The Best Microsoft Publisher AlternativesTop Desktop Publishers and other similar apps like Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft Publisher is described as 'Part of the Microsoft Office Suite, this tool helps you create, personalize, and share a variety of publications, including marketing materials, chapbooks, and newspapers' and is a popular desktop publisher in the office & productivity category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Microsoft Publisher for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Web-based and BSD apps. The best Microsoft Publisher alternative is Scribus, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Microsoft Publisher are Adobe InDesign, LibreOffice - Draw, Pages and Affinity Publisher.

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Microsoft Publisher alternatives are mainly Desktop Publishers but may also be Word Processors or Diagram Editors.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Microsoft Publisher.
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Part of the Microsoft Office Suite, this tool helps you create, personalize, and share a variety of publications, including marketing materials, chapbooks, and newspapers.

More about Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher alternatives page was last updated Feb 5, 2025
  1. Scribus icon
     381 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.

    25 Scribus alternatives
    Scribus screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

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

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Desktop Publishing
    2.  Publishing
    3.  Interactive PDF forms
    4.  Fill PDF Forms
    5.  Color management
    6.  Portable
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  WYSIWYG Support
    10.  No registration required
    11.  Support for scripting
    12. LaTeX icon  Support for LaTeX
    Scribus iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    Scribus VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is Scribus a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
    Comments about Scribus as an Alternative to Microsoft Publisher
     
    Guest

    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.

    Negative commentFeb 5, 2025
    0
    wyrazik

    Scribus gives full control over the DTP process

    Positive commentNov 10, 2016
    -1
    Guest

    It is probably more easy to use

    Positive commentApr 30, 2020
    -1
    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 LightweightMicrosoft Publisher is not according to our users
  2. Adobe InDesign icon
     146 likes

    Industry-leading software for creating professional layouts, suitable for both print and digital designs, with advanced typographic controls, interactive PDF capabilities, and seamless integration within the Adobe Creative Suite.

    47 Adobe InDesign alternatives
    Adobe InDesign screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    Adobe InDesign Features

    1.  Publishing
    2.  Print Brochure
    3.  Typesetting
    4.  Interactive PDF forms
    5.  Renting
    Adobe InDesign iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    Adobe InDesign VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is Adobe InDesign a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
    Comments about Adobe InDesign as an Alternative to Microsoft Publisher
     
    McFood

    It's a lot to learn, but follow a youtube tutorial for the kind of thing you want to make, and you'll be using paragraph and character styles in no time.

    Positive commentDec 17, 2020
    0
    Microsoft Publisher Icon
    Adobe InDesign icon
    • Most users think Adobe InDesign is a great Microsoft Publisher alternative.

    • Adobe InDesign is the most popular commercial alternative to Microsoft Publisher.

    • Adobe InDesign is Paid and ProprietaryMicrosoft Publisher is also Paid and Proprietary
  3. LibreOffice - Draw icon
     298 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.

    95 LibreOffice - Draw alternatives
    LibreOffice - Draw screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Export to PDF
    2.  Portable
    3.  Sequence Diagrams
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Support for Layers
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Auto Layout
    9.  WYSIWYG Support
    10.  RAW Photo Editors
    11.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    12.  Import CSV Data
    LibreOffice - Draw iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    LibreOffice - Draw VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is LibreOffice - Draw a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
    Comments about LibreOffice - Draw as an Alternative to Microsoft Publisher
     
    Richie Scassellati

    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.

    Positive commentFeb 17, 2024
    1
    Guest

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

    Negative commentFeb 17, 2024
    1
    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 LightweightMicrosoft Publisher is not according to our users
  4. Pages icon
     206 likes

    Pages is a powerful word processor that lets you create stunning documents, and comes included with most Apple devices. And with real-time collaboration, your team can work together from anywhere, whether they’re on Mac, iPad, iPhone, or using a PC.

    78 Pages alternatives
    Pages screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad

    Pages Features

    1.  Real time collaboration
    2.  Cloud Sync
    3.  Export to PDF
    4.  Hand-write on PDFs
    5.  Sync with iCloud
    6. iCloud icon  ICloud Integration
    7.  Export to EPUB
    8. Microsoft Word icon  Export to Word
    Pages iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    Pages VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is Pages a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
    Comments about Pages as an Alternative to Microsoft Publisher
     
    Guest

    Because nowadays is free and it has lots of similar features to Publisher!

    Positive commentApr 28, 2018
    4
    Microsoft Publisher Icon
    Pages icon
    • Most users think Pages is a great Microsoft Publisher alternative.

    • Pages is the most popular iPhone & iPad alternative to Microsoft Publisher.

    • Pages is Free and ProprietaryMicrosoft Publisher is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Affinity Publisher icon
     73 likes

    From the earliest days of visualizing the Affinity range, we planned an unrivaled trio of sleek, modern apps tailored to work with the latest technology – ultra-fast, with stunning power and completely stripped of bloat.

    25 Affinity Publisher alternatives
    Affinity Publisher screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Intuitive Interface

    Features

    1.  No Subscription
    2.  Inexpensive
    3.  Desktop Publishing
    4.  Edit PDF
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Grid layout
    7.  Publishing
    8.  Sort pages
    9.  Print Brochure
    Affinity Publisher iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    Affinity Publisher VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is Affinity Publisher a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
  6. Swift Publisher icon
     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...

    42 Swift Publisher alternatives
    Swift Publisher screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac

    Swift Publisher Features

    1.  Support for Layers
    2.  Layout
    3.  Print Brochure
    Swift Publisher iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    Swift Publisher VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is Swift Publisher a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
  7. Marq icon
     41 likes

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

    53 Marq alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)

    Marq Features

    1.  Cloud Sync
    2.  Layout
    3.  Publishing
    4.  Web-Based
    5.  Export to PDF
    6.  Online Sharing
    Marq iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    Marq VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is Marq a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
    Comments about Marq as an Alternative to Microsoft Publisher
     
    Guest

    It's much more modern than Publisher. Love it for my small business!

    Positive commentJun 15, 2015
    1
    Guest

    according to the description of what it can do, it might make my life a lot easier

    Positive commentSep 19, 2020
    0
    Microsoft Publisher Icon
    Marq icon
    • Some users think Marq is a great Microsoft Publisher alternative, some don't.

    • Marq is the most popular Web-based & SaaS alternative to Microsoft Publisher.

    • Marq is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft Publisher is Paid and Proprietary
  8. QuarkXPress icon
     24 likes

    Page layout software for print and digital design. Unleash your creativity and maximize productivity with QuarkXPress.

    21 QuarkXPress alternatives
    QuarkXPress screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    Top QuarkXPress Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Built-in Color Picker
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  WYSIWYG Support
    6.  Export to HTML
    7.  Publishing
    8.  Layout
    9.  OpenType Support
    10.  Built-in PDF converter
    11.  Built-in Image editor
    12.  Stylable TOC and Index
    QuarkXPress iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    QuarkXPress VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is QuarkXPress a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
  9. Growly Write icon
     3 likes

    It’s a word processor, not a nuclear reactor Perhaps the word processor you’ve been using has 100 times more features than you need. Or it won’t work the way you want it to — too many views or too few, and nothing makes any sense.

    70 Growly Write alternatives
    Growly Write screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    Growly Write iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    Growly Write VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is Growly Write a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
  10. VivaDesigner icon
     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...

    40 VivaDesigner alternatives
    VivaDesigner screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    VivaDesigner Features

    1.  Layout
    2.  Multiple languages
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Multi Column View
    6.  Support for MathML
    7.  Database Publishing
    8.  Team Publishing
    9.  Cloud based
    VivaDesigner iconMicrosoft Publisher Icon

    VivaDesigner VS Microsoft Publisher

    Is VivaDesigner a good alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
     
10 of 26 Microsoft Publisher alternatives