Documents & Writing
Best Desktop Publishing Software in 2026
Preparing pages for print or digital publication involves both layout tools and reliable output. Compare master pages, color management, and preflight tools, then check PDF and EPUB export against the formats you need.
- 01
Blurb BookWright BookWright suits people designing custom printed books or PDFs who want desktop tools and offline editing.
Free plan Web · Windows · macOS · iOS9.4 Visit Specs - 02
Flipsnack Flipsnack suits teams and individuals publishing interactive catalogs, marketing materials, internal communications, or training content.
From $1/mo Free plan Web · iOS · Android · API9.4 Visit Specs - 03 InPage
InPage suits publishers preparing Urdu and other Perso-Arabic language material for newspapers, magazines, or books.
From $4.17/mo Free plan Web · Windows · macOS · Linux9.3 Visit Specs - 04
Adobe InDesign InDesign suits people producing print, web, and tablet layouts who need typography controls, publishing formats, and collaboration features.
From $19.99/mo Free trial Windows · macOS · API · Self-hosted9.2 Visit Specs - 05
Affinity Affinity suits individuals who need vector, pixel-editing and page-layout tools in a desktop app.
Free plan Windows · macOS8.7 Visit Specs - 06 VivaDesigner
VivaDesigner suits designers and publishing teams working across print and web, especially where InDesign compatibility or collaboration matters.
From €299/mo Free plan Web · Windows · macOS · Linux8.7 Visit Specs - 07 Scribus
It suits desktop publishers, advanced end users, educators, and desktop users needing page-layout and print-color controls.
Free plan Open source Windows · macOS · Linux · API8.4 Visit Specs - 08 Laidout
It suits Linux users arranging print pages into folded books, poster sheets or polyhedron nets.
Free plan Linux8.3 Visit Specs - 09 Calamus SL Free trial Windows · macOS8.1 Visit Specs
- 10
Lacuna Free trial Windows · macOS · Linux8.1 Visit Specs - 11
Layout Department The free edition is aimed at artists with simple print practices, small press publishers, and small print shops.
Free plan Windows · macOS8.1 Visit Specs - 12 QuarkXPress
It suits creative professionals producing print and digital materials such as brochures, books, magazines, and newspapers.
Free trial Web · Windows · macOS · iOS8.1 Visit Specs - 13 PageStream Free trial Windows · macOS · Linux8.0 Visit Specs
- 14
PublishMedia PublishMedia suits former Publisher users and organizations such as churches, nonprofits, funeral homes, schools, PTAs, and small businesses that need Publisher-style documents.
From $8.25/mo Free plan Web · Windows · macOS · Linux7.9 Visit Specs - 15 iStudio Publisher
It suits Mac users preparing print or digital publications who need page-layout tools and several export options.
Free plan macOS7.8 Visit Specs - 16 Kindle Create Free plan Windows · macOS7.8 Visit Specs
- 17
Megal Publisher Megal Publisher suits people creating page layouts in a browser, especially those importing supported Publisher or Office files.
From $5/mo Free plan Web7.8 Visit Specs - 18 Publisher Plus Free trial macOS7.7 Visit Specs
- 19 Print Artist Platinum 27 Windows · macOS7.5 Visit Specs
- 20 RagTime Free trial Windows · macOS7.5 Visit Specs
- 21 Joomag Email Marketing Suite Web7.4 Visit Specs
- 22 PrintMaster 10 Windows · macOS7.4 Visit Specs
- 23 Swift Publisher Free trial macOS7.4 Visit Specs
- 24 Xara Page & Layout Designer Free trial Windows7.3 Visit Specs
- 25 Personal Henshucho Ver.17 Windows7.2 Visit Specs
Collaboration level and supported platforms can help you judge how an option fits your production setup, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. VivaDesigner, QuarkXPress, and Affinity are among the entries shown. Weigh the layout and output capabilities your publications require against platform support and the degree of collaboration your workflow calls for.
Compare Blurb BookWright and Flipsnack Get a place on this list