As Microsoft kills off Publisher, LibreOffice steps in with free support for your PUB files

Microsoft has discontinued Publisher, leaving many users scrambling for alternatives. Open-source software LibreOffice has stepped in to fill the gap, offering support for Microsoft Publisher (PUB) files. In a statement, The Document Foundation, the organization behind LibreOffice, criticized Microsoft's decision to remove Publisher from its Office 365 subscription.

They argue that converting PUB files to PDF or DOCX doesn't provide a satisfactory solution. PDFs preserve layout but are not designed for editing, while DOCX files can be edited but lose formatting when converted between proprietary formats. Furthermore, both options require users to transfer their content to another vendor-controlled proprietary format, which The Document Foundation believes should be a mistake.

Instead, LibreOffice has reverse-engineered the PUB format and developed the libmspub library. This allows users to access and edit their PUB files for free using LibreOffice. Moreover, saving files as OpenDocument Format (ODF) ensures that they remain accessible in years to come, as ODF is an open standard that won't be affected by proprietary software shutdowns.