Free Microsoft Publisher Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to Microsoft Publisher for Windows and since it's discontinued a lot of people are looking for a replacement. The best free Windows alternative is Scribus, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to Microsoft Publisher and four of them are free and available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Windows alternatives to Microsoft Publisher are LibreOffice - Draw, 365Layouts.com and Omegadoc Designer.

filter to find the best alternatives

Microsoft Publisher alternatives are mainly Desktop Publishers, but if you're looking for Graphic Design Tools or Mind Mapping Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Free, Linux, Desktop Publishing, Online and Mac. 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 Microsoft Publisher.
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Alternatives list

  1. Scribus icon

    Scribus

     411 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.

    26 Scribus alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Oracle Solaris
    • Flatpak
    Scribus screenshot 1
     
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    4
    120
    Comments about Scribus as an Alternative to Microsoft Publisher
    RemovedUser
    Negative
    1

    Publisher only hints at using layers when you move objects in front of or behind other objects. The menus in Scribus aren't comparable or intuitive, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to edit images inside the image frame scribus, which Publisher lets you do.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    2

    It's nothing like publisher: it's very inflexible, the contrary of the drag-and-drop apps nowadays. Not fluent to work with even for texts, not at all for images. The use feels like 20 years back-in-time. In the very past, it will have been really nice, but now it's extremely outdated.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    wyrazik
    Positive
    -2

    Scribus gives full control over the DTP process

    3 of 4 comments
    Microsoft Publisher Icon
    Scribus icon

    • Most users think Scribus is a great Microsoft Publisher alternative.

    • Scribus is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Microsoft Publisher.

    • Scribus is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Microsoft Publisher.

    • Scribus is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Publisher is Paid and Proprietary
    • Scribus is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMicrosoft Publisher is not according to our users
  2. LibreOffice - Draw icon

    LibreOffice - Draw

     311 likes

    Draw lets you produce anything from a quick sketch to a complex plan, and gives you the means to communicate with graphics and diagrams. With a maximum page size of 300cm by 300cm, Draw is a an excellent package for producing technical drawings, general posters, and much else.

    98 LibreOffice - Draw alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    LibreOffice - Draw screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Comments about LibreOffice - Draw as an Alternative to Microsoft Publisher
    Richie Scassellati
    Positive
    1

    When I saw LibreOffice Draw, the first thing I thought of was it being the alternative to Microsoft Publisher. It's nice to use as an alternative.

    Guest
    Negative
    1

    It is more of an alternative to Visio than publisher it is not a Dekstop publishing software Use Scribus for that purpose

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Microsoft Publisher Icon
    LibreOffice - Draw icon

    • Most users think LibreOffice - Draw is a great Microsoft Publisher alternative.

    • LibreOffice - Draw is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Publisher is Paid and Proprietary
    • LibreOffice - Draw is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMicrosoft Publisher is not according to our users
  4. 365Layouts.com icon

    365Layouts.com

     3 likes

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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Chrome OS
    365Layouts.com screenshot 1
     
  5. Omegadoc Designer icon

    Omegadoc Designer

     Like

    A DTP app that stands out with: 1 - One click export of fixed-layout eBooks in two popular formats: EPUB3 and Amazon KF8 (Mobi) formats. 2 - Styling modeled after CSS3. 3 - Superior multiple-page viewing capability. 4. Intuitive and easy to use UI.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Omegadoc Designer screenshot 1
     
4 of 4 Microsoft Publisher alternatives