PubKeep the Publisher you Keep.

Guide

Microsoft Publisher alternatives, the honest version.

Most "Publisher alternative" lists answer the wrong question. They hand you a new design app when what you actually have is a folder of old .pub files. Those are two different needs, so start by naming yours.

Updated September 2026

Need one

Keep your existing files

Years of bulletins, newsletters, and flyers you cannot lose. Most new design apps won't open them, and the few that do re-flow the layout. Convert them, or open them in a tool that reads .pub.

Need two

Make new publications

A tool to design the next flyer or newsletter from scratch. Plenty of good ones, and none of them need to open a .pub to do it.

At a glance

Every option, side by side.

The one column no other list fills in honestly: does it open your existing .pub? Read down that column first.

Tool Opens your .pub natively? Platforms Price Best for
Scribus Imports via libmspub, re-flows Win/Mac/Linux Free, open source Free desktop layout, print output
LibreOffice Draw Imports via libmspub, re-flows Win/Mac/Linux Free, open source Free quick open of a .pub
Affinity Publisher Imports (recent versions), reflows badly, most features unsupported Win/Mac Now free (Affinity by Canva) Closest full desktop design app for new work
Adobe InDesign No Win/Mac Subscription Professional print production
Canva No Browser/apps Free tier + paid Easy templates, nonprofits
Swift Publisher No Mac One-time purchase Mac users, simple layouts
PubKeep Converter (today) Converts .pub to exact PDF Web First 3 free, one-time packs Keeping/sharing finished pages, bulk
PubKeep desktop (early access) Yes, native + keep editing (beta) Win/Mac Free in beta, $99 once at launch Purpose-built to keep editing your .pub

Pricing and features for third-party tools change often. Check each vendor for the current terms.

Need one

What actually opens your existing .pub files?

A handful of tools read the Publisher format. Scribus and LibreOffice Draw both import .pub for free, though they re-flow the layout, so expect cleanup. The PubKeep Converter turns .pub into exact PDF today, page for page. The PubKeep desktop app is in early access (beta): beta testers are opening .pub natively and editing it today. Affinity now imports .pub too, but users report the layout reflows badly and many features drop, so the result is often unusable. Canva, InDesign, and Word do not open .pub at all.

PubKeep desktop

Early access

In early access now. Beta testers open .pub natively, no Publisher needed, and edit their layouts page for page, on Windows and Mac. Free while in beta, one-time $99 at launch, no subscription.

Join the early access waitlist

Convert to PDF (PubKeep Converter)

Turn .pub into exact PDF, page for page, a whole folder at once. Best for keeping and sharing finished pages. First 3 free, then one-time packs from $49 to $299.

Convert your files

Scribus

Free, re-flows

Free and open source. Imports Publisher files (about Publisher 97 to 2010) via libmspub, added in Scribus 1.5. Like LibreOffice Draw, it re-flows the layout, so plan on tidying up. Strong for print output.

LibreOffice Draw

Free, re-flows

Free and open source, on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Imports many .pub files via libmspub, but fonts and spacing shift, so expect cleanup. One file at a time.

Need two

What is the best Publisher replacement for new work?

For making new publications, the Affinity app is the closest full desktop replacement (and free now), Scribus the closest open-source one, and Canva the easiest in a browser. None of these open your old .pub files faithfully, so pair whichever you pick with the Converter for your existing archive.

Affinity Publisher

Free, reflows .pub

Now free as part of the Affinity app from Canva, on Windows and Mac. The closest full desktop design app to Publisher for new work. Recent versions do import .pub, but users report the layout reflows badly and many features drop, so imported files are often unusable. Convert or rebuild your old files instead.

Canva

Free tier, no .pub

Browser-based, with templates for flyers, social graphics, and newsletters. Free tier, paid Pro, and free Pro for registered nonprofits. Easiest to start, but it does not open .pub.

Adobe InDesign

Subscription, no .pub

The professional standard for print production, on Windows and Mac. Powerful and subscription-only, so it is more tool and more cost than most former Publisher users need. Does not open .pub.

Swift Publisher

Mac, no .pub

A simple, low-cost desktop layout app for Mac, one-time purchase. A friendly fit for Mac users doing flyers and newsletters. Does not open .pub.

Also worth a look

New work only

Marq (formerly Lucidpress) does browser layout with brand templates. Word or PowerPoint handle simple notices you already have Office for. None of them open .pub.

Prefer the details? See how to open a .pub file without Publisher.

In short

Which Publisher alternative should you pick?

Save the archive first, then choose by what you are trying to do. There is no single winner, because "keep my old files" and "design new ones" are different jobs.

Save the archive first. Convert your existing .pub files to PDF so nothing is lost when Publisher goes. This is the urgent, one-time step, and it works no matter which design tool you pick next.

Then choose a tool for new work. The free Affinity app or Scribus if you want a Publisher-style desktop app; Canva if you want templates and a browser; Word for plain notices.

If you need to keep editing your old files, not just read them or rebuild them from scratch, that is what the PubKeep desktop app is for: native, page for page, on Windows and Mac, one-time price, no subscription. It is in early access now, free while in beta, so join the early access waitlist. If you need to edit right now and cannot wait for a beta invite, LibreOffice Draw or Scribus (free, with re-flow) will do it, and the PubKeep Converter already turns your .pub into exact PDFs, in bulk.

By use case

Pick by who you are.

Churches and nonprofits

Convert your archive of bulletins and newsletters to PDF now so nothing is lost. For new work, Canva is free for registered nonprofits, or use the free Affinity app. When you need the old files editable again, the PubKeep desktop app is in early access now, free while in beta. More in our guide for churches and our guide for nonprofits.

Teachers and schools

Canva or Word handle new handouts and newsletters well. Convert your existing .pub files to PDF so past terms stay usable. See our guide for schools and teachers.

Mac users

Publisher never ran on Mac, so there is no like-for-like. Swift Publisher and the free Affinity app both do layout on Mac. To open your old .pub files, use the PubKeep Converter today, and the PubKeep desktop app runs on Mac too, now in early access.

Want it free

Scribus and LibreOffice Draw are both free and both import .pub, with some re-flow to clean up. For finished pages you just need to keep, the PubKeep Converter does your first 3 files free.

Questions

Choosing an alternative, answered.

For new design work, the closest desktop replacement is the Affinity app (now free from Canva) or Scribus (free and open source). Affinity now imports .pub and Scribus re-flows it, but users report neither keeps the original layout faithfully. To keep editing those files, the PubKeep desktop app is in early access (beta), with beta testers opening the Publisher format natively today and giving feedback.

Some do, though not faithfully. Scribus and LibreOffice Draw both import .pub through the libmspub library, and recent Affinity versions import it too, but they re-flow the layout, fonts and spacing shift, and users report Affinity drops many features, so expect cleanup. To keep the exact layout, the PubKeep Converter turns .pub into exact PDF today, and the PubKeep desktop app is in early access (beta), opening .pub natively and keeping it editable for beta testers now.

Yes. Scribus imports Microsoft Publisher files, roughly Publisher 97 through 2010, using the libmspub library added in Scribus 1.5. It re-flows the layout, so fonts and spacing shift and you will usually need to tidy up the result. It is a solid free option if you can clean up the import.

Yes. The Affinity app (now free from Canva) and Scribus are both free for new design work. Scribus and LibreOffice Draw are also free and can import your old .pub files, with some re-flow to clean up. Canva has a free tier and offers free Pro access to registered nonprofits.

Convert your existing bulletins and newsletters to PDF so nothing is lost, then use Canva (free for nonprofits) or the free Affinity app for new work. To keep your old files editable, the PubKeep desktop app is in early access (beta), free while in beta. See our guide for churches and our guide for nonprofits.

Keep reading

Related guides.

How to open a .pub file without Publisher

Every method that works in 2026, honestly compared.

Microsoft Publisher end of life

The dates, what changes, and the three ways to keep your work.

Publisher for churches and nonprofits

Save years of bulletins and newsletters before the deadline.

Convert .pub to PDF

The bulk converter, pricing, and how it works.

Start here

Whatever you pick next, save your files first.

Convert your files to PDF

First 3 files free, just your email.