Adobe InDesign
3 free alternatives
Top pick:AffinityLicense: Freeware
Saves $264 USD a year
Page layout
Lay out magazines, books, brochures and print-ready PDFs.
Paid apps and their free alternatives
Open one to see every alternative, ranked.
Microsoft Publisher
3 free alternatives
Top pick:AffinityLicense: Freeware
Free page layout tools
Every free tool in this category, by name.
Filter alternatives
2 alternatives
DesignCraft
Open-source page layout app written in Rust, with master pages, threaded text, tables, data merge and IDML import and export.
License: Open source- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Self-hosted
Status: Active- IDML: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Swatches, styles, parent spreads, frames, images and threaded stories; not independently checked
- PDF: saves only, partial fidelity. Exports CMYK and spot colors with bleed and marks; PDF/X-4 output intent is pending
This replaces Adobe InDesign
Scribus
Open-source desktop publishing app for print layouts with CMYK and spot colors, linked text frames and PDF/X export.
License: Open source- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
Status: Verified- IDML: opens only, partial fidelity. Basic IDML import; complex layouts, effects and some styles do not carry over
- PDF: opens and saves, partial fidelity. Exports PDF/X-1a, X-3 and X-4; opening a PDF brings in vector shapes and text with limits
- PUB: opens only, partial fidelity. Imports Publisher files through libmspub; coverage is spotty
This replaces Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Publisher