First launched back in 2001 (when it would have been a QuarkXPress alternative), Scribus provides an InDesign-like interface and a lot more features than you'd expect from a free package. That really makes this an InDesign alternative for those who have a personal preference for the software or need to use it in a specific job.Ĭan’t import files from InDesign or QuarkXPressįinding a good free open-source InDesign alternative isn't easy, but there is one in the form of Scribus (opens in new tab). It's not as expensive as it used to be, but still fairly pricy considering the cost of the options higher up on our list.

The pricing still seems aimed at the corporate market, with a new one-year licence for the 2021 version starting at $474. The main reason QuarkXPress is not higher on this list is the cost. It offers impressive functionality for both print and digital design, and, it can import InDesign files. It can be used to create everything from posters and flyers to brochures, catalogues, and magazines, as well as ebooks and web and mobile apps. QuarkXPress is actually a very powerful and well-featured DTP package that definitely gives InDesign a run for its money.Īvailable for PC or Mac, the software is still updated on an annual basis, usually around late spring/early summer. QuarkXPress dates back to 1987, and while InDesign has since completely stolen its thunder, it's still available and it remains a good InDesign alternative.

The package has a one-off cost of £49.99 / £48.99, with a few templates thrown in, making it a good value if not an entirely comprehensive InDesign alternative get all the facts in our Affinity Publisher review.īack in the days before InDesign was even a thing, QuarkXPress (opens in new tab) was the only serious desktop publishing package in the game in the 1990s and into the early years of this century it could be found in every design studio and publishing house.

There’s no iPad version yet, but you can open, edit and export Affinity Publisher documents in Affinity Designer for iPad and the iPad version of Affinity Photo. You can import InDesign files, as well as raster and vector files, and you get full preflight checking to alert you to any possible errors in your documents.Īffinity Publisher can be used as part of the Affinity suite of interoperable appsĪvailable for both Mac and PC, although not for Linux, Affinity Publisher can be used as part of the Affinity suite of interoperable apps, which includes the vector editor Affinity Designer (see our Affinity Designer review) and the image editor Affinity Photo), or simply on its own. Affinity Publisher has a similar interface and can manage most of what InDesign does, with impressive page layout tools for both print and digital media.

Publisher equivalent for mac