How to Get Adobe InDesign Free 2025

Looking for ways to get InDesign without breaking the law? Wondering how to get InDesign for free and use this desktop publishing software without paying a dime? In this article, I will tell you how to use InDesign free of charge as well as why it is better to avoid pirated copies. Moreover, you will discover the five best free programs, such as InDesign.

FREE InDesign Benefits:

• Professional app with excellent results
• Online collaboration tools
• Tools for creating interactive EPUB books
• Passthrough PDF printer
• Compatibility with Mac HiDPI Retina displays and Windows HiDPI systems
• Perfect integration with Behance

After the recent series of updates, Adobe developers upgraded InDesign with new tools:

• Generative Expand: This feature allows users to resize an image or document automatically and ensure that it has specified dimensions. There is no need to perform this task manually anymore.
• Adobe Express Integration for InDesign: Users just need to create one standard template and customize it to their liking.
• Text to Image: This tool facilitates creating and adding pictures to any project using a simple text prompt. InDesign allows you to complete this task in a second.

• Do I need to provide credit card details to get a free trial version?

No, While many users who want to know how to get Adobe InDesign for free worry about this issue, Adobe does not require them to provide payment details to use the trial version.

• How much does the full Adobe InDesign version cost?

Adobe InDesign is available only with a subscription. The price is $20.99/month. In addition to the software, you will receive 100GB of Cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts and Adobe Spark with premium features.

• Is InDesign available without a Creative Cloud membership?

No, you can use InDesign only as part of a Creative Cloud membership. There are two plans: a Single App plan that includes InDesign only or a plan with a variety of apps. The Creative Cloud plans are suitable for students and teachers, designers, photographers, organizations, and businesses.

• Does the free trial work on both MacOS and Windows?

Yes, this open-source InDesign trial is compatible both with macOS and Windows

• How long can I use the free trial?

You can use the free trial for seven days from the date of the first launch.

• Does the free trial include all the features of the complete version?

Yes, it has all the features and updates that the latest InDesign version includes.

• Can I use the free trial on my smartphone?

No, this free trial can only be used on a computer.

Many users don’t like paying for the software but prefer to search for hacked versions for hours or hack them themselves. According to analytical data, up to 80 percent of software is pirated. And this is not only for personal use. Government and educational institutions are often caught in such violations. In addition to breaking the law, users lose a lot of the advantages that licensed software provides.

By buying licensed software, we avoid violating laws. The use of unlicensed software violates copyright and entails administrative and criminal liability in almost all countries in the world. If you want to use InDesign for free, it’s recommended to download a trial version from the official website.

You will be unable to install an update. Licensed software always guarantees you a free update for a definite or unlimited period of time. It is worth mentioning that almost any software has some defects.

Sometimes it is simply impossible to fully use the program’s features without fixing these faults. Commonly, pirates hack a certain version of the software.

Therefore, there is no possibility of updating the program, which is especially critical if you need to fix any bugs or add new features.

Technical support. By purchasing software, you can usually get free technical support. Sometimes it is impossible to correctly set up the program without technical assistance.

A part of the software may be missing. When hacking software, pirates make significant changes to the program code, removing driver libraries and other elements. They do not care about the problems that a user may experience, as this will not affect their profits.

Company reputation. Programs like Adobe InDesign software are rarely used for personal purposes. They are mostly used by different companies. When enterprises have been certified as meeting ISO standards, the licensed software is a mandatory requirement. The violation of the requirements of the copyright law may adversely affect the company's reputation.

Below, I have analyzed how well InDesign integrates with other free Adobe software. I have thoroughly tested its functionality after the recent update.

Being distributed under the GNU license, Scribus is not only free but is constantly being improved by its developers. Currently, it is absolutely suitable for professional use. Scribus has a variety of features. If you are experienced in programming, you can write small scripts, create a desktop publishing document, define color schemes, etc.

If after using Adobe InDesign free of charge, you decide that you are not fully satisfied with the functionality of this version, try using Scribus. With it, you can do everything that is available in expensive professional software.

The interface here is understandable and intuitive: the display settings and toolbars can be adjusted according to your preferences in order to optimize your workflow. With Scribus, you can quickly apply templates for several types of folding. InDesign doesn’t include this feature.

Canva is considered more of a graphic design app than a desktop-publishing application. It is great for creating difficult graphic objects like posters and flyers. This application is easy to use. Moreover, it offers numerous free fonts, colors, and stock images. The premium version of Canva provides even more interesting features. However, the free version is more than enough if you are a casual user.

Canva is a good alternative to the InDesign free version, but it cannot compete with this outstanding software. The target audience of Canva includes users who tend to quickly and easily create nice-looking graphics. So, Canva is a cost-effective and user-friendly analog to more developed desktop publishing software.

If you don’t use a desktop publishing app on a regular basis, you can try Marq (formerly Lucidpress). There is no need to download and install any software on your PC. You can do everything online.

It is very easy to use in comparison to professional programs, so you will save time. The main disadvantage of Marq is that the free features are very limited. So, each of the documents should contain no more than three pages. Furthermore, the amount of server disk space should not exceed 25 MB.

Nevertheless, if you want to try desktop publishing or create an event invitation, you will appreciate this application. It can perfectly replace the free InDesign version. Moreover, one of the biggest security problems with online desktop publishing is preserving the idea. That's why, Marq has a paid version for professional use.

Viva Designer is a paid program, but it is also available in the Free Edition. It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Viva Designer Free Edition can be used for both personal and professional purposes. Since this version is free, it has some limitations. If we compare it with In Design Adobe free and paid versions, we can see that InDesign has a lot more features.

However, Viva Designer has some advantages. The program is extremely user-friendly, even a novice will quickly figure out how to cope with its main functions.

It is compatible with Adobe InDesign, MS Word, and MS Excel. In the paid version, you can even create and save documents in the InDesign format. If you need to work with layouts on the iPad, try the free mobile version of Quark, which is called “Quark DesignPad”.

Spring Publisher is usually used for creating leaflets, posters, and promotional materials, as well as making photo books, and designing periodicals and news sheets. Compared to InDesign, Spring Publisher is easier to use, which is convenient for beginning designers. This software helps users create simple projects, and add codes, texts, and even vector shapes. Also, Spring Publisher allows for working with layouts and layers as well as editing the images.

It has a wide range of templates. It is possible to save the design to no more than 180 DPI output in the free version. Unfortunately, Spring Publisher is no longer developed. Consequently, there is no premium version. Nevertheless, it is still considered to be the best free InDesign alternative, as it has enough features for creating unique projects.

I asked the FixThePhoto team to help me test the free version of Adobe InDesign. I was wondering “Can I download InDesign for free?” and wanted to check whether it was suitable for professional use. We tested this software for a week. It gave us plenty of time to test its tools, functionality, and the accessibility of its AI features.

Everyone can use Adobe InDesign’s trial version for 7 days without paying anything. It allows users to test its functionality before paying for a subscription. While Adobe Express has a free version that is available for a longer period, Adobe InDesign allows users to test all the features during the trial stage.

When testing this software, we wanted to check whether the free version allowed users to access AI features without any limitations. The program is known for its AI-driven tools, including Generative Expand and Text to Image. I was able to test them when using the trial version to achieve excellent results.

For example:

• Using Generative Expand, we resized an existing design to give it specific dimensions. It saved us hours of work.
• The Text to Image tool simplifies the generation of custom pictures based on text prompts. It allows users to give a creative feel to their projects.

Many creative professionals ask: “Is there a free version of Adobe InDesign

That I can use without any limitations?” Unfortunately, once the trial ends, you will have to pay for a subscription to access advanced tools.

When using a free trial, we were able to use an unlimited number of prompts. It helped us test out AI features. This version is suitable for designers, marketing professionals, and other specialists who want to know whether the AI tools available in InDesign are the best fit for their projects.

InDesign has a convoluted interface with many advanced features, which makes it hardly suitable for beginners. It stands out for its customization options, making it more powerful than other Adobe apps we’ve tested. When using the free trial, you will get access to all templates available in the paid version. It will enable you to test this software and decide whether it’s suitable for designing layouts.

When the trial period ended, we noticed the following restrictions:

• Export limitations: It’s impossible to save files in high-resolution formats or with transparent backgrounds.
• Premium stock assets: Users don’t have access to Adobe Stock’s pr-grade image and template collection.
• Collaboration tools: The free version does not support shared editing and cloud-based workflows.
• Branding features: Saving brand kits (logos, fonts, or color schemes) requires a subscription.