1. Best overall
2. Best InDesign alternative
3. Best for Windows
4. Best free
5. Best for professionals
6. Best for beginners
7. FAQs
8. How we test
The best desktop publishing software gives you all the tools you need to lay out pages and design magazines, brochures, posters, and more.
My team has tested all the best graphic design software, but when you need to bringing pages to life, DTP software is the best option out there. Adobe InDesign is the best desktop publishing software for most people, thanks to its ease-of-use, powerful tools, and wide use across the industry.
But we've tested plenty of the best Adobe InDesign alternatives, too, and you'll find our top recommendations right here. During our review process, we compare the design process, feature-set, and print-ready quality of exports to spotlight the top magazine maker apps you can get.
Best desktop publishing software overall
Adobe InDesign is the industry-standard for desktop publishing software - and for good reason. The professional page-layout designer is packed with professional-grade design tools that streamline the whole process. Flyers, ads, magazines with big or small production runs, the app is tailored to tackle it all.
Like most Adobe products, the DTP app is available on subscription, either as a standalone or bundled into the Creative Cloud All Apps plan. If you're using three or more Adobe products, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, then we generally find the All Apps subscription good value.
We've always found InDesign a very solid piece of software each time we've reviewed it. In the latest 2024 version, we were pleased to find numerous small improvements. Although they don’t feel earth-shattering or game-changing, they are highly useful, benefitting most people’s workflow. Our favorites include improved Indic and MENA glyph rendering, Style Packs, the ability to export interface layout preferences, and being able to access and edit documents on the go.
InDesign 2024 also sees the introduction of AI, making it easy for you to request and insert generated images without ever having to leave the application.
Read our full Adobe InDesign review .
Best alternative to Adobe InDesign
Affinity Publisher 2 is a serious step up from version one of Serif's popular desktop publishing software. With big improvements across the board, it feels good enough to rival big players Adobe InDesign and QuarkXpress.
The page layout designer’s interface is polished, but nothing we haven’t seen before - although the icons and labels might be a bit too small if you have a pixel-dense display. And really, that’s the worst you can say about an otherwise excellent DTP app.
You’ll find a wide selection of tools are available to help make document design a breeze. Much is centered around efficiency. We were impressed with these time-saving features, which range from simple yet necessary tools like footnote creation to serious object manipulation. These include the ability to copy effects from one object to the next, selecting similar objects to alter them all at the same time, or even creating a grid of objects in seconds.
Affinity Publisher 2 comes subscription-free on Windows, Mac, and iPad. A one-time buy available as a standalone app or part of the Affinity V2 Universal Licence, a creative suite that includes Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. Having all three allows you to use the tools of the other two directly inside Publisher 2, which is a massive advantage. And with the new (and free) V2.2 update, Serif keep expanding its toolset with welcome upgrades.
Read our full Serif Affinity Publisher 2 review.
Best desktop publishing software for Windows
Microsoft Publisher delivers precision desktop publishing to a broad audience. Since its inception in 1991, the DTP application has proved an accessible entry-point for print designers.
Barrier to entry is low, making Publisher one of the best desktop publishing software tools for beginners and general users, especially if you’re already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. The interface is sleek and uncomplicated. Starting your creations is intuitive. If you’ve used other Office programs, interface navigation will be second-nature.
To ease you into the design process, Microsoft’s magazine-making software also boasts a decent collection of templates. The results are good, though lacking InDesign’s ultra-professional polish.
Publisher for PC only is available as part of the Microsoft 365 Business subscription (though Business Basic users will need to upgrade). You can also get Microsoft Publisher 2019 as a one-time purchase, if you’d rather avoid subscription deals.
Read our full Microsoft Publisher review.
Best free desktop publishing software
Scribus is the best free DTP software, offering an attractive alternative to InDesign for creatives on a budget.
As an open-source application, it’s the clear winner of the coveted best free DTP software title. You won’t need to pay a license fee, whether you’re a single user or a business. But beyond the enticing price-point lies a desktop publishing tool that’s more powerful than its admittedly dated interface might suggest.
Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, and FreeBSD, the software for desktop publishing hosts professional features including CMYK and spot colors, ICC color management, direct editing of vector drawings, and extensive PDF support. In other words, it's one of the best software tools for creating magazines, or producing brochures, flyers, newspapers, and even books.
Be warned: the powerful Scribus toolset does take time to master. That’s the trade-off for choosing the top free DTP tool packed to the rafters with professional-grade features. You’ll find plenty of documentation and developer support, but there’s still a significant learning curve.
Read our full Scribus review.
Best desktop publishing software for professionals
QuarkXPress once led the field in digital publishing. It was indisputably the best desktop publishing software on the market. Then Adobe InDesign stole its crown. For many, it's still their number one. You'll find it still lovingly used in older businesses, or those trying to extract themselves from the costly Adobe ecosphere.
Despite losing mainstream popularity, QuarkXPress remains one of the best DTP software solutions - and still retains a loyal and growing fanbase, as it continues to tempt back Adobe users through a large suite of features and full-bodied compatibility with InDesign files.
The magazine-builder app has a particularly impressive typography toolkit, making it possible to create stunning publications thanks to OpenType controls and support for Color Fonts in SVG, SBIX, and COLR formats. web design tools also come as standard.
As one of the best Adobe InDesign alternatives, it’s not quite as feature-rich as Adobe’s top DTP software, but it comes close. Unlike its design rival, you can pick up a perpetual license for a one-off fee, or sign up on a subscription basis.
Best desktop publishing software for beginners
Xara Page & Layout Designer is the ideal DTP software for graphic designers new to digital document creation but keen to use top software to design a magazine. The clean, straightforward interface is welcoming, and won’t bamboozle you when building your first publications, whether it’s an attention-grabbing business card or a long-form sales brochure.
Getting to grips with the tool is easy enough. You’ll find a bevy of templates included to help you get started on your design journey, too. However, that accessibility is tempered by a lighter list of features compared to professional DTP kits. For advanced users, this won't the the best desktop publishing software for anything but quick fixes and minor tweaks.
That’s not to say it’s underpowered. As one of the best DTP software kits, it’s more than enough for anyone who needs a package that blends DTP and word processor capabilities with image editing tools. The price, too, makes it more affordable than the likes of InDesign and Publisher. Though if you’re an experienced designer, you’re likely to swiftly outgrow Xara Page & Layout Designer.
Page & Layout Designer is available as a standalone product, or as part of the Designer Pro+ subscription package.
FAQs
What is desktop publishing software?
Desktop publishing software (DTP) are tools that let you create printed assets and publications. It's like the best mockup software for print materials. Magazines, brochures, posters, and newspapers are all designed in DTP software. Desktop publishing tools help to set the layout and arrange texts and other graphics on a page.
One reason for their popularity is, they help ease the creative process - it's a lot faster and easier to layout a page in desktop publishing tools. They also ensure accuracy, so your initial idea looks and feels identical when it's produced, matching any brand guidelines.
If your frustrated by the current production process or want new ways to bring your media to life, then you'll need to decide which DTP software is best for you. There's no single answer. It depends on experience, skill, budget, and what you're designing. Adobe InDesign has remained one of the most popular choices, but there are plenty of best Adobe InDesign alternatives out there, including the ever-enduring QuarkXPress.
How to choose the best DTP software for you
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
When choosing which desktop publishing software is best for you, first set a goal: what will you be designing? The best desktop publishing software handles print and digital designs with ease, but if you’re mainly working with print, you may get more use from a tool like QuarkXpress or Page & Layout Designer.
Budget is a factor - Adobe InDesign requires a monthly or annual Creative Cloud subscription, and Publisher needs a Microsoft 365 subscription. If you’d rather opt for a one-time-buy, Serif Affinity Publisher 2 and Xara Page & Layout Designer offer this choice. QuarkXpress, meanwhile, lets you choose either - and, may we say, paired with the best graphic design laptops and the best monitors for graphic design, this software presents a credible alternative to InDesign for serious professionals.
If you can, grab a free trial and find the best desktop publishing software that chimes with the way you work.
How we test
Our expert reviewers have tested, reviewed, and rated a wide range of professional graphic design tools, including the best digital art and drawing software, best free logo makers, and best logo makers.
At its core, the very best DTP software needs to make page layout simple - even if there’s a bit of a learning curve to start. It shouldn’t be a chore to bring your creative ideas to life.
In determining the top tools, we look at the user experience and interface, performance and power, and the range of extras like text editing features. We also test how well the publishing software performs across different mediums, such as print magazines and digital assets.
However, digital desktop publishers come in all shapes and sizes, and we assess how well each performs for its intended users. For example, an industry standard like InDesign is naturally going to offer more functionality and polish than Microsoft Publisher, but for beginners and enthusiasts, the latter may be the smarter choice.
Read more on how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
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