Scribus
Close matchFreeThe Linux page layout program. Better print output than Publisher, and a steeper first week.
Your files: Cannot open .pub files at all. Rebuild anything you still need to edit, or keep a PDF for reference.
Does Microsoft Publisher run on Linux?
Verdict: No
No. Publisher has no Linux version, and Microsoft is retiring it everywhere on 1 October 2026, so a switch is happening whether you move to Linux or not.
Publisher was always Windows only. There is no Mac version and no Linux version, and there never was.
It is also on the way out. Microsoft has said Publisher reaches end of life on 1 October 2026, after which Microsoft 365 subscribers can no longer open or edit .pub files in it. Microsoft's own advice is to convert your documents to PDF, and to Word if you still need to edit them. Do that on the Windows machine before you wipe it, because it is much easier there than anywhere else.
On Linux, LibreOffice Draw will actually open a .pub file, which is more than most Windows alternatives manage. Treat it as a rescue tool rather than a replacement. The layout usually arrives readable but shifted, and you cannot save back into Publisher format.
For making new newsletters, flyers and booklets, Scribus is the Linux answer. It is free and it aims at proper print work, with real control over colour and bleed. It is also harder than Publisher was, and it expects you to think in terms of text frames rather than typing straight onto the page. Give it a weekend.
What to use instead of Microsoft Publisher
LibreOffice Draw
Different way of workingFreeThe only easy way to look at an old .pub file on Linux. Fine for one-page flyers, not for a booklet.
Your files: Opens .pub files for reading and editing but cannot save back to Publisher format.
This doesn't have to stop you
One stubborn program doesn't have to decide the whole question. You can keep Windows on the same PC and restart into it only when you need Microsoft Publisher. Everything else you do can move.
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