisher 97 through 2010. Newer files and complex layouts can lose formatting, so expect cleanup.
Price
Free and open source.
Learning curve
Medium to high. The interface feels older and less familiar than Publisher's.
Honest downside
An imported .pub file is a starting point, not a finished document. It also can't save back to .pub.

Scribus is a good choice if you want free and you are patient. Try one of your typical files in it before you commit your whole archive.

Can LibreOffice Draw replace Publisher?

It is a good free way to look inside an old .pub file, less so as an everyday replacement. LibreOffice is a free office suite for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and its Draw app can open Publisher files through the same libmspub library Scribus uses. You can then save as PDF or as LibreOffice's own format.

Best for
Opening one old .pub for free, to read it, copy text out, or save a PDF.
Opens .pub files
Yes, as an import. LibreOffice's own bug reports describe missing images and formatting in some newer files, and pictures that come in stretched or cropped.
Price
Free and open source.
Learning curve
Medium. Draw is a drawing app, so it works differently from Publisher.
Honest downside
It cannot save back to .pub, and editing a multi-page newsletter in a drawing app is clumsy. Fonts and spacing often shift.

If you only need to see what is in a file, LibreOffice Draw costs nothing and is worth a try. Our guide to opening a .pub file without Publisher walks through it alongside the other methods.

Compare PubKeep vs LibreOffice Draw

Is PubKeep a Publisher replacement?

Yes, and it is the one built for the .pub files you already have. We made PubKeep because people we care about have years of work in Publisher and no good way to keep it. It is a desktop app for Windows and Mac that opens .pub files natively, page for page and font for font, so they look the way you left them. Then you keep editing: change the date on the bulletin, swap a photo, update the newsletter, and print or save a PDF. You don't need Publisher installed, and you don't need to convert anything first.

Best for
Anyone with existing .pub files they need to keep using: churches, schools, nonprofits, small businesses, and families.
Opens .pub files
Yes, natively, and keeps them editable. Among the tools on this page, it is the only one built to open existing .pub files as they are.
Price
A one-time $99 Founder price through October 31, then $149. No subscription. Volume licenses for up to 25 computers. 7-day free trial, no card needed.
Learning curve
Very low if you used Publisher. Open it and feel at home: the ribbon, tabs, and menus are where Publisher had them, so there is nothing new to learn.
Templates
Built-in templates for bulletins, programs, newsletters, calendars, flyers, and more, with new ones added regularly.
Support
A real person answers. Reply to any PubKeep email or use Report an issue in the app.
Honest downside
PubKeep saves your work as .pubk, an open format, not back to .pub. A coworker who still has Publisher can't open your .pubk edits, so share a PDF with them. It is also a young app with a smaller template library than Canva.

You can use PubKeep alongside any tool above. Plenty of people open their old bulletins in PubKeep and make brand-new social graphics in Canva. If you only need PDFs of many old files, PubKeep Converter turns a whole folder of .pub files into exact PDFs, and your first 3 files are free. See the desktop app or the converter.

“I tried Affinity and Scribus, and both were going to require some relearning. I was pleasantly surprised to see PubKeep was more like Publisher than the others.”
Lili Swenson, Gibson County Master Gardeners (Indiana), who does the group’s newsletter

Cost

How much does each Publisher alternative cost?

Here is what each option costs one person in the US, and what it adds up to over five years at today's prices.

Tool Price Model Five years
Word or PowerPoint for the web Free with a Microsoft account Free $0
Microsoft 365 Personal $99.99/year Subscription $499.95
Microsoft 365 Family (up to 6 people) $129.99/year Subscription $649.95
Office Home 2024 (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote) $179.99 One-time, 1 PC or Mac $179.99
Microsoft Designer Free with a Microsoft account Free, personal use only $0
Canva Free US$0 Free $0
Canva Pro US$144/year Subscription (free for eligible nonprofits) $720
Affinity Free Free (AI tools need a Canva plan) $0
Adobe InDesign US$22.99/month Subscription, annual plan $1,379.40
Scribus Free Open source $0
LibreOffice Draw Free Open source $0
PubKeep $99 Founder price through October 31, then $149 One-time, no subscription $99

The free options really are free, and for many people one of them is enough. The difference shows up in time. A free tool that takes a weekend to learn, or that turns every old file into a cleanup job, has a cost too. Pick the one that fits the work you actually do every week.

Prices checked October 2026 on each vendor's US site. Taxes not included.

Your existing files

What happens to your existing .pub files?

Your files did not change on October 1. What changed is that Microsoft 365 no longer includes an app that opens them. Picking a replacement for new work does not solve that, because almost none of the tools above read .pub. You have three realistic paths, from keeping them fully editable to keeping just the look, and you can mix them.

1. Open them in PubKeep

The PubKeep desktop app opens your .pub files as they are, on Windows or Mac, and keeps them editable. Nothing to convert or rebuild. Edit last week's bulletin, save it as .pubk, and print. Try it free for 7 days, no card needed.

2. Rebuild them in a new tool

If you only use a few templates, like a weekly bulletin and a monthly newsletter, you can recreate them once in Word, Canva, or Affinity and work from there. It takes an afternoon or two per template. It is not practical for hundreds of one-off files, and the rebuilt version won't match the old one exactly.

3. Convert them to PDF (or Word)

A PDF keeps the look of each page, prints well, and opens anywhere. It is the right choice for an archive you only need to read or reprint. Microsoft's own steps need Publisher to save each file. Without Publisher, PubKeep Converter turns a folder of .pub files into exact PDFs, first 3 files free. Opening a PDF in Word makes the text editable, but the layout often breaks.

Whatever you choose, do one thing this week: copy your .pub files to a safe place, like an external drive or a cloud folder. Files tend to scatter across old computers, email attachments, and shared drives. Gathering them now makes every option above easier.

If you still have a perpetual copy of Publisher 2021 or earlier, it keeps working after support ends on October 13, 2026. That is a good window to save PDFs of anything important. For every method that works without Publisher, see how to open a .pub file without Publisher.

How to choose

Which Publisher replacement should you choose?

There is no single winner, because keeping old files and making new ones are different jobs. Here is how we would pick, by situation.

What can I use instead of Publisher for free?

For new work, Word and PowerPoint on the web, Canva's free plan, and Affinity all cost nothing. Affinity is the most powerful of those. For old files, Scribus and LibreOffice Draw import .pub for free, with cleanup. Affinity 3 opens them too, but in our test the text reflowed. If you want your files exactly as they were, PubKeep has a 7-day free trial.

Which has the lowest learning curve?

For new designs, Canva and PowerPoint are the quickest to pick up. Word is easy if you already use it. For people who knew Publisher well and have old files, PubKeep will feel most familiar, because it keeps the tools where Publisher had them.

Churches, schools, and nonprofits

Word handles bulletins and newsletters, and Canva's free nonprofit program covers new graphics if your organization is eligible. For years of existing bulletins, PubKeep opens them as they are, and volume licenses cover up to 25 computers. See our guides for churches, schools, and nonprofits.

Mac users

Publisher never ran on a Mac. For new layouts, Affinity, Canva, Word, and PowerPoint all work on a Mac. To open old .pub files on a Mac, PubKeep runs natively. Scribus and LibreOffice Draw can import them, with cleanup. Affinity 3 opens them, but in our test the text reflowed.

Designers and print shops

InDesign if you need the industry standard and work with other designers. Affinity if you want similar depth without a subscription.

Families and personal projects

Designer and Canva make quick work of invitations and cards. For the family calendar or newsletter you have made in Publisher for years, PubKeep lets you keep making it the same way.

Questions

Publisher replacement questions, answered.

Nothing replaced it directly. Microsoft removed Publisher from Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) on October 1, 2026, and recommends Word and PowerPoint instead. Word is its pick for newsletters, programs, labels, and letterhead. PowerPoint is its pick for banners, signs, and posters. Neither app opens .pub files.

It depends on the job. To keep opening and editing the .pub files you already have, PubKeep does that natively on Windows and Mac. For new designs, Canva is the easiest, Affinity is the strongest free desktop layout app, and Word and PowerPoint are what Microsoft recommends. Many people use PubKeep for their old files and one of the others for new work.

Yes, several. Affinity is free and is the most capable free layout app. Scribus and LibreOffice Draw are free and open source, and both can import older .pub files with some cleanup. Word and PowerPoint are free in a browser with a Microsoft account, and Canva has a free plan.

A few can. PubKeep opens .pub files natively on Windows and Mac and keeps them editable, page for page and font for font. Scribus and LibreOffice Draw import .pub files for free, but images and formatting can go missing, so expect cleanup. Affinity 3 can open a .pub file, but in our test the text reflowed: headlines broke mid-word and some lines were cut off, so expect to fix every page. Word, PowerPoint, Designer, Canva, and InDesign do not open .pub files.

Adobe InDesign is Adobe's page layout app, and it is the professional standard for print. It costs US$22.99 a month on an annual plan and has a 7-day free trial. It does not open .pub files, and it takes much longer to learn than Publisher did, so most home and office users will find it more than they need.

No. Microsoft's suggested route is to save the file as a PDF from Publisher, then open the PDF in Word. Microsoft notes the result is optimized for text editing and its layout may vary from the original, especially with many graphics. Without Publisher, you need another tool to make the PDF first.

For new designs, Canva and PowerPoint are the quickest to learn, and Word is easy if you already use it. Affinity, Scribus, and InDesign take the most time. If you knew Publisher well and want to keep working on your old files, PubKeep will feel the most familiar.

The free ones: Affinity, Scribus, LibreOffice Draw, Canva's free plan, and Word and PowerPoint on the web. Among paid options, Office Home 2024 is $179.99 once, and PubKeep is a one-time $99 Founder price through October 31, then $149. Canva Pro, Microsoft 365, and InDesign are subscriptions.

Not directly. Canva imports PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and several other formats, but not .pub. You can save a Publisher file as a PDF and import that, then expect to rebuild parts of the layout. For many people it is quicker to start from a Canva template that looks close.

The files themselves are fine. Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer open them in Publisher, but a perpetual copy of Publisher 2021 or earlier still works. Without Publisher, PubKeep opens them natively on Windows and Mac, and Scribus and LibreOffice Draw can import them with some cleanup.

Yes. Publisher never ran on a Mac, but Affinity, Canva, Word, PowerPoint, Scribus, and LibreOffice Draw all do. To open existing .pub files on a Mac and keep editing them, PubKeep runs natively on macOS as well as Windows.

Yes. Microsoft says perpetual versions keep working after support ends on October 13, 2026, and you can still install them. You just won't get security updates or help from Microsoft. It is a good time to save PDFs of anything important while that copy still runs.

Keep reading

Related guides.

How to open a .pub file without Publisher

Every method that works in 2026, honestly compared.

How to edit a .pub file without Publisher

Step by step on Windows or Mac, plus the other ways to edit, compared.

Microsoft Publisher end of life

The dates, what changes, and the three ways to keep your work.

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