Adobe InDesign vs Scribus
Adobe InDesign
adobe.comScribus
scribus.netSide by side
| Figure | Adobe InDesign | Scribus |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $19.99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 2 |
| Spec score · Poster Design Software | 9.2 (#2) | 8.3 (#22) |
| Spec score · Graphic Design Software | 9.2 (#10) | 9.0 (#21) |
| Spec score · Design tools | 9.2 (#10) | 9.0 (#20) |
| Spec score · Designing Solutions | 9.2 (#2) | 8.4 (#17) |
| Spec score · Desktop Publishing Software | 9.2 (#4) | 8.4 (#7) |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Illustration tools | No | Yes |
| Integrations | Official integrations include Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe Express, Adobe Capture, Bridge, Creative Cloud Libraries and InCopy. | GetApp user reviews mention GIMP, Adobe InDesign, Canva, Inkscape, Photoshop and Acrobat in Scribus workflows. |
| Limit: learning curve | Independent reviewers say the extensive interface and feature set take time to learn, especially for beginners. | G2 reviewers say users must learn the correct procedures and that centralized learning material is lacking. |
| Rating on G2 | 4.6 out of 5 from 3,363 reviews. | 4.1 out of 5 from 27 reviews |
| Rating on GetApp | 4.8 out of 5 from 344 reviews. | 4.4 out of 5 from 19 reviews |
| Rating on TrustRadius | 9.2 out of 10 from 975 reviews. | 7 out of 10 from 1 review |
| Security | Adobe says it integrates security activities across its software development practices, processes, and tools, and provides product security bulletins and advisories. | The listed release directory includes detached signature files for source archives and Windows packages. |
| Support | Adobe’s InDesign Help Center provides tutorials, technical requirements, troubleshooting articles, and product documentation. | The official Scribus site could not be accessed during research, so its support options could not be confirmed. |
| 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. | Homebrew's current cask supports macOS versions from Big Sur through Tahoe and Linux x86_64 AppImage packages. |
| Typography | The app supports Adobe Fonts, OpenType and variable fonts, kerning, tracking, character styles and paragraph styles. | Scribus provides text frames, linked text flow, kerning controls, layers and precise object positioning. |
| What it does | InDesign creates and publishes books, digital magazines, posters, brochures, eBooks, presentations and other print or digital layouts. | Scribus is a desktop publishing application for arranging text, images and graphics into precise print or PDF layouts. |
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
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.
Scribus
Scribus is free, open-source desktop publishing software for professional page layout. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with downloads for each platform. Its print workflow supports press-ready output, color separations, CMYK and spot colors, ICC color management, and PDF creation. Scribus also includes illustration tools and a template library. The Windows directory lists 32-bit and 64-bit installers; macOS downloads include Intel and arm64 DMG files; Linux provides an x86_64 AppImage and source archives. The project listing names advanced end users, education, and desktop users as intended audiences. It identifies C++ and Python as programming languages and Qt as a user interface. The release directory includes detached signature files for source archives and Windows packages. Files in the 1.6.4 directory are dated April 20, 2025. Scribus is listed at free. No named third-party integrations are identified, and support options could not be confirmed.