What is a .pub file?
Updated
A .pub file is a document made in Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft's program for flyers, newsletters, brochures and cards. You can open it in Publisher on a Windows PC, in LibreOffice Draw, a free desktop program you install on your computer, or convert it here to PDF, Word or PowerPoint.
What is inside a .pub file
A .pub file holds every page of a publication: text boxes with their fonts, pictures, shapes and the position of each one on the page. It is a binary file, which means a text editor shows only unreadable characters. Technically, it is stored in an OLE2 container, which is an older Microsoft way of packing several parts into one file, and its MIME type, the label that browsers and email programs use for the file type, is application/x-mspublisher.
Every version of Publisher, from Publisher 1 to Publisher 2016-2019, has used the same .pub extension, according to the UK National Archives' list of Publisher file formats.
Which programs open a .pub file
- Microsoft Publisher, on Windows only: Microsoft lists Publisher as "for PC only". Microsoft 365 subscribers, which means people who pay a monthly or yearly fee for Office, lose access to Publisher on or shortly after October 1, 2026. If you bought Publisher outright, for example Publisher 2021, Microsoft says you can still open and edit your files.
- LibreOffice Draw, a free desktop program that you download and install on your computer. The Document Foundation calls it "the quickest way to open, view, edit and manage Publisher documents".
- This site works in any browser. It shows page 1 free as a picture and gives you page 1 as a PDF free. With a paid download, you get every page as PDF, Word, PowerPoint and PNG. A paid download costs $9 for one file, or $19 for up to 25 files in one upload.
Other files that end in .pub
An SSH public key, such as id_rsa.pub or id_ed25519.pub, also ends in .pub. It is a small text file used to log in to servers and has nothing to do with Publisher. Open it in any text editor. This site only reads Publisher files.
Convert your file now
Questions
Can I open a .pub file without Publisher?
Yes. LibreOffice Draw opens .pub files for free. This site shows page 1 for free, and with a paid download it converts every page to PDF, Word, PowerPoint and PNG.
Can I still use Publisher after October 2026?
If you bought Publisher outright, Microsoft says you can still open and edit your files. Microsoft 365 subscribers lose access on or shortly after October 1, 2026, as Microsoft's removal update rolls out.
Can Word open a .pub file?
No. Convert the file to Word (.docx) first. See how to open a Publisher file in Word.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026
- The National Archives (UK), PRONOM: Microsoft Publisher 1 format
- The National Archives (UK), PRONOM: Microsoft Publisher 2016-2019 format
- Microsoft Support: Microsoft 365 subscriptions compared ("Access and Publisher (for PC only)")
- The Document Foundation: LibreOffice comes to the rescue of Microsoft Publisher users (2026-10-14)
- LibreOffice: download
- OpenBSD manual: ssh-keygen (public key files end in .pub)
More guides: Publisher to Word, Publisher to PDF, Publisher to PowerPoint, Publisher to Canva, Open .pub without Publisher, .pub on Mac, Publisher alternatives, Publisher retirement, Bulk convert, Converter comparison, .pub viewer, .pub extension, .pub on phone or Chromebook, Publisher file in Word, Publisher open/save errors