Korva vs PubKeep: Two Publisher Replacements Compared

Korva and PubKeep are both built for one job: opening the Microsoft Publisher .pub files people still have after Publisher left Microsoft 365, editing them, and printing them again. They differ on price, on which computers they run, on how often they need the internet, and on how far they go for print shops. Here is an honest side-by-side, checked against PubKeep's own website on October 30, 2026.

“Microsoft Publisher” is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. PubKeep is a product of Saint Systems. Korva is an independent product, not affiliated with either. Prices and features change, so check each site before you buy.

The short version

• Pick Korva if you want the lowest price, free updates for your version, Linux, a free version with no time limit, or to check and convert a whole folder of old files at once.
• Pick PubKeep if you need spot colours for offset printing, menus in a language other than English, licences for many computers on one key, or a version that runs in a web browser.

Side by side

	Korva	PubKeep
Opens and edits .pub files	Yes, with the layout (Publisher 2003 and later)	Yes (Publisher 2000, partly, to Microsoft 365; 97/98 files are upgraded on PubKeep’s server first)
Price for one computer	$49 once	$149 once from Nov 1, 2026 ($99 founder price before)
Updates	Free for your major version	1 year included, then $49 a year (founders) or $79 a year
Free option	Free version: open and edit any .pub, export your first project as often as you like	7-day trial, then view-only
Refund	14 days	30 days
Windows	Windows 10+ (Microsoft Store or installer)	Windows 10 or 11 (Microsoft Store or installer)
Mac	macOS 12+, Intel and Apple silicon	macOS 13+, Intel and Apple silicon
Linux	Yes (AppImage, .deb, .rpm)	No (web version only)
Web version	Free browser converter and viewer	Full editor in the browser, included with a licence
Internet needed	Activation, then a licence check at least every 30 days	Activation, then a check-in at least every 2 days
Menu languages	English, Polish	English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil)
Save format	.kva (Pro)	.pubk
Save back to .pub	No	No
Batch convert a folder of .pub files	Yes, Rescue Center (scan free, convert with Pro)	Online converter (first 3 files free)
Press-ready PDF	Crop marks, 1/4 in bleed, CMYK composite	Crop marks, bleeds, CMYK and spot colours
Booklets	Booklet PDF, pages ordered for folding	Booklet and folded-card printing
Mail merge	Excel or CSV (Pro)	Excel or CSV
Avery labels built in	5160, 5161, 5163	9 US Letter sizes plus an A4 range
Multi-computer licences	One computer per licence	Packs of 2 to 25 computers

PubKeep’s details come from pubkeep.com (home page, /desktop/, /features/ and its help center) on October 30, 2026. Korva’s come from Korva 1.9.4 and its help center.

Price and updates

This is the biggest practical difference. Korva Pro is $49 once for one computer, and updates within your major version are included. PubKeep’s single-computer licence is $149 from November 1, 2026 (its founder price of $99 ended October 31). It includes one year of updates; after that, updates cost $49 a year for founder buyers or $79 a year for everyone else. PubKeep keeps working if you stop paying for updates.

Over three years for one computer, that’s $49 for Korva against roughly $149 + $158 = $307 for PubKeep if you keep updating.

PubKeep is more flexible for offices: one key can cover 2, 3, 5, 10 or up to 25 computers, with invoices and purchase orders. A Korva Pro licence covers one computer, and you move it when you replace that computer.

Trying before you buy

Korva’s free version has no time limit. It opens and edits any .pub file and exports your first project, without a watermark, as many times as you need. That’s often enough for someone who has one bulletin or flyer to rescue. PubKeep offers a 7-day trial (email only, no card); after it ends you can still open and view files, but editing, printing and export need a licence.

Mac, Windows, Linux and the web

Both run on Windows and on Intel and Apple-silicon Macs. Korva supports macOS 12 Monterey and later; PubKeep needs macOS 13 Ventura or later.

Korva also runs on Linux, which PubKeep doesn’t (PubKeep suggests its web version there). On the other hand, PubKeep includes a full web editor with every licence, which helps on a Chromebook or tablet. Korva’s browser tools are a free PUB to PDF converter and viewer, not an editor.

Offline use and privacy

Korva does everything on your computer: opening, editing and exporting. Nothing is uploaded. Korva Pro checks its licence when the computer is online and keeps working for 30 days without a connection.

PubKeep also edits locally, and says it needs the internet to activate and then checks in at least every two days. Its help center notes that Publisher 97/98 files are sent to PubKeep’s server to be upgraded before they open, and that the in-app “report an issue” option uploads your file.

Opening your files

Both are built to open .pub files with their layout: text boxes, pictures and pages where Publisher put them. Both replace fonts you don’t have installed and tell you about it. Korva shows an import report for every file (layout kept or reflowed, fonts replaced, low-resolution pictures, text that doesn’t fit). PubKeep shows font status in its status bar.

For very old files, PubKeep goes further back: it opens Publisher 2000 files and upgrades 97/98 files on its server. Korva imports Publisher 2003 and later with the layout; older or damaged files open with their text and pictures on new pages.

If you have a folder of hundreds of old files, Korva’s Rescue Center scans the whole folder, marks each file Ready, Review, Needs fix or Couldn’t open, and converts the safe ones to PDF beside the originals.

Printing

For home, office and digital printing, both do the job: PDF export, booklets, labels and mail merge.

For offset printing, PubKeep is ahead. It says it exports true CMYK and named spot (PANTONE) colours. Korva’s press-ready PDF has crop marks, a 1/4-inch bleed and a CMYK composite option for shapes and text, but pictures stay RGB and there are no spot colours. Most digital and short-run print shops accept that; an offset printer may convert it.

PubKeep also lists more built-in Avery label sheets.

Which one should you choose?

• Church office, school or club with one computer and a stack of old bulletins: Korva costs less and the free version may cover a one-off job.
• Linux, or you want to check and convert a whole folder at once: Korva.
• Ten computers on one invoice, spot colours, or menus in German or Dutch: PubKeep.

The short version is on the PubKeep alternative page. You can try Korva without paying anything: download it, open a .pub file and export your first project. If you’re moving off Publisher, the help center shows where each Publisher command lives in Korva.