PubKeep picks up where Microsoft Publisher signs off

Microsoft ended support for Publisher this month, but users with orphaned documents still have options.

Support for perpetual versions ended on October 13, but those copies will keep working without further security updates, bug fixes, or technical support.

Publisher left Microsoft 365 subscriptions on October 1, although existing installations may remain accessible until removal updates arrive. Those start reaching Current Channel devices in mid-November and Monthly Enterprise Channel devices in early December.

Microsoft first let users know in 2024 that the venerable application would be scrapped, and the Windows behemoth offered little comfort to those who needed it. Microsoft suggested Word and PowerPoint as alternatives, but neither directly opens Publisher's.pub files.

The Document Foundation, the organization behind LibreOffice, was quick to point users toward LibreOffice Draw, which uses the libmspub library to import Publisher files and can save them in OpenDocument Format (ODF). Other alternatives aim to recreate more of the Publisher experience.

Adam Anderly, founder of Texas-based Saint Systems, …