Top 10 Best Publishing Software of 2026

Adobe InDesign is the industry-leading desktop publishing software for creating professional layouts for print, digital, and interactive media, including magazines, books, brochures, and ePubs. It offers precise typography controls, advanced page layout tools, and robust features for handling complex multi-page documents. Seamless integration with other Adobe apps like Photoshop and Illustrator enhances workflow efficiency. InDesign sets the standard for high-quality publishing output ready for professional print production.

Affinity Publisher is a professional desktop publishing software for creating multi-page layouts like magazines, books, brochures, and reports. It features advanced typography tools, master pages, linked text frames, data merge capabilities, and precise object management for high-quality print and digital outputs. As part of the Affinity suite, it integrates seamlessly with Affinity Designer and Photo, offering a robust alternative to subscription-based tools like Adobe InDesign.

QuarkXPress is a veteran desktop publishing software specializing in high-precision layout design for print and digital media, including magazines, books, catalogs, and interactive PDFs. It offers advanced typography controls, color management, and automation tools that ensure consistent, professional output. Long favored by publishing professionals, it supports XML workflows and handles large documents with stability unmatched by many competitors.

Canva is a cloud-based graphic design platform that simplifies the creation of publishing materials like posters, brochures, ebooks, flyers, and digital magazines through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. It provides access to millions of templates, stock photos, fonts, and illustrations, enabling users to produce print-ready PDFs or web-optimized visuals quickly. Ideal for non-professionals, it supports collaboration, animations, and basic video editing for multifaceted publishing projects.

Scribus is a free, open-source desktop publishing (DTP) software designed for creating professional layouts such as brochures, newsletters, books, posters, and magazines. It offers robust tools for vector graphics, image handling, multi-page document management, and high-quality PDF output with CMYK support and pre-press features. Cross-platform compatibility on Windows, macOS, and Linux makes it accessible for a wide range of users seeking a no-cost alternative to proprietary DTP solutions.

Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing application included in select Microsoft 365 subscriptions, designed for creating marketing materials like flyers, brochures, newsletters, business cards, and posters. It provides an intuitive interface with drag-and-drop tools, hundreds of customizable templates, and integration with Word, Excel, and other Office apps for easy data import. While not as advanced as professional tools like Adobe InDesign, it excels in simplifying layout tasks for non-designers.

CorelDRAW is a professional vector graphics editor and page layout software used for creating illustrations, logos, brochures, posters, and multipage publications. It combines vector illustration, photo editing, typography, and desktop publishing tools in one suite, supporting high-quality print and digital outputs. With features like multipage documents and precise color management, it's tailored for graphic designers handling complex publishing workflows.

Apple Pages is a free word processing and page layout application from Apple, designed for creating everything from simple documents to visually rich publications like brochures, newsletters, posters, and books. It features a vast library of professionally designed templates, seamless integration with photos, videos, and shapes, and supports exports to PDF, Word, and EPUB formats. Ideal for users in the Apple ecosystem, Pages combines intuitive drag-and-drop editing with tools for multi-page layouts and basic typography.

Vellum is a specialized formatting software for independent authors, enabling the creation of professional ebooks and print-ready files for platforms like Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and IngramSpark. Users import a Word manuscript and use intuitive controls to apply themes, customize layouts, and generate distribution-ready files with live previews across devices. It excels in producing polished fiction and nonfiction books but focuses solely on formatting, not writing or marketing.

Marq (formerly Lucidpress) is a cloud-based brand enablement and publishing platform designed for creating, managing, and distributing on-brand marketing materials like flyers, social graphics, emails, and proposals. It emphasizes template libraries, automated brand asset management, and real-time collaboration to enable non-designers to produce professional content at scale. The tool integrates with print vendors and digital channels, making it suitable for marketing teams focused on consistent publishing workflows.