Adobe InDesign AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Desktop Publishers for Mac

Alternatives list

1. 

   

   Scribus

    427 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

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

   Application type

   • Desktop Publisher

   Origin

   • Germany
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • BSD
   • Flathub
   • PortableApps.com
   • Oracle Solaris
   • Flatpak

   

   

   

   +2

   

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   Is Scribus a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?

    

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   13comments

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   Scribus vs Adobe InDesign Comments

    

   Top Positive Comment

   maurosoft391

   Nov 23, 2024

   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

   Oct 11, 2017

   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 comment•Oct 15, 2025

   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.

   Show more comments

   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

    73 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.

   78 Affinity alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Freemium
   • Proprietary

   Application types

   • Image Editor
   • Vector Graphic

   Origin

   • Australia

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows

   

   

   

   +9

   

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   Is Affinity a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?

    

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   1comment

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   Affinity vs Adobe InDesign Comments

    

   Guest

   Positive comment•Mar 8, 2026

   0

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

   Review by a new / low-activity user.

   

   

   • Affinity is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is Paid and Proprietary
4. 

   

   QuarkXPress

    27 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

   • Desktop Publisher

   Origin

   • United States

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows

   

   

   

   +2

   

   More about QuarkXPress  

   

   Is QuarkXPress a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?

    

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   4comments

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   QuarkXPress vs Adobe InDesign Comments

    

   Paul

   Positive comment•Jul 18, 2018

   2

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

   martinturner

   Positive comment•Jul 12, 2017

   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 comment•Jul 12, 2017

   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.

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   3 of 4 comments

   

   

   • QuarkXPress is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
5. Ad

   

   

   IDMarkz

   IDMarkz standalone app lets you preview, export & open Adobe InDesign documents in many other file formats & apps. Export InDesign to QuarkXPress, Affinity Publisher, older InDesign versions, Acrobat, Illustrator, IDML, P...

   https://markzware.com

   Learn More
6. 

   

   VivaDesigner

    10 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...

   Cost / License

   • Paid
   • Proprietary

   Application type

   • Desktop Publisher

   Origin

   • Germany
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux

   

   

   

   +2

   

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   VivaDesigner vs Adobe InDesign Comments

    

   BlueTen

   Positive comment•Apr 10, 2025

   1

   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 comment•Apr 25, 2017

   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 is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
7. 

   

   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

   • Desktop Publisher

   Origin

   • Ukraine

   Platforms

   • Mac

   

   

   

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   More about Swift Publisher  

   

   Is Swift Publisher a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?

    

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   Swift Publisher vs Adobe InDesign Comments

    

   Guest

   Positive comment•Jul 18, 2018

   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 is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
8. 

   

   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

   • Desktop Publisher

   Origin

   • Germany
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows

   

   

   More about RagTime  

   

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   1comment

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   RagTime vs Adobe InDesign Comments

    

   Guest

   Positive comment•Nov 29, 2015

   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 is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
10. 

    

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    • Desktop Publisher

    Origin

    • United States

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • AmigaOS

    

    More about PageStream  

    

    Is PageStream a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?

     
11. 

    

    Omegadoc Publisher

     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

    • Desktop Publisher

    Origin

    • Canada

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    

    

    

    +2

    

    More about Omegadoc Publisher  

    

    Is Omegadoc Publisher a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?

     
12. 

    

    iStudio Publisher

     1 like

    iStudio Publisher, the new page layout and design application for Mac OS X has arrived.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Origin

    • United Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac

    

    More about iStudio Publisher  

    

    Is iStudio Publisher a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?

     

    |

    1comment

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    iStudio Publisher vs Adobe InDesign Comments

     

    Guest

    Positive comment•Jun 26, 2019

    0

    Easy to use, all the basic features are there.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.

    

    

    • iStudio Publisher is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe InDesign is also Paid and Proprietary
13. 

    

    IDMarkz

     1 like

    IDMarkz standalone app lets you preview, export & open Adobe InDesign documents in many other file formats & apps. Export InDesign to QuarkXPress, Affinity Publisher, older InDesign versions, Acrobat, Illustrator, IDML, PDF, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, GIF, ...

    5 IDMarkz alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    • Desktop Publisher

    Origin

    • United States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    

    

    

    More about IDMarkz  

    

    Is IDMarkz a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?

     
14. 

    

    LumaPix FotoFusion

     4 likes

    Enhanced edition designed for digital enthusiasts and scrapbookers with powerful tools to easily create senior portraits, scrapbooks, collages and more.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    • Desktop Publisher

    Origin

    • Canada

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    

    Is LumaPix FotoFusion a good alternative to Adobe InDesign?