Open a .pub File on a Mac
Publisher has never run on macOS, so a .pub file on a Mac has to be converted: to PDF to read, print or send it, or to ODG to edit it in the free LibreOffice Draw. Here is how to do both.
Prerequisites
- One or more .pub files on your Mac
- Safari, Chrome or Firefox on macOS
- Omnvert Publisher Bulk Converter
- LibreOffice (free), only if you want to edit
Step-by-step
- 1
Know why your Mac cannot open it
Microsoft states that Publisher isn't available for devices running macOS, and there has never been a Mac version. Office for Mac does not include it, so double-clicking a .pub file gets you nowhere useful. You need to turn the file into something the Mac understands, and the Publisher to PDF and ODG converter does that in the browser, with nothing to install.
- 2
Choose between PDF and ODG
Pick PDF if you only want to read, print or send the file: it opens in Preview, which every Mac has, and it looks the same everywhere. Pick ODG if you want to change the text or move things around: it is the native format of LibreOffice Draw, where every text box, shape and picture stays a separate, editable object. You can tick both in one conversion, and you can always export a PDF from the ODG later.
- 3
Convert the file in your browser
Open the converter in Safari, Chrome or Firefox and drag the .pub files, or a whole folder, from Finder onto the page. Tick PDF, ODG or both. The free preview shows page 1 of up to 20 files: check that letters, fonts and pictures look right. Then convert and download the ZIP. Safari may unpack it for you; otherwise double-click it in Finder. Your folder structure is kept, and a report lists every file with its status, pages, fonts used, fonts replaced and warnings.
- 4
Install LibreOffice if you want to edit
LibreOffice is free and open source. On the download page at libreoffice.org, choose macOS (Apple Silicon) for a Mac with an M-series chip or macOS (Intel) for an older one; Apple menu > About This Mac tells you which you have. Open the downloaded disk image and drag LibreOffice into your Applications folder. If macOS asks for confirmation the first time you open it, confirm. Draw is part of the suite; there is nothing extra to install.
- 5
Open the ODG, or the .pub itself, in LibreOffice
In LibreOffice, use File > Open and pick the .odg file; it opens in Draw. You can also Control-click the file in Finder, choose Open With and select LibreOffice. LibreOffice lists Microsoft Publisher 98-2010 among the formats Draw can open, so you can try a .pub file the same way. If an old Publisher 97/98 file then shows letters such as Þ and ý in place of Turkish or other accented characters, use the ODG from the converter instead: that is where the text is decoded with the right code page.
- 6
Edit, save, and export a PDF when you need one
Click into a text box to change the words, drag objects to move them, and use the Sidebar to change font, size and colour. Save with File > Save to keep an editable ODG. When you need to share or print, use Export as PDF in the File menu (in recent versions it sits under Export As). Keep the ODG as your working copy and treat each PDF as an output.
- 7
Check the fonts
The report names every font that was replaced during conversion. Fonts with a metric-compatible twin, such as Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, Cambria and Georgia, keep their line breaks exactly. Others, such as Garamond, Gill Sans or Century Gothic, get a close design and text may reflow. If the original font is installed and licensed on your Mac, select the text in Draw and switch it back.
Microsoft's Office LTSC 2021 overview says Access and Publisher aren't available for devices running macOS, and Microsoft's retirement notice says Microsoft 365 subscribers lose access to Publisher on Windows after 1 October 2026. Omnvert is not affiliated with Microsoft; Microsoft product names are used only to describe compatibility.
Have a .pub file waiting? Convert it to PDF or editable ODG on your Mac. The first file each day is free at full quality with no watermark, and the preview of up to 20 files costs nothing.
PDF or ODG at a glance
- PDF: opens in Preview on any Mac, prints and emails reliably, and cannot be edited like the original. Best for archives and sharing.
- ODG: opens in LibreOffice Draw, keeps text boxes, shapes and pictures as separate objects, and can be edited and exported to PDF again. Best for a flyer, menu or certificate you still update.
- PNG or JPG page images at 150 or 300 DPI: useful for a website, a presentation or a social post.
Turkish and other non-Latin text in old files
Publisher 97 and 98 saved text in the Windows code page of the PC that created the file, not in Unicode. Read with the Western European code page, Turkish "Şirket Kaşığı" becomes "Þirket Kaþýðý". Omnvert detects the code page and decodes these files correctly, including Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic and Central European text, so the PDF or ODG you open on your Mac has the right letters.
Honest limits
Complex layouts can shift. Text that flows through linked text boxes, such as newsletter columns or a story continued on page 2, may repeat in each box in the current version; the report warns you, and in Draw you can delete the repeats. WordArt effects and some embedded objects may be simplified. If you or a colleague still has a Windows PC with a perpetual Office licence that includes Publisher, exporting from Publisher itself (File > Save As, then PDF) gives the most faithful PDF.
Where the files go
The conversion does not happen on your Mac: it runs on Omnvert's server, with LibreOffice inside an isolated container that has no network access. Outputs are deleted 15 minutes after download, originals within 120 minutes, and an unused bulk download after 60 minutes. After the free daily file, the site's existing plans apply: a 3-file credit pack, a 24-hour Day Pass, or Pro, with prices shown on the converter page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Mac version of Publisher?
No. Microsoft says Publisher isn't available for devices running macOS, and the Windows version is being retired in October 2026.
Can I edit a .pub file on a Mac for free?
Yes. Convert it to ODG (your first file each day is free) and edit it in LibreOffice Draw, which is free. LibreOffice can also open many Publisher 98-2010 files directly.
Do I need to install anything just to read the file?
No. Convert it to PDF in the browser and open the PDF in Preview, which comes with every Mac.
Will the result look exactly like the original?
Usually close, not always identical. Fonts without a metric-compatible twin can reflow, linked text boxes may repeat text, and WordArt may be simplified. The report tells you which files to check.
Can I convert a whole folder from my Mac?
Yes. Drag the folder from Finder onto the converter, or Control-click it, choose Compress and upload the ZIP. The result keeps your folder structure.