The Best Desktop Publishing Software in 2026
We researched desktop publishing software from official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Products are ranked on their core page-layout capabilities, value for money, and verified features for creating brochures, newsletters, magazines, books, and other formatted documents.
Our top picks
-
Top ranked
Affinity#1 of 299.4/10A broad desktop publishing suite for design, editing, layout, and print output without a subscription.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Adobe InDesign#2 of 299.2/10A focused choice for multipage layouts, typography, prepress, and PDF production.
7-day trial
-
Top-ranked free plan
Scribus#4 of 298.8/10A capable free choice for press-ready layouts across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 29 tools, best first
-
Best forBroad publishing without a subscription
A broad desktop publishing suite for design, editing, layout, and print output without a subscription.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Affinity -
Best forProfessional print-production workflows
A focused choice for multipage layouts, typography, prepress, and PDF production.
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Adobe InDesign -
Best forMature print and digital publishing teams
A full-featured desktop publisher for teams producing print and digital content.
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit QuarkXPress -
Best forFree cross-platform professional layout
A capable free choice for press-ready layouts across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Scribus -
Best forTeams needing broad deployment and versioning
A broad publishing suite for teams that need cross-platform layout and versioning.
- Preflight tools
- EPUB export
- Master pages
Free plan · 30-day trial Our VivaDesigner verdict → Visit VivaDesignerFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #5 · $59/mo →8.6/10★★★★☆Visit VivaDesigner -
Best forAffordable web-based prepress publishing
A low-cost web publisher with strong prepress tools and limited platform coverage.
- Preflight tools
- Master pages
- Color management
8.4/10★★★★☆Try Megal Publisher -
Best forCross-platform traditional page layout
A cross-platform layout tool with strong typography and long-document controls.
- Master pages
- Color management
- PDF export
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit PageStream -
Best forWindows users needing familiar publication tools
A capable Windows publishing tool, but its scheduled retirement limits its long-term fit.
- Master pages
- Color management
- PDF export
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Microsoft -
Best forWindows page design with integrated graphics tools
A capable Windows layout package for print documents, with integrated graphics and color workflows.
- Color management
- PDF export
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Xara -
Best forMac users needing polished print output
A Mac-only desktop publishing tool with print-focused layout and export controls.
- Master pages
- Color management
- PDF export
7.8/10★★★★☆Try Swift Publisher -
Best forData-rich publishing with database connections
A specialized choice for data-rich documents, with a high-cost paid model.
- Master pages
- Color management
- PDF export
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit RagTime -
Best forUrdu and Perso-Arabic typesetting
A focused Windows desktop-publishing tool for Urdu and Perso-Arabic typesetting.
- EPUB export
- Master pages
- PDF export
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit InPage -
Best forPrint shops preparing multi-page documents
A print-focused layout system with preflight, color separation, and imposition tools.
- Preflight tools
- Master pages
- Color management
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Calamus SL -
Best forLow-cost Mac publication design
A focused, low-cost Mac tool for print layouts, booklets, and digital exports.
- EPUB export
- Master pages
- Color management
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit iStudio -
Best forBooklet and zine imposition
A focused desktop tool for turning ordered PDFs into print-ready book and zine files.
- PDF export
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forPhoto books and print-ready albums
A focused desktop tool for designing, checking, and ordering print-ready photo books.
- PDF export
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit Blurb -
Best forFree Kindle and ebook production
A free Windows and macOS tool for Kindle-focused ebook and print-book production.
- EPUB export
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Kindle Create -
Best forFree Publisher-file editing across platforms
A practical cross-platform option for editing Publisher files and exporting print-ready PDFs.
- PDF export
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit PublishMedia -
Best forFree Linux imposition and booklet work
A focused free tool for Linux users arranging pages for booklets, signatures, and print layouts.
- PDF export
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Laidout -
Best forMac-based book formatting
A focused Mac app for turning Word manuscripts into polished ebook and print files.
- EPUB export
- Color management
- PDF export
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Vellum -
Best forSimple Mac publishing with many export formats
A capable Mac publishing tool for layouts, print projects, and multi-format exports.
- PDF export
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Publisher Plus -
Best forWindows users making printed materials
A Windows desktop publishing tool with broad templates and practical print features.
- Master pages
- PDF export
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit The Print Shop -
Best forTemplate-led household publishing
A template-rich choice for household print projects, with fewer verified pro layout controls.
- PDF export
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit PrintMaster -
Best forTemplate-heavy personal print projects
A template-rich desktop publisher for personal and small-organization print projects.
- PDF export
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Print Artist -
Best forMac users needing frame-based DTP
A precise, frame-oriented DTP app for Mac users creating print and PDF layouts.
- PDF export
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit iCalamus -
Best forHigh-end offline book conversion
A focused offline tool for converting manuscripts into retailer-ready EPUBs and print PDFs.
- Preflight tools
- EPUB export
- Color management
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Lacuna -
Best forInteractive digital publications and flipbooks
A strong choice for interactive digital publications, not traditional desktop print layout.
- Color management
- PDF export
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Flipsnack -
Best forJapanese Windows users making newspapers and booklets
A Windows layout tool for multi-page print projects, with vertical text and PDF/X export.
- PDF export
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Sourcenext -
Best forPublishers adding email marketing to publications
A publication-focused email suite with automation, segmentation, and CRM tools.
4.8/10★★☆☆☆Visit Joomag
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | PDF export | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Affinity | Yes | Free | 9.4 | ||
| 2 | Adobe InDesign | No | 9.2 | |||
| 3 | QuarkXPress | No | 8.9 | |||
| 4 | Scribus | Yes | Free | 8.8 | ||
| 5 | VivaDesigner | Yes | €39/user/mo | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web browser | Yes | 8.6 |
| 6 | Megal Publisher | Yes | £50/yr | web | Yes | 8.4 |
| 7 | PageStream | No | $99.95 one-time | Windows, Macintosh OS X, Linux, Amiga | Yes | 8.2 |
| 8 | Microsoft Publisher | No | windows | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 9 | Xara Page & Layout Designer | No | Windows | Yes | 7.9 | |
| 10 | Swift Publisher | No | $9.99 one-time | macOS | Yes | 7.8 |
| 11 | RagTime | No | macOS, Windows | Yes | 7.7 | |
| 12 | InPage | Windows | Yes | 7.6 | ||
| 13 | Calamus SL | No | Windows, macOS | Yes | 7.5 | |
| 14 | iStudio Publisher | No | macOS | Yes | 7.4 | |
| 15 | Layout Department | Yes | $29 one-time | macOS, Windows | Yes | 7.3 |
| 16 | Blurb BookWright | Yes | Yes | 7.2 | ||
| 17 | Kindle Create | Yes | Free | Windows, macOS | No | 7.1 |
| 18 | PublishMedia | Yes | $99/yr | web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad | Yes | 7.0 |
| 19 | Laidout | Yes | Free | Linux | Yes | 6.9 |
| 20 | Vellum | Yes | macOS | Yes | 6.8 | |
| 21 | Publisher Plus | Yes | macOS | Yes | 6.7 | |
| 22 | The Print Shop | No | $69.99 one-time | Windows | Yes | 6.6 |
| 23 | PrintMaster 10 | No | $49.99 one-time | Windows, macOS | Yes | 6.5 |
| 24 | Print Artist Platinum 27 | No | $99.99 one-time | Windows, macOS | Yes | 6.4 |
| 25 | iCalamus | No | macOS | Yes | 6.3 | |
| 26 | Lacuna | No | $149 one-time | Windows, macOS | Yes | 6.2 |
| 27 | Flipsnack | Yes | $192/user/yr | web, api | Yes | 6.1 |
| 28 | Personal Henshucho Ver.17 | No | Windows | Yes | 6.0 | |
| 29 | Joomag Email Marketing Suite | No | 4.8 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- Affinity vs Adobe InDesign
- Affinity vs QuarkXPress
- Affinity vs Scribus
- Affinity vs VivaDesigner
- Affinity vs Megal Publisher
- Affinity vs PageStream
- Affinity vs Microsoft Publisher
- Adobe InDesign vs QuarkXPress
- Adobe InDesign vs Scribus
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How we rank desktop publishing software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update