Publicanthe .pub manager
100%

Open and edit your Publisher files.

Publisher retires in October 2026.
Your designs don't have to.

Free. No install needed. Your file stays private on your device.

Something not look right? Tell us at [email protected].

True to the original

We tested a dataset of real .pub files with a variety of challenging styles, comparing each page with the original design, for Publican and for LibreOffice, whose open-source .pub reader also powers Scribus and many online .pub converters.

PublicanLibreOffice
Sees the correct number of pages100%82%
Places text on the correct page99.6%84%
Pages without defects97%51%

Compared with LibreOffice 26.8 (September 2026). A defect is text missing from the page or content badly out of place. Text is the share of words on each page that each one shows. How we measured · See the same file in each.

Common questions

How do I open a .pub file without Publisher?
Drop it on this page or click the sheet to choose it. Every page is shown in your browser. There are more ways, for every kind of device, in how to open a .pub file without Publisher.
Is my file private?
Yes. It is read inside the browser tab and never sent anywhere.
Can I edit a .pub file?
Yes. Open the file and press Edit. You can change and format the text, align paragraphs and make lists, add text boxes, and replace, add, move and resize pictures and shapes. Every change can be undone.
Can I save it as a PDF?
Yes. Open the file, then choose Print or save as PDF from the menu. Any edits you made are included. The steps for each browser are in converting a .pub file to PDF.
How do I keep editing later?
Choose Save as .publican from the menu while editing. That saves an editable copy on your device, which you can open again in Publican. Note that we are not yet able to save back into Publisher's .pub format.
Can I open .pub files with a double-click?
Yes, in Chrome or Edge. Open the menu and choose Install as an app. Publican then opens .pub files straight from your computer, even without an internet connection.
Which versions of Publisher work?
All of them, from Publisher 2.0 (1993) to Publisher for Microsoft 365. Files from Publisher 97 and earlier open with some limits.
How faithful is this to the original?
It's very close. On our dataset of difficult files, 97% of pages come out without defects: no missing text and nothing badly out of place (how we measured). If you have a file that doesn't open well, please share it with [email protected].