Free alternatives
5 free Adobe InDesign alternatives
Brochures, newsletters, reports and books do not need an InDesign subscription. These free tools cover real desktop publishing, professional layout, code-based typesetting and quick template designs.
Short answer
The best free Adobe InDesign alternatives are Scribus, Affinity, Typst and 2 more. Adobe InDesign has no full free plan, and each pick here is free or has a usable free plan.
Updated
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Is Adobe InDesign free?
Adobe InDesign pricing
Adobe InDesign is Adobe's page layout app for print and digital publications such as brochures, magazines and books.
InDesign costs US$22.99 a month on a yearly plan billed monthly, or comes with Creative Cloud bundles.
Free plan
No. InDesign has a 7-day free trial. Adobe Express has a separate free plan for simple templates.
Checked on Adobe InDesign's official pricing page on . Prices change, so check before you buy.
The 5 best free Adobe InDesign alternatives
Every pick is free or has a usable free plan, and is listed in our directory. Free-plan limits change, so check each tool's site before you switch.
Why switch: The best-known free, open-source desktop publishing app, with print-ready PDF export.
Free, open-source desktop publishing for brochures, magazines and print-ready PDFs.
Works on Windows, macOS, Linux
Why switch: Professional page layout, vector and photo tools in one app, free for individuals.
Pro photo editing, vector design and page layout in one app, free for individuals.
Works on Windows, macOS
Why switch: Open-source typesetting for papers, reports and books, simpler than LaTeX.
A modern markup-based typesetting system for papers, reports and books.
Works on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Why switch: Adobe's own free plan for flyers, posters and simple documents from templates.
Adobe's free, template-based design app for social posts, flyers and short videos.
Works on Web, iOS, Android
Why switch: LibreOffice Draw and Writer handle simple flyers and documents offline for free.
A free, open-source office suite for your desktop: Writer, Calc, Impress and more.
Works on Windows, macOS, Linux
Frequently asked questions
- Is Adobe InDesign free?
- No. InDesign has a 7-day free trial. Adobe Express has a separate free plan for simple templates.
- How much does Adobe InDesign cost?
- InDesign costs US$22.99 a month on a yearly plan billed monthly, or comes with Creative Cloud bundles. Checked on Adobe InDesign's own pricing page in October 2026; prices can change.
- What is the best free alternative to Adobe InDesign?
- Scribus is our top pick, followed by Affinity and Typst. Each one is free or has a usable free plan.
- Are these Adobe InDesign alternatives really free?
- Yes. Every tool on this page is either completely free or has a free plan you can keep using. Paid upgrades exist on some of them, and free-plan limits change, so check each tool's site.
Keep exploring
Free alternatives to other paid tools
- monday.com
- Jira
- Things 3
- Fantastical
- Miro
- Canva
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Submagic
- Lovable
- CleanShot X
- Squarespace
- Airtable
- Mobbin
- Tailwind Plus
- Adobe Fonts
- Grammarly
- Slack
- Zapier
- Typeform
- Mailchimp
- Figma
- Zoom
- Dropbox
- Google Docs
- Microsoft Office
- Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Excel
- Adobe Lightroom
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe XD
- Adobe Premiere Rush
- Adobe Express
- Adobe Dreamweaver
- Adobe Animate
- Adobe Substance 3D
- Adobe Bridge
- Adobe Fresco
- Adobe Lightroom Mobile
- Adobe Photoshop Express
- Adobe Photoshop Elements
- Adobe Premiere Elements
- Adobe Illustrator Draw
- Adobe Acrobat Sign
- Adobe Firefly
- Adobe Stock
- Behance
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