What Opens PUB Files?
Short answer: surprisingly little. The .pub format belongs to Microsoft Publisher, and Microsoft never published its inner workings — so for decades, Publisher was effectively the only program that could open one. Word can’t. Adobe Reader can’t. Canva can’t. Your browser, on its own, can’t.
With Publisher itself retiring on October 13, 2026, the honest list of things that open a .pub file has shrunk to three: Publisher (while it lasts), LibreOffice Draw (free, but approximate), and browser-based tools like the one on this page, which render your file on a server and show you the pages. Below is what each option actually does well — and what doesn’t work at all, so you can stop trying it.
Programs that open .pub files
Microsoft Publisher (until October 2026)
The native program — perfect fidelity, full editing. It ships with some older Office suites and with Microsoft 365 until October 13, 2026, when it is retired. If you still have it, use it to export your important files to PDF now. Details in our end-of-life guide.
LibreOffice Draw (free, desktop)
The free office suite can import .pub files for viewing and editing. Expect compromises: substituted fonts, shifted text boxes, and occasional missing elements — the import is a reverse-engineered approximation. Good when you need to edit and are willing to tidy up.
Online tools (this page)
Browser-based converters render the file on a server. Ours was built specifically for .pub: drop the file above, see every page in seconds, download a PDF if you want it. No installation, works on any device — best when you need to read, print or archive rather than edit.
Programs that do not open .pub files
Save yourself the frustration: Microsoft Word (same company, unrelated format), Adobe Acrobat / Reader (PDFs only), Canva (no .pub import — though it can import a PDF you make here), Google Docs and Google Drive preview, and Apple Pages. Renaming the file to .docx or .pdf does not work either — the contents stay Publisher-formatted.
Common questions
Does Microsoft Word open .pub files?
No. Word cannot open .pub files, even though both programs are made by Microsoft. To get Publisher content into Word, convert the .pub to PDF first and copy from there, or re-type the text.
Does Canva open .pub files?
No, Canva doesn’t import the .pub format. A practical workaround: convert the .pub to PDF here, then import that PDF into Canva, which can bring PDF pages in as editable designs.
What’s the easiest way to open a .pub file on a phone or tablet?
A browser-based tool. Open this page on your phone, tap “Choose a file”, pick the .pub from your downloads or email attachment, and the pages appear on screen.
Is there any program that opens .pub files perfectly?
Only Publisher itself — and it’s being retired. Every other tool re-implements the format from the outside. Ours gets very close for files from Publisher 98 onward, and tells you honestly when it can’t.