Microsoft Publisher alternatives

Publisher was removed from Microsoft 365 in October 2026. Here are the programs people are moving to, and how to bring old .pub files along.

Canva

Web-based, with a free plan and many newsletter, flyer and bulletin templates. Many schools and churches now use it. It cannot open .pub files, but it imports PowerPoint files. See how to move Publisher files to Canva.

Microsoft Word and PowerPoint

Already in Microsoft 365. Word handles text-heavy newsletters; PowerPoint is surprisingly good for flyers and posters because you can place boxes anywhere. Our converted PowerPoint files open directly in PowerPoint.

Affinity Publisher

A professional page layout program for Windows and Mac. Good for print work such as magazines and brochures. It cannot open .pub files; import our PDF instead.

Scribus and LibreOffice Draw

Free and open source. Both can open many .pub files directly, though fonts and some effects may change.

Bringing your old files with you

Whatever you choose, convert your .pub files while you still have them organised. Upload a whole folder as a .zip on our home page and get PDF, PowerPoint, Word and image copies of every file.