Best Desktop Publishing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: VivaDesigner is ranked #1 of 29 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of iStudio Publisher and Megal Publisher. The best-ranked option with a free plan is iStudio Publisher. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Megal Publisher at $5/mo.
Desktop publishing software is used to arrange text and images into finished layouts for print or digital publication. Compare master pages, color management, and preflight tools, then check PDF and EPUB export for the formats you need. Collaboration level and supported platforms may affect how a tool fits your working process; free plans and paid-from pricing offer cost context. VivaDesigner, iStudio Publisher, and QuarkXPress are among the options shown. Consider the layout controls and output checks your projects require, along with how much collaboration and platform flexibility matter.
29 desktop publishing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Desktop Publishing Software, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 12 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 VivaDesignerPaid from €299/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 iStudio PublisherFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 3 Megal PublisherPaid from $5/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 4 PublishMediaPaid from $8.25/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 AffinityFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 6 QuarkXPress
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 7 Blurb BookWrightFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 Lacuna
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 9 PageStream
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 Calamus SL
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 11 RagTime
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 Swift Publisher
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 Vellum
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 Flipsnack
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 15 GraphicConverterPaid from $39.95/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 16 Joomag Email Marketing Suite
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 Kindle Create
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 18 Laidout
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 Scribus
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 20 InPage
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 21 Layout Department
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 22 Microsoft Publisher
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 23 Publisher Plus
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 24 Xara Page & Layout Designer
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 25 Xara Web DesignerPaid from $12/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | PDF export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VivaDesigner | 8.0 | Free plan | €299/mo | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web browser | Yes |
| 2 | iStudio Publisher | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | No | — | macOS | Yes |
| 3 | Megal Publisher | 7.6 | Free plan | $5/mo | Yes | — | web | Yes |
| 4 | PublishMedia | 7.3 | Free plan | $8.25/mo | Yes | — | web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad | Yes |
| 5 | Affinity | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | QuarkXPress | 7.2 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 7 | Blurb BookWright | 7.1 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 8 | Lacuna | 6.9 | No | — | No | — | Windows, macOS | Yes |
| 9 | PageStream | 6.9 | No | — | No | — | Windows, Macintosh OS X, Linux, Amiga | Yes |
| 10 | Calamus SL | 6.8 | No | — | No | — | Windows, macOS | Yes |
| 11 | RagTime | 6.8 | No | — | No | — | macOS, Windows | Yes |
| 12 | Swift Publisher | 6.8 | No | — | No | — | macOS | Yes |
| 13 | Vellum | 6.2 | No | — | Yes | — | macOS | Yes |
| 14 | Flipsnack | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | 16 /user/mo | web, api | Yes |
| 15 | GraphicConverter | 5.9 | No | $39.95/mo | No | — | macOS | Yes |
| 16 | Joomag Email Marketing Suite | 5.9 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 17 | Kindle Create | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS | No |
| 18 | Laidout | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Linux | Yes |
| 19 | Scribus | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | InPage | 5.8 | No | — | — | — | Windows | Yes |
| 21 | Layout Department | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | macOS, Windows | Yes |
| 22 | Microsoft Publisher | 5.8 | No | — | No | — | windows | Yes |
| 23 | Publisher Plus | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | macOS | Yes |
| 24 | Xara Page & Layout Designer | 5.8 | No | — | No | — | Windows | Yes |
| 25 | Xara Web Designer | 5.8 | No | $12/mo | No | — | Windows | Yes |
Is your platform 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 The Geeks Club?
VivaDesigner is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 8.0. iStudio Publisher is second and Megal Publisher 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 on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.