Adobe InDesign vs Astropad Studio
Adobe InDesign
adobe.comAstropad Studio
astropad.comSide by side
| Figure | Adobe InDesign | Astropad Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $19.99/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 9 | 5 |
| Spec score · Graphic Design Software | 9.2 (#10) | 8.0 (#87) |
| Spec score · Design tools | 9.2 (#10) | 8.0 (#85) |
| Company | Adobe says it was founded in 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschke. | Astropad says it was founded in 2013; its about page lists co-founder Matt Ronge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and co-founder Giovanni Donelli in San Francisco, California. |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Illustration tools | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | Yes |
| Purpose | InDesign is a professional page layout application for designing, preflighting, and publishing content for print, web, and tablet apps. | Astropad Studio turns an iPad into a professional drawing tablet for Mac or PC. |
| Trial | The seven-day trial is the full version and converts to a paid Creative Cloud membership unless canceled before it ends. | Astropad Studio offers a 14-day free trial, after which the product page lists the individual plan at $99/year. |
Plans
Adobe InDesign
- Creative Cloud Pro for students and teachers$19.99 a month
- InDesign$22.99 a month
- InDesign$22.99 a month
- Creative Cloud Pro$34.99 a month
- Creative Cloud Pro$34.99 a month
- InDesign for teams$37.99 a month
- InDesign for teams$37.99 a month
- Creative Cloud Pro for teams$99.99 a month
- InDesign annual prepaid$263.88 a year
Astropad Studio
- MonthlyPrice not published
- Annual (App Store)Price not published
- Annual (website)$99.99 a year
- Lifetime$179.99, paid once
- Individuals$99 a year
In their own words
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is a professional page-layout application for designing, preflighting, and publishing content for print, web, and tablet apps. It can produce brochures, digital magazines, eBooks, posters, and presentations, with precise typography controls and access to Adobe Fonts. Adobe describes layout and AI features including Flex Layout, layout-aware Rewrite, PDF-to-InDesign conversion, generated alt text, and Generative Expand. InDesign integrates with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat, and includes tools for sharing assets, receiving feedback, and collaborating with stakeholders. It runs on macOS and Windows as a desktop app, not a mobile app, and is available only through a membership plan. A seven-day trial provides the full version but converts to a paid Creative Cloud membership unless canceled before it ends. The InDesign plan includes 100GB cloud storage and 25 monthly generative credits; Creative Cloud Pro plans include access to 20+ apps. For versions 21.3 and later, Adobe lists at least 8GB RAM and an internet connection for activation, subscription validation, and online services.
Astropad Studio
Astropad Studio has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.