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

The best paid alternative to Adobe InDesign is Affinity Publisher. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Adobe InDesign and many of them is paid so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting paid alternatives to Adobe InDesign are QuarkXPress, VivaDesigner, Microsoft Publisher and Swift Publisher.

filter to find the best alternatives

Adobe InDesign alternatives are mainly Desktop Publishers, but if you're looking for Graphic Design Tools or Vector Graphic Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Linux, Mac, Android, iPad and Chrome OS. 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.
More about Adobe InDesign
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
Adobe InDesign alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. Affinity Publisher icon

    Affinity Publisher

     86 likes

    Affinity's professional desktop publishing software offers seamless integration with the Affinity suite, live document views, cloud collaboration, and advanced typography tools, providing users a flexible editing experience with support for large files, preflight tools, customizable UI color management features.

    26 Affinity Publisher alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPad
    Affinity Publisher screenshot 1
     
    |
    8
    Comments about Affinity Publisher as an Alternative to Adobe InDesign
    Top Positive Comment
    Paul
    3

    Until now, QuarkXPress was the only professional alternative to InDesign, but there's now a new contender: Affinity Publisher. I was already using Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo, and it's an essential addition to the suite. Really great to see new professional products breaking the Adobe monopoly.

    Noah
    Positive
    0

    It has the same features as InDesign and a much friendlier financing model without a horrendously expensive subscription and the more intuitive UI im my opinion.

    ashf
    Positive
    0

    Fast, flexible with designing

    3 of 8 comments
    Affinity Publisher icon
    Affinity Publisher icon
    • Affinity Publisher is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
  2. QuarkXPress icon

    QuarkXPress

     26 likes

    Page layout tool for print and digital publishing featuring graphics editing, rich illustration support, image correction, responsive design conversion, native object handling, content automation, synchronized updates, and flexible workflow for creative projects.

    22 QuarkXPress alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    QuarkXPress screenshot 1
     
    |
    4
    Comments about QuarkXPress as an Alternative to Adobe InDesign
    Paul
    Positive
    2

    Way better than the competition. I learned Adobe InDesign when I was in school but I now use QuarkXPress for work.

    martinturner
    Positive
    4

    2 generations ahead of InDesign and available as a permanent purchase with no subscription. Converts all types of PDF files to native objects and outputs HTML5 and iOS apps in addition to industry-standard PDF for print.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Innovative features, like make PDF editable, create HTML5, as many apps as I want etc. And I can buy a license which I keep. At $185 for an upgrade. Plus it is fast, launches within 6 seconds.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    QuarkXPress icon
    QuarkXPress icon
    • QuarkXPress is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
  4. VivaDesigner icon

    VivaDesigner

     9 likes

    This economically priced high end DTP program is extremely powerful and still very easy to use. With its innovative concepts, you can decisively improve your working processes and document management. With VivaDesigner, all collaborations between end customers, corporations and...

    49 VivaDesigner alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    VivaDesigner screenshot 1
     
    |
    2
    Comments about VivaDesigner as an Alternative to Adobe InDesign
    BlueTen
    Positive
    0

    I moved to Linux recently and honestly didn't think I'd find a way to import my old InDesign files or even find a user-friendly app to recreate them in. Viva's got all that covered. Tried the free version, and it has everything I need!

    Nice and intuitive interface, snappy and performant. For ease of use on Linux, it comes in .appimage format, which means you should be able to run it no matter what distro you've chosen (like a portable .exe on windows).

    Guest
    Positive
    5

    It has 95-99% of all the features of InDesigner, can read and write Adobe InDesign files based on IDML and is the only app that is also available for the browser without any installation for the client. And last but not least you can buy or rent it and there is even a free version!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    VivaDesigner icon
    VivaDesigner icon
    • VivaDesigner is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
  5. Ad
  6. Microsoft Publisher icon

    Microsoft Publisher

     60 likes

    Integrated within the Microsoft Office Suite, this tool empowers users to create, personalize, and share diverse publications and marketing materials. It aids in brand building, track campaigns, and manage customer lists, with capabilities for print, web, and email distribution.

    25 Microsoft Publisher alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Microsoft Publisher screenshot 1
     
    |
    3
    Comments about Microsoft Publisher as an Alternative to Adobe InDesign
    Guest
    Negative
    8

    Most of the essential InDesign functions are not there.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    3

    Good for very simple job. Nice for merging data (db) and presentation !

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Covers all the essentials of good DTP software if you're willing to get into the help documentation and find them (more complicated features are somewhat hidden). Vastly more affordable than InDesign or Quark, and vastly more capable than most of the rest of the options. I personally like it because I'm old school and was trained on Aldus Pagemaker, and MS Publisher has a Pagemaker-like feel.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Microsoft Publisher icon
    Microsoft Publisher icon
    • Microsoft Publisher is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
  7. Swift Publisher icon

    Swift Publisher

     10 likes

    Swift Publisher is an easy-to-use page layout and desktop publishing app for Mac. This software provides all you need for creating impressive and professional-looking documents such as flyers, brochures, catalogs, magazines, booklets, newsletters, calendars, posters, menus...

    43 Swift Publisher alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    Swift Publisher screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Comments about Swift Publisher as an Alternative to Adobe InDesign
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It's inexpensive and very straightforward. It misses some of the hi-end features of InDesign, but is very good for basic tasks such as designing flyers, posters or brochures. Handling of text could be better though. Overall, it's a very good app for its price.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Swift Publisher icon
    Swift Publisher icon
    • Swift Publisher is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
  8. Baseline icon

    Baseline

     5 likes

    This tool simplifies brand content creation, offering an easy guide to build consistent designs quickly. It features templates for major platforms, ensuring efficiency and professionalism with no manual alterations. Ideal for those prioritizing speed and ease in branding.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Baseline screenshot 1
     
  10. CorelDRAW Go icon

    CorelDRAW Go

     1 like

    Design t-shirts, social media images, & more with templates or from scratch. Enjoy vector editing freedom that outshines the alternatives.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    CorelDRAW Go screenshot 1
     
  11. CleverBrush icon

    CleverBrush

     1 like

    CleverBrush is a graphic design app that is high tech, quick, reliable, cutting edge and brilliant. Their web vector editor and photo collage builder are speedy. You can replace your legacy web2print software with CleverBrush and make use of an extended set of features to add...

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    Vector Image editing expirience
     
  12. Vizard Studio icon

    Vizard Studio

     2 likes

    Vizard helps brands & agencies produce highly personalised, on-brand creatives at scale for social media, email & digital marketing.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Vizard Studio screenshot 1
     
  13. Canvas GFX icon

    Canvas GFX

     13 likes

    Canvas 11 is the single most cost-effective, integrated solution for the creation, enhancement, presentation and sharing of technical illustrations and graphics.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Canvas GFX screenshot 1
     
  14. RagTime icon

    RagTime

     2 likes

    RagTime is both a traditional Office and DTP layout application. Like an office application, RagTime contains a powerful word processor, a sophisticated spreadsheet, and a tool for slide shows. It supports picture handling and creates business graphics.

    16 RagTime alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    RagTime screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Comments about RagTime as an Alternative to Adobe InDesign
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Because we use it everyday for office applications. We know more functions than any software used on occasional base. It is very powerfull stable software. The piont we are missing is more basic templates.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    RagTime icon
    RagTime icon
    • RagTime is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
  15. PageStream icon

    PageStream

     6 likes

    Pagestream is a proprietary desktop publishing program for Linux, Windows, Macintosh, and Amiga. It was originally released under the name Publishing Partner in 1986.

    16 PageStream alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • AmigaOS
    PageStream screenshot 1
     
12 of 30 Adobe InDesign alternatives