Free Adobe InDesign Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to Adobe InDesign for Windows if you 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 50 alternatives to Adobe InDesign and seven of them are free and available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Windows alternatives to Adobe InDesign are Affinity, Canva, Drawtify and 365Layouts.com.

filter to find the best alternatives

Adobe InDesign alternatives are mainly Graphic Design Tools, but if you're looking for Desktop Publishers 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.
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Alternatives list

  1. Scribus icon

    Scribus

     413 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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    13
    Comments about Scribus as an Alternative to Adobe InDesign
    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

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

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 13 comments
    Scribus icon
    Scribus icon
    • 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

     55 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.

    68 Affinity alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    Affinity screenshot 1
     
  4. Canva icon

    Canva

     385 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.

    93 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
    Comments about Canva as an Alternative to Adobe InDesign
    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.

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

    Canva is not made for layouts

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 7 comments
    Canva icon
    Canva icon
    • Canva is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is Paid and Proprietary
    • Canva is Privacy focused and LightweightAdobe InDesign is not according to our users
  5. Drawtify icon

    Drawtify

     7 likes

    Free Online Vector Graphic Editor with Great Design Templates and Elements. With powerful vector editor, you can create beautiful graphics online for free, such as SVG graphics, vector logos, infographics, flyer, poster, banners, etc.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Drawtify screenshot 1
     
  6. 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
     
  7. Kindle Create icon

    Kindle Create

     2 likes

    Reflowable format allows you to create files for Kindle, print, and EPUB. Readers can adjust the size of eBook fonts, margins, and various properties on Kindle.

    10 Kindle Create alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    Kindle Create screenshot 1
     
  9. 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
     
7 of 7 Adobe InDesign alternatives