Microsoft Publisher Ends in October 2026 — Convert Your .pub Files Now

For years, .pub was the quiet workhorse behind church bulletins, school newsletters, small-business flyers, and certificates. Those files only open cleanly in Publisher. In October 2026, that door starts closing.

What Microsoft is ending

Microsoft has announced that Publisher reaches end of life in October 2026. The details differ by how you licensed it:

• Microsoft 365 subscribers: Publisher is removed after October 1, 2026. You will no longer be able to open or edit .pub files in Publisher.
• Perpetual Publisher (Office 2021 / LTSC 2021): support ends October 13, 2026. The app may still run, but it will not get security updates.

Microsoft's recommended action is clear: convert existing files to PDF or Word before October 1, 2026. Official article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026

Why this matters for real archives

Publisher was rarely the "office suite" app. It was the layout tool for people who needed a folded bulletin, a raffle flyer, or a certificate that looked finished on paper. Those files often sit in shared church drives, school servers, and small-business folders — with no other copy.

• A .pub file is not a Word document. Double-clicking it in Word does nothing useful.
• After October 1, 2026, Microsoft 365 users lose the app that could open those files.
• Perpetual installs keep running for a while, but unsupported software is a poor long-term plan for archives.

What will and will not open .pub today

Word does not open Publisher files. Free options are limited. LibreOffice Draw can import Microsoft Publisher 98–2010 via the "Publisher Document" filter (libmspub). It does not list Publisher 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365 .pub files.

• Complex layouts, master pages, and missing fonts often break even on files LibreOffice accepts.
• There is no PUB export from LibreOffice — you can try to open older files, not recreate Publisher.
• Newer Publisher formats are a harder problem; do not assume every .pub on disk will import cleanly.

Why PDF first

Microsoft says convert to PDF or Word. For a flyer or bulletin, PDF is the preservation format that keeps the page looking like a page. DOCX is better when you need to edit text — Microsoft notes that Word output is optimized for editing, and layout can shift, especially with lots of graphics.

• PDF — frozen layout for sharing, printing, and long-term storage.
• Word — when you need to revise wording, accepting that the design may not match the original flyer.
• Keep the original .pub beside the PDF until you are sure you no longer need it.

Convert older Publisher files with Legacy File Converter

Legacy File Converter runs on Windows 10/11 as a desktop app. Conversion is 100% local — no cloud upload. For older Publisher files (the 98–2010 range LibreOffice also targets), you can batch-convert to PDF and other modern formats the product already offers, without installing Publisher. It does not claim perfect support for every 2013+ / Microsoft 365 .pub.

Summary

Publisher is ending. Microsoft 365 loses it after October 1, 2026; perpetual support ends October 13, 2026. Convert .pub files to PDF while you still can. Start with older 98–2010 archives and anything Publisher can still open; treat newer formats honestly as harder. Legacy File Converter handles older Publisher files offline on Windows so the bulletins and flyers stay readable without the original app.