# Adobe InDesign Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Adobe InDesign the right Graphic Design solution for you? Explore 343 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/233314/Adobe-InDesign/reviews --- Adobe InDesign 4.8 (343) [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 March 13th, 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 343 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 RP Raegan P. Graphic Designer Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "InDesign is worth it" May 1, 2026 5.0 Overall I am a huge fan of Adobe InDesign. I use it all the time in my job. It is a valuable asset to me. It helps me do my job well. Pros I love Adobe InDesign! I use it for print designs for books, newsletters, cards and so much more. It is one of my everyday essentials. The program is easy to use and is worth every penny. I am such a fan of Adobe Indesign. I could not do my job without it. Cons I wish that Adobe Indesign had an automatic save feature. It would be helpful to not have to think about saving the program but rather let it be an automatic feature. 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 RM Ryan M. Owner Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The only choice for print design!" February 7, 2025 5.0 Indesign is so easy to use but like other Adobe apps, it's really powerful. Pros Started using Indesign from the first version, I never really got on with Quark and pushed my agency to Adopt it. Cons I think it's pretty great to be honest, I'm using a slightly older version due to my older setup. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) Indesign was much better and aligned to the other apps I was already using. 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 Cushi M. Owner E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A great tool for experienced designers to create beautiful, highly custom print or digital documents" March 8, 2022 4.0 Generally, I enjoy working with this software. it allows me to work between Photoshop and Illustrator while using it in a seamless way, which is essential for my workflow when designing. It's feature rich and has more than everything you'd need to create exceptional designs for things such as: portfolios, information packages, pitch decks, business cards, and more. Pros I like that this program easily integrates with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator making importing of files exceptionally easy, even if the file is currently open in one of those other programs. I also love the simplicity of the drag and drop editor, the various views that show guides or print preview while working, the comprehensive keyboard shortcuts, and the straight forward PDF export process. I'd highly recommend this program to designers, but if you are a solopreneur without design experience looking for a graphic design solution that you can utilize yourself, I'd suggest Canva as the learning curve is less steep Cons I am completely frustrated that there is no way to allow the color picker to work like Photoshop's. Also, the color swatches should work as simply and easily as they do in Photoshop as well. Instead they are complex and not the least bit intuitive. Alternatives considered [Canva](https://www.capterra.com/p/168956/Canva/)[Affinity Designer](https://www.capterra.com/p/110533/WebPlus-X4/) Reason for choosing Adobe InDesign I chose ID because of my familiarity with the Adobe suite as well as my preference of the user interface compared to Affinity Designer. I chose over Canva because as an experienced designer, the Adobe suite gives me more control over my work. Review Source Justin A. Owner Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe InDesign: An industry standard, for so many reasons" June 29, 2022 5.0 I literally couldn't function as a business owner without it. Even the 'cons' I listed are not critical. I often start and end my projects in InDesign, even if Photoshop and Illustrator are a part of the process. Highly recommended for those looking for an industry best practice! Pros I primarily use this product for page layout. From brochures to booklets to single page flyers. I've even started using it recently to create vector art. This latter use case shows how InDesign has evolved over the years to further integrate with other Adobe products. InDesign is also very user friendly and allows me to seamlessly make edits to documents on the fly and turn around new drafts for clients within minutes. Cons This is not so much an InDesign-specific issue. Rather, an Adobe products issue. I continue to struggle with the fact that Adobe organizes tools, filters, etc. differently between each of the primary programs (Illustrator; InDesign; Photoshop). It makes sense that each software has its own unique tool set. But for the tools where there is apples-to-apples crossover, it would be helpful if they could be found within the same navigation dropdown. Switched from [QuarkXPress](https://www.capterra.com/p/178598/QuarkXPress/) When Adobe released InDesign as part of their Creative Suite, I decided to check it out, hoping for easier integration with other Adobe products I was already using. Never looked back. 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 VR Verified Reviewer Communications Project Manager Wholesale Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Designed to Perfection" January 13, 2025 5.0 InDesign is a key part of my workflow. It is easy for newcomers to pick up and learn and helps our team create polished and professional designs fast. Pros InDesign is probably the best document layout software on the market. It has tools to make grid-based or freeform layouts for everything from fliers to booklets. It is easy to drag and drop elements to build new and exciting designs. Cons I have very few complaints about InDesign. The process of adding, sizing, and displaying images is a bit antiquated, but otherwise the product is very polished. Review Source DB David B. Marketing Machinery Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A powerful tool for print and digital publishing" March 24, 2025 5.0 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. Pros Adobe InDesign is perfect for creating professional layouts for print and digital media. It offers precise control over typography, page design, and multi-page documents. Cons It can be complex for new users, especially those unfamiliar with layout design software. The subscription model may also be costly for occasional users. 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 VR Verified Reviewer RFP Writer Architecture & Planning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Steep Learning Curve = High Rewards" March 28, 2025 5.0 Pros I like that their Properties, GREP styles, styles, etc. make everything more complicated at the beginning... in order to make things absolutely seamless in the middle of a given project! I'm never going back to Canva for polished publications. Cons The learning curve is steep, although ultimately worthwhile. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Associate Pastor Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Perfect software to create print material" January 23, 2025 5.0 Pros Allows me to quickly create print material and easily exports to pdfs that are easy for my printer to work with. Cons Template master pages can be difficult to navigate and create. Review Source JC John C. Video Editor Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "One of a kind tool" February 5, 2025 5.0 Since college, I've trusted InDesign for its design power despite its complexity Pros Adobe InDesign offers precise typography, versatile tools, and pro-level layouts. Cons Steep learning curve and requires a subscription for full access. Review Source TN Tyler N. Owner Accounting Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Industry standard for print design" April 2, 2025 4.0 Pros I like the level of detail & functionality and general ease of use. Cons I don't like how the resolution of the page preview thumbnails was reduced in an update a few years ago. 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 Hannah O. Communications Intern Entertainment Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Amazing Results with a Learning Curve " September 1, 2024 4.0 I would say this is more detailed than Canva but it does require a bit more work for the desired results. Pros I love that I can design my own content look and feel that makes it unique to my brand. Cons It could be more user friendly in terms of creating shapes and text boxes. It takes more steps than I would like. Review Source Kristen N. Delight Marketing Manager Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe InDesign helps our design team run efficiently! " January 11, 2023 5.0 Pros I honestly do not want to imagine producing the print and digital marketing collateral that we do without InDesign. The tool provides a myriad of customization options, enables easy linking to images and other assets, and offers an ease in exporting materials for printing or posting purposes. We can create an entire campaign's worth of deliverables leveraging this tool in collaboration with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Magnetic guides can be enabled to snap objects and frames into place in an artboard. Panels can be customized into selected windows and tools much like other Adobe apps to provide a familiar and custom workspace—and different workspaces can be established for different purposes (digital publishing, interactive PDFs, review, etc.). Additional tools provide Adobe PDF and other presets for quick file export. Cons As with many Adobe tools, there is a learning curve for InDesign, especially when it comes to producing printed work. We had one of our team members who was familiar with Adobe Premier and Adobe Illustrator get started in Adobe InDesign to support the development of a 126-page digital publication, and it took a few video tutorials along with support/training provided by our art director to get them started with the project. If a designer is learning this tool, I recommend considering video onboarding in the project timeline—Adobe does offer a wide variety of Getting Started tutorials and support tools to explore. When I got started with this program, I took a trimester-long college-level course to make sure I could use the tool well. While we have a lead designer determined for each project or campaign, we often collaborate in order to distribute the workload effectively among us. Adobe Indesign is not conducive to more than one user making changes to the file, and one must be very careful in checking for errors before saving the file for another designer to use. Of course, the pains that often come with sharing files like this can be eased with an established brand guideline that provides the fonts, links, and other assets required. Review Source Similar Products Featured