Adobe InDesign vs Blurb BookWright
Adobe InDesign
adobe.com
Blurb BookWright
store.blurb.comSide by side
| Figure | Adobe InDesign | Blurb BookWright |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $19.99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 9 | 10 |
| Spec score · Desktop Publishing Software | 9.2 (#4) | 9.4 (#1) |
| Company | Adobe says it was founded in 1982 by John Warnock and Charles Geschke. | Blurb says it is based in San Francisco, with offices in London. |
| Company headquarters | LinkedIn lists Adobe headquarters at San Jose, California. | Blurb identifies San Francisco as its base and says it has an office in London. |
| Desktop requirements | Adobe lists Windows and macOS system requirements; the requirements for versions 21.3 and later specify at least 8GB RAM and an internet connection for activation, subscription validation, and online services. | The page lists Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 and macOS 10.13 or later, with 2GB RAM and 500MB storage required. |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Integrations | Official integrations include Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe Express, Adobe Capture, Bridge, Creative Cloud Libraries and InCopy. | BookWright supports importing photos from Adobe Lightroom, SmugMug, and Dropbox through Photo Manager. |
| Purpose | InDesign is a professional page layout application for designing, preflighting, and publishing content for print, web, and tablet apps. | BookWright is desktop bookmaking software for designing custom books. |
| Rating on Capterra | 4.8 out of 5 from 344 reviews. | 4.5 out of 5 from 13 reviews |
| Rating on G2 | 4.6 out of 5 from 3,363 reviews. | 3.7 out of 5 from 15 reviews |
| Rating on GetApp | 4.8 out of 5 from 344 reviews. | 4.5 out of 5 from 13 reviews |
| Security | Adobe says it integrates security activities across its software development practices, processes, and tools, and provides product security bulletins and advisories. | Blurb says it uses industry-standard encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection, controlled facilities, access controls, audits and vulnerability scans. |
| Support | Adobe’s InDesign Help Center provides tutorials, technical requirements, troubleshooting articles, and product documentation. | Blurb directs customers to its Help portal for answers and customer support contact. |
| System requirements | InDesign 21.x requires Windows 10 or 11 64-bit, at least 8GB RAM, AVX2 and an internet connection; macOS 12 or newer is required for current versions. | Windows support is listed as Windows 7, 8 or 10; macOS support is 10.13 or later; both require 2 GB RAM, 500 MB storage and 1280×800 resolution. |
| What it does | InDesign creates and publishes books, digital magazines, posters, brochures, eBooks, presentations and other print or digital layouts. | BookWright is Blurb’s free desktop application for designing and publishing books and other printed projects. |
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
Blurb BookWright
- BookWright softwarePrice not published
- Softcover photo book$12 a month
- ImageWrap Hardcover photo book$32 a month
- Linen Hardcover with Dust Jacket photo book$32 a month
- Layflat photo book$60 a month
- BookWrightFree
- BookWrightFree
- Paperback book, Economy Color, 5×8 in$3.99, paid once
- Paperback book, Standard B&W, 5×8 in$4.99, paid once
- Premium Magazine$7, paid once
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.
Blurb BookWright
Blurb BookWright is desktop software for designing custom books, including photo books, paperbacks, hardcovers, magazines, notebooks, and wall art. It provides customizable templates, freestyle grids, typography and cover tools, bleed lines, and trim guides. Image tools support scaling, cropping, enhancement, and auto-retouching powered by Perfectly Clear by EyeQ. Text Flow fits text into frames and accepts Rich Text Format imports, while Photo Manager imports photos from Adobe Lightroom, SmugMug, and Dropbox. Users can work offline in the desktop software, but publishing requires an internet connection and a free Blurb account is needed for features and publishing options. Finished projects can be printed on demand, ordered in bulk, or purchased as PDFs. BookWright is free to use; users pay for a book when they send it to print. Listed requirements include Windows 7, 8, or 10, or macOS 10.13 or later, with 2GB RAM and 500MB storage. Books can be up to 440 pages.