Laidout vs Megal Publisher

Laidout is free Linux desktop publishing software for arranging pages into folded print layouts, including book signatures, accordion folds and polyhedron nets. It also supports single pages and can help arrange posters for printers limited to small sheets. Its graphics objects include paths, ellipses, rounded rectangles, gradients, point sets, color meshes, warped images and captions. Laidout imports SVG, images, Scribus files and OFF polyhedra; PDF pages can be imported as rendered images, though PDF page import for reimposition is under development. Export options include PDF, SVG, Scribus, images, HTML galleries, Podofoimpose plan files, Page Atlas images and PostScript. Command-line use supports batch import, reimposition and export without opening a window. Laidout is released under GPL 3.0. The homepage identifies version 0.097 and says the stable release is old, suggesting a development snapshot or compiling from source where possible. Proper color management has not been a development priority; the FAQ suggests exporting to Scribus for that work.

Megal Publisher is a browser-based desktop-publishing app for creating page layouts online and saving editable projects in.mpub format. Its editor supports multiple pages, text, images, shapes, tables, master pages, text wrapping and precise object arrangement. Supported Microsoft Publisher.pub files can be rebuilt as editable Megal objects, though fonts and complex effects may need correction. It also imports macro-free Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, with a listed maximum file size of 25 MB. The app advertises more than 9,000 templates. Mail Merge accepts Excel, CSV or TSV recipient lists; the maker says recipient values remain in the browser session rather than being uploaded or embedded in the MPUB. Output options include print, PDF, SVG and images in PNG, JPEG, WebP, TIFF, BMP or GIF. Free users can create and edit publications, open supported.pub files and save.mpub projects, but printing, PDF creation, export and download require Professional. Professional costs $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year. The maker says publication files are stored locally unless account autosave is used.