Best Desktop Publishing Software in 2026
Updated
In short: VivaDesigner is ranked #1 of 28 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Affinity and Blurb BookWright. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Affinity. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Megal Publisher at $5/mo.
For laying out books, magazines or other designed documents, desktop publishing tools vary in how they handle pages, color and delivery formats. Compared on master pages, color management and preflight tools, these entries also cover PDF and EPUB export, collaboration level and supported platforms. Free plans and paid-from pricing offer additional ways to assess fit. VivaDesigner, Affinity and Megal Publisher are among the first entries, followed by QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign. Consider which layout and export capabilities match your publishing work and how your team collaborates.
28 desktop publishing software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  VivaDesigner | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | €299/mo | Yes | — | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web browser | View |
| 2 | Affinity | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 3 | Blurb BookWright | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 4 |  iStudio Publisher | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | No | — | macOS | View |
| 5 | Megal Publisher | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $5/mo | Yes | — | web | View |
| 6 | PublishMedia | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $8.25/mo | Yes | — | web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad | View |
| 7 | Flipsnack | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | 16 /user/mo | web, api | View |
| 8 |  Laidout | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Linux | View |
| 9 |  Kindle Create | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Windows, macOS | View |
| 10 | Layout Department | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | macOS, Windows | View |
| 11 |  Publisher Plus | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | macOS | View |
| 12 |  Scribus | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 13 | Vellum | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | macOS | View |
| 14 |  Calamus SL | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Windows, macOS | View |
| 15 | Lacuna | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Windows, macOS | View |
| 16 |  PageStream | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Windows, Macintosh OS X, Linux, Amiga | View |
| 17 |  QuarkXPress | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 18 |  RagTime | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | macOS, Windows | View |
| 19 |  GraphicConverter | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $39.95/mo | No | — | macOS | View |
| 20 |  Joomag Email Marketing Suite | 5.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | — | View |
| 21 |  InPage | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Windows | View |
| 22 | Microsoft Publisher | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | windows | View |
| 23 |  Xara Page & Layout Designer | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Windows | View |
| 24 |  Print Artist Platinum 27 | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Windows, macOS | View |
| 25 |  Swift Publisher | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | macOS | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which desktop publishing software is ranked first on Inferse?
VivaDesigner is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 7.4. Affinity is second and Blurb BookWright 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 what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.