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What to use instead of Publisher

With Publisher retiring in October 2026, the right replacement depends on what you made with it. Here are the realistic options for the everyday Publisher jobs, and how to get your existing .pub files into each of them.

Convert .pub to WordConvert .pub to SVG

The short answer

For newsletters and bulletins: Word (you probably already have it). For flyers, posters and social posts: Canva. For print layout with full control: Affinity Publisher or Scribus (free).

Bringing your .pub files along

  1. Word: convert with PUB to Word; text, pictures and tables arrive ready to edit.
  2. Canva: convert with PUB to SVG and upload the SVG; text and shapes stay editable.
  3. Affinity Publisher, Illustrator, Inkscape, Scribus: import the SVG or the PDF.

Options at a glance

  • Microsoft Word: included in Microsoft 365; good for text-heavy documents, clumsy for free layout.
  • Canva: free tier; template-driven design, strong for flyers and social media, works in a browser.
  • Affinity Publisher: the closest like-for-like for serious print layout.
  • Scribus: free and open source desktop publishing on Windows, Mac and Linux.
  • LibreOffice Draw: free; can open .pub files directly on a desktop computer.

Questions

Can any of these open .pub files directly?
LibreOffice Draw can, using the same open-source Publisher reader this site uses, but you have to install it. The others need the file converted first, which this site does in the browser.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The converter is compiled to WebAssembly and runs in this browser tab. Open DevTools, go to the Network tab and convert a file: nothing carrying your file goes out. After the page has loaded you can even disconnect from the internet and it still works.

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