The Best Free Adobe InDesign AlternativesTop Desktop Publishers and other similar apps like Adobe InDesign

The best free alternative to Adobe InDesign is Scribus, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Adobe InDesign and many of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Adobe InDesign are Affinity, Canva, Desygner and Quaterio.

filter to find the best alternatives

Adobe InDesign alternatives are mainly Graphic Design Tools, but if you're looking for Image Editors or Color Picker Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Linux, Mac, Android, Chrome OS and iPad. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Adobe InDesign.
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Alternatives list

  1. Scribus icon

    Scribus

     433 likes

    Open-source desktop publishing software offering flexible layouts and typesetting, professional image setting, CMYK support, interactive PDFs, vector tools, and wide format support, perfect for creating newspapers, brochures, and more on Mac, Windows, Linux, and BSD.

    27 Scribus alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Oracle Solaris
    • Flatpak
    Scribus screenshot 1
     
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    13
    Scribus vs Adobe InDesign Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    maurosoft391
    3

    depsite it's poorly designed, scribus is somewhat easy to use. the font problem can be fixable by writing in the internal editor

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    15

    absolute pain in the $$$ to work with. lacks basic functionality like showing up the font you select in the actual page

    Guest
    Negative
    1

    It's very basic, and needs a lot of work to do even the simplest of things properly.

    3 of 13 comments
    • Scribus is Free and Open SourceAdobe InDesign is Paid and Proprietary
    • Scribus is Lightweight and Privacy focusedAdobe InDesign is not according to our users
  2. Affinity icon

    Affinity

     88 likes

    Unified design solution merging advanced photo, vector, and layout tools for seamless workflow, non-destructive editing, RAW support, batch processing, AI enhancements, GPU acceleration, file compatibility, cloud asset integration, and tailored workspace options.

    94 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Affinity screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Affinity vs Adobe InDesign Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    A free professional alternative to Indesign, Illustrator and Photoshop all rolled into one.

    • Affinity is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is Paid and Proprietary
    • Affinity is an Image Editor Adobe InDesign is a Desktop Publishing
  4. Canva icon

    Canva

     410 likes

    A comprehensive design application combining innovative photo and video editing with advanced AI capabilities to streamline creating designs. Users can produce unique graphics, engaging social media content using customizable templates and thousands of images, videos, and fonts accessible through its vast library.

    179 Canva alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Canva screenshot 1
     
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    7
    Canva vs Adobe InDesign Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    DalsPhotography
    1

    Canva has now purchased all the Affinity company. Yet, you can still use them as separate software, but I don't know for how long!

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    11

    Canva is a good layout but has none of the advanced text editing functionality that InDesign has.

    Guest
    Negative
    1

    Canva is not made for layouts

    3 of 7 comments
    • Canva is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is Paid and Proprietary
    • Canva is an Image Editor Adobe InDesign is a Desktop Publishing
    • Canva is Privacy focused and LightweightAdobe InDesign is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    VistaCreate icon
    VistaCreate

    An intuitive online design tool offering advanced features like animation, video editing, and over 150,000 templates. Access a library of 70 million+ assets including vectors, photos, and sounds. Ideal for social media, marketing...

    https://create.vista.com
    Learn More
  6. Desygner icon

    Desygner

     99 likes

    Desygner is an online and mobile design solution, which offers a simpler alternative to expensive and complicated design suites.

    223 Desygner alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Desygner screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Desygner vs Adobe InDesign Comments
    Osiris Berbesia
    Negative
    3

    No similar at all to indesign

    Guest
    Negative
    -6

    It simply doesn't offer file upload. I'm looking for a online solution to edit my .indd files...

    • Desygner is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is Paid and Proprietary
    • Desygner is a Graphic Design Adobe InDesign is a Desktop Publishing
  8. Quaterio icon

    Quaterio

     2 likes

    Web-based document editor featuring real pagination, custom page sizes, template variables including QR codes and barcodes, WYSIWYG previews, batch PDF generation up to 1,000 via API, brand kits for consistent style, print-ready CMYK export, and version history options.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Quaterio screenshot 1
     
  9. Aktivisda icon

    Aktivisda

     13 likes

    Aktivisda is a web application to facilitate the creation of visuals that use the graphic charter of an organization, and the spreading of this graphic charter.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    Aktivisda screenshot 1
     
  10. Polotno icon

    Polotno

     23 likes

    A versatile visual design suite offering an intuitive canvas editor, automated template creation for social media and ads, video editing integration for apps, and asset management through unlimited libraries. Supports various storage options and is made for creative scale.

    108 Polotno alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Polotno screenshot 1
     
  11. Marq icon

    Marq

     43 likes

    Marq, formerly Lucidpress, is a brand-templating platform that empowers everyone to build on-brand.

    71 Marq alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
     
    |
    1
    Marq vs Adobe InDesign Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    It's so unwieldy compared to InDesign, and super slow.

    • Marq is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is Paid and Proprietary
  12. Open Publisher icon

    Open Publisher

     2 likes

    Open Publisher is a lightweight, web-based desktop publishing tool that allows you to create documents, flyers, brochures, and fun designs on any device in any modern browser.

    7 Open Publisher alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Quick and basic ad made using OpenPublisher
     
  13. Picmaker icon

    Picmaker

     10 likes

    Picmaker is an online design solution that helps create stunning YouTube thumbnails, channel art, and IGTV covers. It is a simpler and faster alternative to expensive and complicated design tools that are available today.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Auto background removal tool - Picmaker
     
  14. 365Layouts.com icon

    365Layouts.com

     4 likes

    365Layouts is building an online drag and drop design platform to help small business owners create advertising materials with our free design templates.

    56 365Layouts.com alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Chrome OS
    365Layouts.com screenshot 1
     
  15. Designmaker by Designs.ai icon

    Designmaker by Designs.ai

     3 likes

    Designmaker is an intelligent design generator that connects inputted data with dynamic design templates to create stunning visual content.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    Designmaker Dashboard
     
12 of 44 Adobe InDesign alternatives