Microsoft Publisher is End of Life

Microsoft officially retired Publisher in 2026, ending support for the application across all platforms and moving its core design features into Word and PowerPoint. Despite its retirement, many legacy files and templates still exist. If you need to access these documents on your Mac, here are the most effective ways to do it today. I wrote about this on my blog post here, but bottom line: I switched most of my creative work to Affinity and Canva a while back. (Affinity was purchase by Canva in 2025!)

Publisher has quietly been a staple for flyers, newsletters, and simple marketing materials for decades, but it is now officially on the way out. Microsoft has announced that Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026, and Microsoft 365 subscribers will lose access to the app and its editing capabilities. support.microsoft

That means PUB files will effectively become “stranded” if you do nothing. To avoid this, Microsoft recommends converting your PUB documents to more modern formats such as PDF and Word (DOCX) well before the deadline. windowslatest

Step 1: Take inventory of your PUB files

Before you can migrate away from Publisher, you need to understand what you actually have. Think of this as decluttering your digital filing cabinet. support.microsoft

On Windows:

• Search for all PUB files
• Open File Explorer and search for *.pub on your PC, external drives, OneDrive, or SharePoint folders. support.microsoft
• Categorize your documents
• “Must keep editable” (templates, regularly updated brochures, price lists).
• “View only” (old newsletters, past event flyers).
• “Safe to archive or delete” (obsolete drafts, duplicates). windowslatest

On Mac:

• If you previously stored PUB files in cloud services like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive, use their web search to find .pub files. windowslatest
• Download or tag them so you can process them on a Windows machine or through a converter later. dice

Step 2: Convert PUB files on Windows

While Publisher still works, Windows is your best environment for high‑quality conversions. The goal is to turn fragile PUB files into durable formats that remain usable long after Publisher disappears. support.microsoft

Best practice: Export to PDF

PDF is the most reliable format for long‑term viewing, sharing, and printing. windowslatest

• Open each important PUB in Publisher.
• Use File → Save As or File → Export → Create PDF/XPS (wording varies by version).
• Choose “Standard” or “High quality” if you intend to print the document. support.microsoft

This preserves layout, fonts (if embedded), and graphics so your document looks the same on any device, regardless of whether Publisher exists. windowslatest

Keeping documents editable: Export to DOCX

If you need to keep editing content, convert to a word‑processor format.

• From Publisher, export or copy content into Word (DOCX) where possible. windowslatest
• Expect layout changes: complex designs, text wrapping around shapes, and font substitutions may not survive perfectly, but your text and key images will be editable. dice

You can then refine the layout with Word styles, or re‑create the design in another layout tool of your choice. xda-developers

Bulk conversion for large archives

If you have hundreds of PUB files, converting one by one is painful. Microsoft has shared guidance and example scripts that can automate exporting many Publisher files to PDF, using PowerShell to loop through folders and call Publisher’s export functions. For organizations, this type of scripted approach is essential to ensure compliance, record‑keeping, and legal retention. support.microsoft

Step 3: Handling PUB files on Mac

macOS has never supported Publisher natively, and that won’t change. After Publisher’s retirement, you’ll rely entirely on converted files or third‑party tools. xda-developers

Practical workflow:

• Use a Windows PC (or Windows in a virtual machine) as your “conversion station” to turn PUB files into PDF or DOCX. support.microsoft
• Move the converted files to your Mac via OneDrive, Dropbox, or your preferred cloud storage.
• Open:
• PDFs in Preview, Acrobat Reader, or any PDF viewer.
• DOCX files in Microsoft Word for Mac or Apple Pages. dice

For ongoing design work, use Mac‑native layout tools like Pages, Affinity Publisher, or Adobe InDesign to rebuild templates and future documents. xda-developers

Step 4: Choose your “next” publishing tool

Publisher’s retirement is a good moment to standardize on tools that are cross‑platform and actively developed. opensource

Simple documents: Word, Pages, or online tools

If your needs are basic (church bulletins, small‑office flyers, school newsletters):

• On Windows:
• Microsoft Word with rich templates works surprisingly well for simple layout tasks. xda-developers
• On Mac:
• Apple Pages offers attractive templates for brochures, flyers, and newsletters with an approachable interface. dice
• Anywhere:
• Web tools like Canva can handle social posts, flyers, and basic marketing materials in a browser. dice

These tools trade some of Publisher’s free‑form layout power for ease of use and better long‑term support. xda-developers

Full desktop publishing: Scribus, Affinity Publisher, InDesign

If you do more serious layout work:

• Scribus
• Free, open source, runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. opensource
• Powerful but more technical; good for newsletters, magazines, and booklets once you get comfortable. opensource
• Affinity Publisher
• One‑time purchase (no subscription) and available for both Windows and Mac. dice
• Modern, faster to learn than InDesign, and well‑suited for marketing materials, books, and long documents. xda-developers
• Adobe InDesign
• Industry standard for professional publishing. dice
• Runs on both Windows and Mac but requires a subscription. dice

Third‑party programs that can open or convert PUB files

Even without Publisher, a handful of tools can read or convert PUB files with mixed success. These are particularly useful once Publisher is truly gone or when you only have a Mac. opensource

Tool / Service	Platform	What it does with PUB files	Notes
LibreOffice Draw	Windows, Mac, Linux	Can import some PUB files and let you edit and export to other formats. opensource	Layout fidelity varies; simple documents work best.
Scribus	Windows, Mac, Linux	Supports importing PUB content via filters or intermediate formats. opensource	Better for re‑creating layouts than pixel‑perfect import.
Online converters	Browser‑based	Convert PUB → PDF, DOCX, or images without installing Publisher. dice	Beware of privacy; avoid for sensitive or confidential content.
Specialized viewers	Windows (mostly)	Some niche tools can open or convert PUB to PDF or images. dice	Check vendor reputation; results vary widely.

Key considerations:

• No third‑party program reads every PUB file perfectly; Publisher used proprietary features that can be hard to replicate. opensource
• Test a few representative files before committing to a tool or workflow, especially for complex brochures or documents with many images. opensource
• For sensitive documents, prioritize offline tools (LibreOffice, Scribus) over online converters to avoid uploading confidential data. opensource

Step 5: Future‑proof your new documents

The best way to avoid this problem again is to build your next generation of templates in open or widely supported formats. support.microsoft

Practical guidelines:

• Store all final versions as PDFs, regardless of the editing tool you use. windowslatest
• Keep source files in formats that multiple tools understand (DOCX, ODT, IDML, etc.). opensource
• Prefer cross‑platform tools so that switching computers or operating systems does not strand your work again. xda-developers

With a weekend of organizing and converting, you can safely retire Publisher from your workflow, protect your legacy documents, and move to tools that will serve you well on both Windows and Mac for years to come. xda-developers