--- title: "Adobe InDesign Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Adobe InDesign the right Graphic Design solution for you? Explore 344 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Adobe InDesign 4.8 (344) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated August 27th, 2026 # Reviews of Adobe InDesign Ease of use 4.1 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews JO Joshua O Instructional DesignerFacilities Services, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “InDesign is incredible tool for designing templates and documents that allows for great flexibility and customization.“ December 10, 2025 JR Josep R Graphic designerFurniture, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It does not offer many options for simple photo editing, nor does it offer many vector editing options, so for any minor touch-ups you will need to use other software.“ September 29, 2025 RQ Renea Q Graphic DesignerGraphic Design, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It’s an incredibly powerful tool with virtually unlimited options for layout, typography, and customization, making it ideal for crafting professional, detailed templates that I sell to clients.“ October 31, 2024 Kwesi R DesignerDesign, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Also as part of the CS subscription based model it can be costly to run particularly for hobbyist or freelancers.“ March 25, 2026 RQ Renea Q Graphic DesignerGraphic Design, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “InDesign shines with its extensive export options and seamless integration with other Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator, which are essential when working on intricate projects across multiple platforms.“ October 31, 2024 VL Vivien L Graphic designerDesign, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “My least favorite part is not being able to work with vector graphics directly in the program and having to switch back-and-forth to illustrator.“ October 10, 2025 DB David B MarketingMachinery, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “InDesign is a top-tier tool for publishing and layout design. Once you get used to its workflow, it becomes an invaluable resource for creating magazines, books, and marketing materials.“ March 24, 2025 TS Travis S Communications DirectorReligious Institutions, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I do not use it for creating web pages or other formats that it can create.“ August 19, 2025 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 344 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Aneesa A. UI UX Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great software to use" July 4, 2026 5.0 Overall experience with Adobe InDesign is that it's a great software to use and I love using it when I am working on Print on demand Pros What I like most about Adobe InDesign is that I like teh alignment and grid tool for when I am working on print-on-demand work Cons What I least liked about Adobe InDesign is that the software can be very slow, and sometimes it gets stuck and shuts down. Review Source Joshua L. Head of Brand and Design Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The industry leader in desktop publishing" November 10, 2025 5.0 Having switched from Quark XPress many many years ago, InDesign has evolved into a power piece of desktop publishing software. It's range of features and integration with the rest of the Adobe suite make this an essential application for our design team. Pros Adobe InDesign allows my team and I to consistently create high quality, professional print ready publications. Cons It's inability to work effectively from files saved on network drives means i have to copy files to a local drive before working on them. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) InDesign surpassed Quark in terms of functionality and reliability Review Source JI Jennifer I. Graphic Designer Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Consider another option" October 29, 2025 1.0 I've been using InDesign since it was Aldus PageMaker (over 30 years), and have never been more disappointed. Adobe is moving into a subscription-based model to boost profits while cutting corners (a recent forced "upgrade" removed access the entire Pantone library of colors). If you're looking to get started in layout, use a web-based option, or consider QuarkXpress or Corel Draw. These fat-cat companies need to be called out on their cheap practices. Pros I've been using InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop for decades. They do the same functions as expected, until recently when they refused to pay for Pantone color access. Makes me wonder how much functionality will be lost in future "upgrades." Cons Subscription based, no Pantone color library access. Less and less features, more and more cost. Web-based, free options are taking the design world by storm and will soon out-pace Adobe products, and similar. Review Source LL Lydia L. Lydia Lee Photo Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The reference to design my photo albums and printed materials" August 6, 2026 5.0 Adobe InDesign is a demanding tool but essential as soon as you want to offer professional quality printed products to your photo clients. Pros For creating photo albums, portfolios or catalogs made for print, InDesign stays an essential tool in my work. The smooth integration with Photoshop and Lightroom really helps to import my already edited photos. The final result in high quality PDF is perfectly adapted to professional printers requirements. Cons The software is complex and needs real time to learn, especially to master paragraph styles and master pages. The Adobe Creative Cloud subscription is also a monthly cost that is not negligible for an independent activity. Review Source AM Anna M. Owner, designer, web designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Number one design tool" March 25, 2025 5.0 It’s my number one tool, I design 99% of my designs using InDesign. I love the fact that it has advanced text options while being vector programme at the same time. In designing layout options are crucial and it has the best layout options for print and web (and mobile) Pros I think it is the most powerful tool for a graphic designer. The combination of all the options for typesetting and designing and vector editing and creating makes it number one for me. Cons Limited options for gradients and also the lack of angled grid lines. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/)[CorelDRAW](https://www.capterra.com/p/124823/CorelDRAW/) Cause InDesign is much better especially for publications. It works with vectors and text si it was almost like combination of the two software I used before. Review Source CH Clifford H. Graphic Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The industry standard these days - popular, low cost, fairly easy to use." April 11, 2025 3.0 As you might expect, it's compatible with other Adobe products (Illustrator, Photoshop etc) which is helpful when you're designing and you get various files you need to import into the layout. Pros It's the industry standard these days - everybody uses it. Cons I personally prefer Quark Express for DTP design, though I realise Indesign is preferred by others, and Quark can work out more expensive. Alternatives considered [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) Reason for choosing Adobe InDesign Everyone was switching to Indesign from Quark, so I needed to be compatible. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) Everyone was switching to Indesign, and at the time it was cheaper. Review Source Charles A. Creative Director Cosmetics Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Still the best despite all the competition out there." February 21, 2025 5.0 I use it regularly though not as much as Illustrator. It does the job and makes things look beautiful and nice with the right steps. I tried to not use Adobe but I can't, it's engrained into half the things I do in a day, Pros It's just as good as it used to be. Easy, intuitive. Good for PDFs, books and syncs well with what the printers also use. Cons Nothing. It's just a useful application which hasn't changed much over the years, and I hope it doesn't. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) It was a long time ago when Adobe Indesign came out and Indesign was part of the Photoshop package. Review Source VL Vivien L. Graphic designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My favorite DTP program" October 10, 2025 5.0 Pros InDesign being an Adobe product makes it so easy to use and connect with other Adobe programs, all the features that it offers makes my work so much easier. Cons My least favorite part is not being able to work with vector graphics directly in the program and having to switch back-and-forth to illustrator. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) It became the new industry standard and being an Adobe product was a must for me Review Source AH Alicia H. Digital Marketing Specialist Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Go-to for page layout - Adobe Indesign" February 3, 2025 5.0 It remains the designer's choice for page layout. Beginners may face a learning curve, but with tutorials and practice, it becomes an indispensable part of any design workflow. Pros Adobe has always been my go-to for page layout. It integrates with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Fonts. I can seamlessly move from one application to the next, enhancing workflow efficiency. Cons It requires an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, which can be expensive for freelancers or small businesses. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) The ability to integrate with all the other Adobe products and the features that Indesign offered. Review Source Kim Z. Creative Manager Airlines/Aviation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe is Awesome" December 29, 2025 5.0 Ive been using it since before when it was Pagemaker and then went to Indesign. Adobe has great software for designers. Pros Great software, I like the automatic numbering of pages for books, programs, etc. I love how you can drag drop from other adobe softwares. You can set up master style sheets for headlines, body text, subheads, etc, so everything with match exactly. I highly recommend this to anyone. Cons You cannot draw in it. I wish they would bring some features from Illustrator into InDesign so you can draw more. Wish I could make printer pdf spreads from pdfs like you used to be able to do directly in the software. Review Source JF Julie F. Marketing Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Software, But Rather Complex" January 12, 2024 5.0 Like all Adobe programs, InDesign is incredibly powerful and robust...almost TOO powerful. It's got a lot of little intricacies you likely will never use or need...If you do, great--they're there! But if you don't, them it's just more buttons and tabs and windows and options for you to have to dig through in order to reach the features you DO use. Still a million times better than trying to layout a document in Microsoft Word though!! Pros It's very powerful and can do a ton of things. After using InDesign, and being able to customize so much of my graphic design and text, I now prefer to use this over most programs, including Microsoft Word. The guides are always helpful, ensuring that my elements are evenly spaces and aligned properly. I love being able to easily copy an entire page and all it's elements, and then rearrange things while still in the same document so I can see how a design progresses as I tinker with various elements of the layout and end up with several variations and options. The program is capable of so much, and I'm always continuing to learn more new and helpful tricks. Cons 1\. The cost. Thankfully this is paid for by my employer, because I wouldn't be able to afford to use it otherwise. It's also rather annoying that I don't have the option to just outright purchase a license to OWN. No, like most other software these days, you can only "lease" it, paying by the month. This program does not have enough major updates to truly need access to the latest version. I could work from an older version quite happily. 2. FONTS. I don't know what the deal is, but I always have issues with the fonts, and regardless of how many times I waste my time, reconnecting each font style when I open a document, I inevitably have to do it each and every time. It's time consuming and cumbersome, and considering the fonts are installed directly in my computer's font library, I don't see why it has such an issue. I could possibly understand if I were only using font's from Adobe's library on the cloud, however, this particular font is installed. 3. The fact that I cannot easily change the color of an icon with a cover overlay or something similar. It's a minor point, but as icons have become so popular lately, they are featured in almost all of my documents and layouts. The only way I've found to do it thus far is a messy workaround that involves using the Inner Glow feature, and changing about 6 different but specific settings in order to change the color of the icon. It's a bit of a hassle for a task that feels rather basic. 4. My user view/layout. You have the option to customize your own layout, which I have done...and yet the layout CONSTANTLY gets reset back to the default....and my custom one has disappeared, so I don't even have the option to select it any more! Given that experience, I haven't bothered to create a new custom view because it seems futile, since it'll continue to be reset with each update, AND I'm not confident that view won't mysteriously disappear like my previous one. 5. Not the most intuitive. Its complexity is both a blessing AND a curse, and if you use a lot of other Adobe products, it'll look familiar and you'll be able to identify a lot of the buttons and figure things out. However, new people will likely have a bit of a struggle learning their way around. Also, there's SO many features that a lot of them area tucked away, "hidden" in various drop downs, buttons, options, etc. It's hard to remember where things are if you don't use them very regularly. It's difficult to truly learn the whole program. I've been using it for 13+ years, and I still feel like I'm just mediocre with it. Switched from [Quark Publishing Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/10003971/Quark-Publishing-Platform/) Moved to a smaller company that gave me the option to choose what graphics software I wanted to use. Given my past experience with Photoshop and Premiere, I chose to stick with Adobe tools, and I was glad I did--I found InDesign much easier to use than Quark. Review Source JH Janice H. Marketing Specialist Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I use InDesign on a daily basis" May 9, 2024 5.0 I use InDesign almost every single day of the week. Have been very happy with all of it and InDesign help is very good at helping me to solve and learn new avenues of creating. Pros I love Adobe InDesign and honestly don't know where I would be without it. I love being able to seamlessly import and export with other Adobe products and also being able to create just what I need Cons Nothing to report on this. Love InDesign. Reason for choosing Adobe InDesign Recommendations of several printers that we use who were fazing out use of Quark. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) Recommendations of several printers that we use who were fazing out use of Quark. Review Source MK Minelly K. Photographer / Graphic DEsigner Graphic Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Very high functionalities for page setups" May 11, 2022 5.0 InDesign is my go-to program when it comes to creating or modifying a visual composition. I did my last product catalog with this program. It was a charm! Pros InDesign offers the ability to create a neat, high-quality document that can support many types of files at once. For example, if you have an image, text, shapes and some colouring, it will keep the vector aspect of the whole composition. Navigating through the menus is very clear and intuitive. Another key feature is the possibility to create 'styles' for text and paragraphs. This means that if a certain type of text needs to be repeated many types on the page, you can simply click on the style and it will automatically convert it to the registered setting. InDesign lets you create very detailed documents with a multitude of tools & options available. Cons It does require a monthly subscription that could be pricey to some. It also uses a lot of RAM out of your hard drive to operate the program. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) Easier to use and more compatible with the other Adobe products. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Facilitator Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Adobe InDesign - A software that caters to your design needs." July 12, 2022 5.0 Once I got a hang of it, I started to really enjoy all its features from being able to collaborate, to adding in custom fonts and its variety of ready to use templates. I do hope that in the near future Adobe InDesign does add in some training so people that aren't accustomed to this type of software are able to catch on a lot faster making it much more user friendly. Pros I enjoy how I can easily make changes to all my files in the format of my choosing. It also saves me time by being able to collaborate with stakeholders all from one app. I like how when editing images it integrates with other Adobe software so I can quickly switch between them. Cons In the beginning, it is very difficult to use. I would like a few tutorials added in or mini interactive training videos just to help get used to the software. Switched from [Canva](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/)[Microsoft Publisher](https://www.capterra.com/p/233254/Microsoft-Publisher/) At the time, Adobe InDesign was able to meet my needs. Review Source TS Travis S. Communications Director Religious Institutions Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Great Tool for the Print Professional" August 19, 2025 5.0 Overall, I love using InDesign to create books, posters, and other print media. I do not use it for creating web pages or other formats that it can create. Pros I love the ease of duplicating print layouts and expanding book layouts in intuitive ways. The follow-up step of creating templates for future use is incredibly easy. Cons The learning curve is a bit steep and the tool shortcuts differ from other Adobe products, which requires either customizing them to match or learning a new set of shortcuts. Review Source MB Madeleine B. User Experience Designer Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A professional layout powerhouse!" April 2, 2025 5.0 I found InDesign stands out for me. I particularly love how it allows designing and publishing documents Pros It offers pretty typography integrated into Adobe Font and a professional-grade document creation Cons Its multiple features can be quite complex to master all Review Source KL Kari L. Marketing Project Manager Real Estate Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solid Design Software" April 21, 2025 5.0 I've been using it for 2 decades and it's the most reliable software for designing print pieces like brochures, proposals and booklets. Pros It offers a wide range of design abilities and tools to meet all my design needs for business and personal use. Cons There isn't much I can say don't like about InDesign, but I can't always keep up with the new tools and technologies. Review Source RN Rumbani N. Creative Director Media Production Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "InDesign Scissor Hands (Compression like a king)" January 22, 2025 5.0 InDesign is an amazing app and I highly recommend it to anyone doing really large books down to 1 pagers. This software would be perfect if the images weren't a headache to handle. Pros I love that no matter how many pages and how heavily I load ID with graphics and images, the final PDF export is super light. Whatever compression works with InDesign, that is epic. The layout features and possibilities are incredible and make this a contender amongst similar apps even within the Adobe family. Cons The most annoying thing about InDesign is the way it handles images in the editing process. There has to be a more intuitive way of adding and editing images. Drag and drop is good but when i have to adjust the image on 2 fronts, first the actual image and then the bounding box, it slows me down in image intensive designs. Review Source CG Chiara G. Global digital Marketing Coordinator Machinery Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best editorial design tool " June 14, 2025 5.0 Pros What can I say, Adobe is a guarantee. The tool is extremely versatile, it has tons of functions and for being from the adobe suite is quite intuitive Cons As every adobe suite product, the learning curve is high, but once your learn how to use it, it's amazing Review Source CM Carl M. Director of Visual Media Photography Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Perfect for contract building." February 18, 2025 5.0 Overall I love InDesign and will use it weekly. This software has got me in the room with millionaires and has changed the look of my business. I will continue to recommend it to all of my associates. Pros I love that I am able to create professional proposals for my business. Being in government contracting requires professional quotes and Adobe InDesign allows me to do that with ease. Cons They don't have tutorials to teach you how to use features. That would make the software that much better. Review Source SA Samantha A. Digital Content Strategist Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "An easy to pick up design tool! " January 16, 2025 5.0 Pros As someone who works with Adobe products every day, I think that InDesign is the most user friendly for people just getting into graphic design work. I think it is easy to use the text features, as well as to layout photos, add details like strokes, colorizing, transparencies, and fades. Cons I find the pen tool weirdly hard to use and that typing on a path can be finicky. Review Source Marcos M. Manager Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Create quality editorial designs" December 22, 2024 5.0 Great program for editorial editing, it has all the necessary tools to create books and magazines, as it is very easy to accommodate text and images with good designs, besides having the ability to customize the entire project, you can edit fonts and shapes easily. Pros What I like most about using this software, is to be able to use the grids and customizable guides that the program offers, which speeds up the creation of pages, in addition to having templates that you can use which are very convenient if you need inspiration to get started, I think it is a very complete software. Cons You need to have skills and knowledge to start using it, so it can be somewhat complicated for new users, or users who are not familiar with design programs, which in addition to its cost limits its use for the general public. Review Source SA Sam A. Photographer Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Industry standard software for a good reason." March 20, 2025 5.0 Pros As part of the Adobe Creative Suite it integrates well and is an industry standard piece of software. Cons Steep learning curve can be off-putting. Review Source AS Allison S. Owner and Graphic Designer Graphic Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Experienced designer's go to for print design." October 29, 2024 5.0 I've been working with Adobe InDesign since it came out and have always been impressed. I've used it for years creating for both print and digital for everything form 300 page books to business cards and flyers. Pros InDesign is the ultimate tool for laying out designs that are a combination of images and copy and is particularly great for text-heavy designs. There's a little bit of a learning curve because some of the features are more advanced, but this is what makes InDesign great - you have more design flexibility, more tools for consistency, and better layout tools. Cons I really like everything about InDesign. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner and Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Still Worth Every Penny" October 26, 2023 5.0 I am more than happy with Adobe InDesign. I love that Adobe is constantly innovating, which makes me feel content with the subscription model. For a few years I had been more comfortable with the idea of purchasing actual software (back when it came in a physical box!), but the hassle of having to buy new software every couple of years got old. In this technology age, we as professional designers have to stay on top of innovations, and Adobe keeps the tools updated so I can in turn innovate in my creative field. Pros I have been using InDesign on a daily basis ever since Adobe donated software to my student-run college newspaper in 1999. That donation opened the door to exploring a world of print layout that I never knew existed, and eventually led to a career in graphic design. InDesign is the main tool in my tool belt, and without it I would have a different occupation altogether. Some people like to complain about the price point, but when you consider a) the value it provides creatives as a tool b) the innovation required by Adobe over decades to produce and constantly refine the software, and c) the lack of a comparatively robust or functional alternative for the design professional, it's a wonder that it's as cheap as it is. Cons I wish InDesign had a chart-making tool. Illustrator has one, but it is in dire need of updating. Review Source Similar Products Featured