Fix: "There is no application set to open the document"
This error means macOS has no application installed that knows how to open .pub files — Publisher is a Windows-only program and has never existed on Mac. If you just need to read or share the content, converting the .pub file to PDF is the most practical fix.
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Converting…
About .pub to PDF conversion
How do I convert a .pub file to PDF on a Mac without buying Publisher?
Upload your .pub file to OpenAny.io and select PDF as the output format. The conversion is free, requires no account, and the file is deleted within 60 seconds. You'll get a PDF you can open in Preview, Adobe Reader, or any browser.
Can I open a .pub file directly on a Mac without converting it?
There is no official Microsoft Publisher app for macOS, so you cannot open .pub files natively. Your realistic options are: convert it to PDF or Word format using a tool like OpenAny, use LibreOffice Draw (free, has partial .pub support), or ask whoever sent the file to re-export it as PDF themselves.
Will the converted PDF look exactly like the original Publisher file?
Usually close, but not guaranteed to be pixel-perfect. Publisher uses proprietary layout features — custom fonts, precise text wrapping, and linked frames — that do not always translate cleanly. For simple documents like flyers or newsletters the output is typically fine; complex multi-column layouts with custom fonts may have minor shifts.