# Adobe InDesign Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Adobe InDesign the right Graphic Design solution for you? Explore 341 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 (341) [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 JO Joshua O Instructional DesignerFacilities Services, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Great tool for designing templates and doing some basic image editing.“ December 10, 2025 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. “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 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 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 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 341 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use 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 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 VR Verified Reviewer Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Create multipage layouts for professional looking books and brochures" March 25, 2026 5.0 Pros Once you get past the learning curve, InDesign is perfect for your print design needs. As a part of the Creative Suite, it seamlessly integrates with other programs meaning that assets and design elements can easily be shared. Also it is very easy to create templates for future projects. Cons You will need to use Photoshop or Illustrator for image/vector file editing support. Also as part of the CS subscription based model it can be costly to run particularly for hobbyist or freelancers. 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 OR Oliver R. Senior Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The industry standard" January 6, 2026 5.0 Great, I use this software daily and it is the industry standard for graphic design. There isn’t another product that comes close when it comes to designing presentations and literature Pros Being able to create literature and presentation for any client with any brand and having full flexibility over design and layout Cons Some glitches within the software making previews glitch and needing to be up to date to with software versions for some files. 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 VR Verified Reviewer Associate Director of Foundation Relations Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "InDesign is the Premiere Document Layout Tool" November 12, 2021 5.0 I have been using InDesign for over fifteen years and have used it to successfully design everything from reports and infographics to album and novel covers. After learning it once, it remains intuitive and powerful--it is the only document layout tool I've used where I am able to create whatever design I can imagine. It has earned me plaudits for good design and clarity of communication. Above all, it has enhanced the professionalism of the materials I produce, always making the information contained therein clearer. Pros InDesign is the most powerful and fully featured document layout tool available. It provides flexible, easy to use layering that enables advanced overlays and far more complicated designs than are possible with a more traditional layout tool. What's more, with a wide variety of font types and masking tools, the sky is the limit for making professional looking documents. It is flexible enough to lay out everything from infographics to multi-column reports to covers and posters. Plus, it brings the power of the Adobe Suite through integrations with Photoshop, Illustrator, and more. Cons There are few features I've encountered that are missing for InDesign. That said, the learning curve for can be steep for someone who has no experience with design products, particularly those of the Adobe Suite. That said, Adobe provides ample learning resources so that users can get up to speed fairly quickly. InDesign integrated seamlessly into our report production workflow, so I fully recommend it. Switched from [Microsoft Publisher](https://www.capterra.com/p/233254/Microsoft-Publisher/) Publisher was far more limited in its capabilities. InDesign is lightyears ahead of Publisher and I was immediately able to realize my most creative document designs as a result. 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 MW Margaret W. Artist Animation Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Very good but ongoing payments " March 22, 2025 5.0 Very good experience until I canceled monthly subscription to Adobe Creative Suite. Pros It has a very pretty layout and easy to design Cons Requires ongoing Adobe subscription to use Review Source CR Cindy R. IT ADMIN Religious Institutions Used the software for: 2+ years ### "get IN the design" May 28, 2025 5.0 It's pretty easy and straightforward! Anyone can work this thing. Just takes a little bit of elbow grease. Pros I like how flexible and creative you can get! I didn't have a administrative background but this really helped me to get experience and start to learning how to create signs and posters! Cons I hate how laggy it can get. It pout with certain commands or when I am trying to convert it to another doc. 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 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 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 SK Sanaa K. Owner Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Professional Layout Design with Precision" February 7, 2025 4.0 A top choice for designers working on publications, offering powerful tools for layout and print, but requires time to master. Pros Excellent for creating print and digital layouts with precise typography control and seamless integration with other Adobe tools. Cons Has a steep learning curve, and the subscription cost can be high for casual users. 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 ZD Zoe D. Student Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Place for Publications! " September 10, 2024 5.0 I have used this software to make a few portfolios and research booklets. I loved using InDesign since it allowed me to make everything very neat and aligned with countless fonts. Pros The countless features, guides, and tools that make your project come to life. It is easy to use and brings everything together and is much needed for publications. Cons Sometimes the scaling / framing of images was a bit tedious to deal with but still works. Review Source SG Savannah G. Graphic Designer Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best tool for print design, but needs better UI" June 24, 2024 5.0 Pros I work in InDesign daily creating pieces to be sent to print. It is a massively powerful tool, I feel like I learn new features and shortcuts every day. It is almost more powerful than the average user can appreciate or utilize. Cons This program is not intuitive. And InDesign files cannot be edited by anyone who does not have their own subscription and a full working knowledge of the platform. I believe many users will shift to Canva for the UI and collaboration benefits alone. InDesign, however, still remains the absolute best tool for sending long-form print products to production. Canva cannot produce full books. Review Source ES Emma S. Camp Care Religious Institutions Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great product" June 8, 2024 5.0 Pros Exemplary product for creating publications! The ability to fine tune all typography settings is wonderful. Cons The CC subscription price is higher than I can justify for personal work. Otherwise I would own it on all of my computers. Review Source Adham H. Senior Social Media Specialist, Senior Graphic Designer Broadcast Media Used the software for: 2+ years ### "From portfolios to 100 page catalogs, InDesign is capable of that" January 7, 2024 5.0 I've used Adobe In-design for the first time back in 2017, i created my first portfolio for my design business, and that's when all the doors opened, i've used InDesign since then for all of my top clients, from company profiles to product catalogs, i've done it all and it always had my back. i recommend it for everyone who wants to create anything for digital publishing and offline brochures, catalogs, product base, online and offline portfolios, and magazines Pros I usually use it for catalog design and portfolios and company profiles, it certainly have the best features, easy to use most of the time, exporting is pretty fast, the fact that you can add multiples layers of complex designs and even edit your previous PDF's. Cons Sometimes the app crashes out of the sudden, but that's about it, and i wish there was more templates to use. Review Source Marija Š. Geaphic Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Layout and Publishing software for proffesionals" May 13, 2022 5.0 Adobe InDesign is easy to work with once you get a hang of it. I also have Adobe CC so it is my go to for 99% of all of the publishing and printing projects. Pros Adobe InDesign is NOT an easy drag and drop software, and as such it takes some time to master it, but if you do you will get all encompassing tool for printing and publishing. It offers all the functions to make your designs work in almost any scenarios. Master pages are amazing time savers so you don't need to copy and paste repeating elements on each and every page of your book, magazine or brochure. You can also setup automatic page numbering, chapter naming or Table of contents, which are all huge time savers. It is the best software for text editing especially for the large text blocks like books or magazines. Cons Adobe InDesign's biggest strength is also it's biggest weakness, it should be used as a part of Adobe Creative Cloud collaborative tools, which means if you need Photo Editing or Vector Editing and design you will need to that in Photoshop because these tools are non existent in InDesign. So if you are looking to by cheap software you need to look somewhere else, this is not for you. In order to unlock all of the powerful tools you need to have all of Adobe's Creative Cloud suite of applications. Review Source nA neji A. Editor in chief Newspapers Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Let's Indesign" November 3, 2022 5.0 Well, during several years we had been using Indesign and it had been successes whth. We used to use Quarkspress but we changed mind and had no reason to regret. In paper projects which are our main activities; nothing stopped us to got ahead whith Indesign and Adobe in sum. Pros As I said before, you can't not adopt Indesign as partner when you decide to do some publishing works, for paper or online forms. I can pretend that it is a publishing portal as long as it collaborate whthdifferent Adobe tools. It can even be enough to you if all elements are ready to insert. Cons I had some problem with switching between Machintosh and Microsoft Indesign. Sometimes you have to do this, but the rivality between the Apple and Microsoft make the shipping hard and may break some links inside the product not yet finished. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Graphic Design](https://www.capterra.com/graphic-design-software/)[Publishing and Subscriptions](https://www.capterra.com/publishing-and-subscriptions-software/)