Laidout vs Scribus
Laidout
laidout.orgScribus
scribus.netSide by side
| Figure | Laidout | Scribus |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Desktop Publishing Software | 8.3 (#8) | 8.4 (#7) |
| Color management | The FAQ says proper color management has not been a development priority and suggests exporting to Scribus for color management. | The software supports RGB, CMYK and spot colors with ICC color management and color-blindness simulation. |
| Founded | 2006 | 2001 |
| Integrations | The site describes Scribus import and export, Gimp palette import, and Podofoimpose PLAN export. | GetApp user reviews mention GIMP, Adobe InDesign, Canva, Inkscape, Photoshop and Acrobat in Scribus workflows. |
| License | The FAQ says Laidout is released under GPL 3.0. | The main program is GPL version 2 or later; portions also use LGPL, 3-clause BSD, MIT and public-domain terms. |
| Support | The maker directs users to the Codeberg issue tracker for bugs and feature requests and also offers email contact. | The official Scribus site could not be accessed during research, so its support options could not be confirmed. |
Plans
In their own words
Laidout
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.
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.