The short version: your .pub files are fine, but the program that opened them is gone. You can still open, edit and convert them for free in your browser with Free Pub Editor.
What changed
- No more Publisher in Microsoft 365. Subscribers no longer get the Publisher app.
- No more updates or security fixes for any version of Publisher.
- No direct replacement from Microsoft. Microsoft points people to Word, PowerPoint and Microsoft Create, none of which can open .pub files.
What it means for your files
A .pub file is only useful if something can read it. Once Publisher is gone from your computers, a newsletter template you've reused for ten years, or the certificate design the school office relies on, becomes a file nobody can open. Online converters that turn .pub into PDF help a little, but you lose the ability to edit, and most of them upload your file.
Your options
1. Keep editing them in your browser
Free Pub Editor opens .pub files (Publisher 2002 onwards) with their layout, fonts, colours and pictures, and lets you keep editing and printing them. It's free and private: files are read on your own device.
2. Convert them to PDF for safekeeping
For anything you want to keep but won't change, export a PDF. Here's how.
3. Rebuild in a new design tool
If you're moving to Canva, Affinity or Word for new work, use your exported PDFs as a guide when rebuilding your templates. See our comparison of Publisher alternatives.
A simple plan for a school or office
- Gather your .pub files into one shared folder.
- Open each one you still use in Free Pub Editor and check it looks right.
- Save an editable copy and export a PDF of each.
- Keep the original .pub files as a backup.
- Bookmark freepubeditor.com/editor for the next newsletter.