Best Desktop Publishing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: VivaDesigner is ranked #1 of 29 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Blurb BookWright and PublishMedia. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Blurb BookWright. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Megal Publisher at $5/mo.
Desktop publishing software lets you arrange text and images into page layouts for print or digital use. Compare master pages, color management, and preflight tools, then check PDF and EPUB export against your intended output. Collaboration level and supported platforms can affect workflow fit; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. VivaDesigner, Blurb BookWright, and PublishMedia are among the entries. Weigh the layout and export features you need alongside the ways you work with others and the platforms you use.
29 desktop publishing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
6 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VivaDesignerWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | €299/mo | 6.7 | |
| 2 | Blurb BookWrightWeb · Windows · Mac | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | PublishMediaWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | $8.25/mo | 6.6 | |
| 4 | AffinityWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | iStudio PublisherMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | Megal PublisherWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $5/mo | 6.4 | |
| 7 | LaidoutLinux | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 8 | QuarkXPressWeb · Windows · Mac · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 9 | VellumMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 10 | Kindle CreateWindows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 11 | ScribusWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 12 | FlipsnackWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 13 | InPageWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 14 | LacunaWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 15 | Layout DepartmentWindows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | PageStreamWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | Publisher PlusMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | Calamus SLWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 19 | RagTimeWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | Swift PublisherMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | GraphicConverterMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $39.95/mo | 4.9 |
| 22 | Joomag Email Marketing SuiteWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 23 | Microsoft PublisherWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 24 | Print Artist Platinum 27Windows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 25 | Xara Page & Layout DesignerWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | PDF export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VivaDesigner | 6.7 | Free plan | €299/mo | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web browser | Yes |
| 2 | Blurb BookWright | 6.6 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 3 | PublishMedia | 6.6 | Free plan | $8.25/mo | Yes | — | web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad | Yes |
| 4 | Affinity | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | iStudio Publisher | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | No | — | macOS | Yes |
| 6 | Megal Publisher | 6.4 | Free plan | $5/mo | Yes | — | web | Yes |
| 7 | Laidout | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Linux | Yes |
| 8 | QuarkXPress | 5.4 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 9 | Vellum | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | macOS | Yes |
| 10 | Kindle Create | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS | No |
| 11 | Scribus | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 12 | Flipsnack | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | 16 /user/mo | web, api | Yes |
| 13 | InPage | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Windows | Yes |
| 14 | Lacuna | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | Windows, macOS | Yes |
| 15 | Layout Department | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | macOS, Windows | Yes |
| 16 | PageStream | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | Windows, Macintosh OS X, Linux, Amiga | Yes |
| 17 | Publisher Plus | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | macOS | Yes |
| 18 | Calamus SL | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | Windows, macOS | Yes |
| 19 | RagTime | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | macOS, Windows | Yes |
| 20 | Swift Publisher | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | macOS | Yes |
| 21 | GraphicConverter | 4.9 | No | $39.95/mo | No | — | macOS | Yes |
| 22 | Joomag Email Marketing Suite | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 23 | Microsoft Publisher | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | windows | Yes |
| 24 | Print Artist Platinum 27 | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | Windows, macOS | Yes |
| 25 | Xara Page & Layout Designer | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | Windows | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which desktop publishing software is ranked first on Freedom251?
VivaDesigner is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 6.7. Blurb BookWright is second and PublishMedia third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Megal Publisher has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.