Can Affinity open Microsoft Publisher files?

Can Affinity import .pub files now?

Yes. We checked Affinity's own documentation on 26 October 2026. Its "Supported file formats" table lists "Microsoft Publisher (97, 2000, 2002 or later)" as a format it can open (Affinity Help), and a separate help page explains how to import one (Affinity Help). The feature appears in Affinity's September 2026 release notes as "Microsoft Publisher (.PUB) import" (Affinity release notes).

We haven't tested Affinity's import on our own files yet. Everything below is from Affinity's documentation.

Why do some sources say Affinity can't open .pub files?

Because for years it couldn't. The older Affinity Publisher app had no Publisher import, and Affinity's forum has answers from 2022 saying so plainly. Many articles written before September 2026 repeat that. Since then, Affinity has been relaunched by Canva as a single free app, and the new version added .pub import.

So if you read "no", check the date. And if Affinity won't open your file, make sure you're on the current Affinity app, not an older Affinity Publisher install.

What does Affinity keep, and what does it drop?

Affinity's help says text, shapes, images and solid fills are imported, though "color, rotation, and text-formatting accuracy are not guaranteed". It then lists features that are "either dropped or simplified on import" (Affinity Help):

That list matters for typical Publisher files. School newsletters lean on master pages for mastheads and page numbers; church bulletins and price lists use tables and bullets; older files are full of WMF and EMF clip art.

How do I import a .pub file into Affinity?

1. Install the current Affinity app on a Mac or Windows PC.
2. Choose File → Open and pick the .pub file.
3. Compare each page with the original, or with a PDF of it.
4. Choose File → Save to keep it as an Affinity (.af) file.

Affinity also lets you place a .pub file into an existing document with File → Place.

Is importing a PDF a better route?

It can be, for designs that lean on the features above. A PDF records exactly how each page looked, including tables, bullets, gradients and master-page items, so nothing is dropped. Affinity opens PDFs as new documents, and its PDF options include "Favor editable text over fidelity" and "Group lines of text into text frames" (Affinity Help). Affinity notes that what stays editable depends on how the PDF was made; flattened PDFs arrive as images.

1. Open the .pub file in Free Pub Editor (in your browser; the file isn't uploaded).
2. Click Export PDF, choose Save as PDF, set margins to None and turn on Background graphics.
3. In Affinity, choose File → Open and pick the PDF.
4. Tick Favor editable text over fidelity if you plan to rewrite text, and Group lines of text into text frames so paragraphs stay together.

A sensible approach: try the direct .pub import first, compare it with the PDF route, and keep whichever needs less fixing. More PDF tips are in our .pub to PDF guide.

Should I move to Affinity at all?

If you want a full professional layout program and you're on a Mac or Windows PC, Affinity is a strong, free choice, and its .pub import gives you a head start. Before moving a whole archive, try two or three typical files, ideally ones with tables, lists and master pages, and see how much tidying each one needs. It is a big step up in complexity from Publisher, and the download goes through a Canva sign-in.

If you just need to update this year's newsletter, certificate or flyer and print it again, you may not need to move anything. Free Pub Editor opens the .pub file in your browser, with no install or account, and keeps tables, master pages and bullets editable. You can also use both: our editor for old files, Affinity for new designs. For the wider picture, see Publisher alternatives compared and can Canva open .pub files?

Common questions