How to download InDesign for free or with Adobe Creative Cloud

Want to download InDesign? Adobe offers a variety of different packages for downloading its famous design tool, and it can be tricky to know where to start. We're here to help you find the right package for you – from downloading a free trial to signing up for access to Adobe's All Apps plan, there's an option for every creative's needs.

Wondering if Adobe InDesign is the right tool for you? You might want to download Photoshop or download Adobe Illustrator, or if you're simply looking for the best Adobe deals around, check out our guide to finding the best Creative Cloud discount.

What is InDesign?

In short, Adobe InDesign is the industry standard for publication design, used by students, professionals, hobbyists, and pretty much everyone in-between. From posters to magazines, via flyers books and much, much more, it's the ultimate tool for creating awesome print designs and page layouts. Recently we've been particularly impressed by the collaboration tools and ability to work across both digital and print – find out more in our InDesign review.

(opens in new tab) Download a free trial of InDesign for PC or Mac now (opens in new tab)

You can try the latest release of InDesign for free, with access to all the newest updates, as a 7-day trial. You can cancel to avoid paying or continue on a paid Creative Cloud membership.

Can I download InDesign for free?

In short, yes. InDesign is a paid-for tool, but Adobe lets you download a free trial of InDesign for both Windows and Mac (just click on the 'View deal' link above to take advantage of it). The trial gives you seven days to use the full version, including access to all the latest features and updates. To start the free trial, you’ll need an Adobe ID. If you don’t have one, don’t worry, it’s free and only takes a couple of minutes to create. Just go to the Adobe account page (opens in new tab), and click 'Get an Adobe ID'.

You’ll have to provide your credit card details to start the trial, but if you cancel your subscription before the end of the trial, you won’t be charged a penny. If you don’t cancel, Adobe will start to bill you for a subscription, so keep your eye on the calendar if you decide you don't want to continue with the software.

How do I buy InDesign CC?

(opens in new tab) Buy InDesign CC from $20.99 / £19.97 / AU$21.99 per month (opens in new tab)

You can buy Adobe’s industry-leading desktop publishing software on its own for PC or Mac. Click the link above or View Deal to get started laying out your own pages.

Once you've decided the software is definitely for you, the only way to buy InDesign is through a Creative Cloud subscription, for which you pay either monthly or annually. There are two options here. The cheapest is to subscribe to InDesign alone (see the first of the two links above). That subscription also gives you Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark.

However, if you think you're going to want to use more than one Adobe app, it might make more sense to go for the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps subscription. Obviously, that's more expensive, but it gives you access to Adobe's whole range of creative apps, along with a range of other benefits. (If you’re not sure which CC apps would benefit you, see our Adobe software list).

If you're tempted by the latter option but put off by the cost, keep an eye out for discounts. It’s always worth bookmarking our Adobe Creative Cloud discount page to see if there are any deals on offer at any given time, and note that Adobe also offers a discount for students and teachers (see below), as well as separate pricing for businesses, schools and universities.

There did use to be a version of InDesign – InDesign CS – that you could buy as a one-off permanent purchase, however, the only way to buy InDesign now is through one of these subscription options.

How much does InDesign cost?

Global warming designs by Shangning Wang & Jiayan He (Image credit: Adobe)

The cheapest way to buy InDesign CC is through the Single App InDesign plan, which usually costs $20.99 / £19.97 / AU$29.99 per month on an annual plan. That will give you InDesign, plus 100GB of cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark.

The other way to buy InDesign CC is through the Creative Cloud All Apps option, which gives you access to InDesign as well as Adobe’s entire collection of creative desktop and mobile apps. At $52.99 / £49.94/ AU$76.99 per month, it's not a huge amount more than single-app option for a ton more apps, and chances are you're going to want to use a programme like Photoshop if you're working with images. And there are often deals available, which you'll find above.

InDesign discounts for teachers and students

(opens in new tab) Get Adobe CC All Apps plan for students/teachers for $19.99 / £16.24 / AU$21.99 per month (opens in new tab)

For those in education, Adobe offers a discount of around 65% on its Creative Cloud All Apps subscription, which includes InDesign. Click View Deal, then hit the the 'Students and Teachers' tab.

If you’re a student or teacher, you can buy InDesign as part of a discounted All Apps plan at a much lower rate. Normally, you can get all the Creative Cloud apps, plus 100GB cloud storage, Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark for just $19.99 / £16.24 / AU$21.99 per month for the first year, and $29.99 / £25.28 / AU$43.99 thereafter. Sometimes there are even lower rates during particular sales periods.

How do I get started with InDesign?

InDesign is used for both print and digital design (Image credit: Adobe)

Once you've downloaded InDesign, check out our collection of the best InDesign tutorials to get started with the software, and hone your skills. We’ve gathered together a great range of InDesign lessons, all free to access, which will teach you new tricks and how to work smarter and more creatively, whether you're a beginner, intermediate-level or a professional user.

InDesign CC: everything you need to know

Create gorgeous layouts with the latest release of Adobe InDesign (Image credit: Adobe)

Debuting in August 1999, InDesign CC fast became the industry standard for page layout software in the newspaper, magazine and book publishing sectors. It’s typically used by graphic designers, editorial designers, marketing professionals, art directors and production artists to create posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers, presentations, books, and more.

While it's primarily used for print, InDesign also has digital publishing capabilities. It's often used in conjunction with the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite to create content suitable for tablet devices, and it supports export to EPUB and SWF formats for the creation of ebooks and other digital publications. It also supports XML, style sheets, and other coding markups, allowing for the export of tagged text content for use in other digital and online formats.

As part of your CC subscription plan, you’ll receive all InDesign updates free. The latest version is Adobe InDesign 2022. The latest update (October 2022) has fixed bugs related to previous stability and performance issues, while the last major update adds features like support for endnotes, paragraph borders and more.

Adobe InDesign: Android and iOS apps

InDesign is currently only available for Mac and PC desktop computers. However, you can use the free app Adobe Comp (opens in new tab) to create layouts on your iPad, iPhone or Android device and then send those files to InDesign for further work. Terry White walks you through this process in the video below.

InDesign alternatives

In our view, the best InDesign alternative is Affinity Publisher (opens in new tab), which was launched last year by Serif, the makers of Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer. Affinity Publisher is available for a low-cost, one-off fee and requires no subscription.

Another good paid-for option is Quark Xpress (opens in new tab), which predates InDesign and still offers a decent alternative for those who prefer a one-off payment to a subscription (albeit a much more expensive one than Affinity Publisher). Our favourite free alternative is the open-source tool Scribus (opens in new tab), which does a pretty good job at page layout for creatives on a budget. You can see a full list of InDesign alternatives here.

Read more:

Adobe Indesign Creative Cloud for Government

Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud for Government

1-Year Subscription License

Adobe Government Licenses are for sale to Local, State, and Federal Government departments and agencies.

Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud for Government provides you with access to the latest version of Adobe InDesign, all updates and upgrades to the software the moment they are released, 20GB of online storage for file sharing and collaboration, and a customized online portfolio with Behance ProSite, enabling you to publish your work to the world’s leading creative community. Adobe Creative Cloud for Government memberships are managed via an easy-to-use Admin Console—a web-based portal that lets you centrally purchase, deploy, and manage all Creative Cloud for Government seats across your organization.

Faster, sharper, more connected. Under-the-hood improvements and native 64-bit support make working on even the most complex documents speedier. And now, you can share work directly from InDesign CC and get access to new features the moment they're released. Your entire creative world, together in one place. Only in Creative Cloud.

Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud Features:

NEW A more connected InDesign

lnDesign CC is part of Creative Cloud. That means you have access to all the latest updates and future releases the moment they're available. Sharpen your skills and master new tools with a rich and growing library of training videos. And Creative Cloud is integrated with Behance, so you can share your projects and get immediate feedback from creatives around the world.

NEW Faster performance- Under-the-hood improvements throughout InDesign keep you working quickly and smoothly. Harness all of your system's RAM with native 64-bit support. See the greatest improvements in speed and stability when printing and when exporting PDF and INX files.

Under-the-hood improvements throughout InDesign keep you working quickly and smoothly. Harness all of your system's RAM with native 64-bit support. See the greatest improvements in speed and stability when printing and when exporting PDF and INX files. NEW Modern UI- InDesign has a new look. Because the updated user interface is consistent with Adobe® Photoshop® and Illustrator®, it's easier to work across your Adobe applications. And now you control the brightness of the UI so you can see your layouts more clearly.

InDesign has a new look. Because the updated user interface is consistent with Adobe® Photoshop® and Illustrator®, it's easier to work across your Adobe applications. And now you control the brightness of the UI so you can see your layouts more clearly. NEW HiDPI and Retina display support- From text to complex artwork, every element of your design will have greater clarity and vibrancy, thanks to support for the high-resolution Retina display on the new MacBook Pro.

From text to complex artwork, every element of your design will have greater clarity and vibrancy, thanks to support for the high-resolution Retina display on the new MacBook Pro. COMING SOON Sync Fonts- Sync Fonts — part of Creative Cloud — will change the way you work with type. Quickly find the perfect font from the growing library of Adobe Typekit® fonts, sync it to your system, and have it immediately available for use.

Sync Fonts — part of Creative Cloud — will change the way you work with type. Quickly find the perfect font from the growing library of Adobe Typekit® fonts, sync it to your system, and have it immediately available for use. NEW Font search and filter- Find the perfect font — fast. Type any portion of a font name, such as "bold," "semicondensed," "italic," or any part of a font family name, and see only the fonts that match your criteria.

Find the perfect font — fast. Type any portion of a font name, such as "bold," "semicondensed," "italic," or any part of a font family name, and see only the fonts that match your criteria. NEW QR Code Creator- Create crisp, clear QR codes right within InDesign. Because InDesign creates vector codes, you can resize them without compromising quality and copy them into applications like Illustrator. At any point, you can edit the QR code directly within InDesign.

Create crisp, clear QR codes right within InDesign. Because InDesign creates vector codes, you can resize them without compromising quality and copy them into applications like Illustrator. At any point, you can edit the QR code directly within InDesign. NEW Sharing with Creative Cloud- With the Save to Cloud command, your files (including layers) are accessible on any device. Share them with team members or clients. Changes are tracked, so you can always access previous versions.

With the Save to Cloud command, your files (including layers) are accessible on any device. Share them with team members or clients. Changes are tracked, so you can always access previous versions. Digital publishing- Create many kinds of digital documents. Develop sophisticated content for popular tablets by pairing InDesign with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. Design eBooks for popular devices, including Kindle and Nook. Export interactive layouts as SWF or PDF files.

Create many kinds of digital documents. Develop sophisticated content for popular tablets by pairing InDesign with Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. Design eBooks for popular devices, including Kindle and Nook. Export interactive layouts as SWF or PDF files. Adaptive Design Tools- One design. Unlimited layouts. Adaptive Design Tools, including linked content, Alternate Layouts, liquid page rules, and Content Collector tools, let you efficiently repurpose your work for various page sizes, screen sizes, and orientations without sacrificing control.

One design. Unlimited layouts. Adaptive Design Tools, including linked content, Alternate Layouts, liquid page rules, and Content Collector tools, let you efficiently repurpose your work for various page sizes, screen sizes, and orientations without sacrificing control. Preflight and production tools- Speed up production and reduce errors with live preflighting of print and digital documents, document-installed fonts, background PDF export, JDF technology, and PDF/X export.

Speed up production and reduce errors with live preflighting of print and digital documents, document-installed fonts, background PDF export, JDF technology, and PDF/X export. Automation- Create powerful automated workflows using standards-based XML features to lay out pages with text and images. Incorporate database-driven content to publish across channels.

Create powerful automated workflows using standards-based XML features to lay out pages with text and images. Incorporate database-driven content to publish across channels. NEW EPUB enhancements- New features make it easier to produce high-quality EPUB files from InDesign. You have greater control over the table of contents and CSS export, and CSS editing is simpler. You can also map object styles to tags so they export appropriately.

New features make it easier to produce high-quality EPUB files from InDesign. You have greater control over the table of contents and CSS export, and CSS editing is simpler. You can also map object styles to tags so they export appropriately. NEW Adobe Exchange panel- Adobe Exchange is a great source for extensions, plug-ins, templates, and more. Some resources are free; others are available to buy. And all have been created to bring extra functionality to InDesign.

Adobe Exchange is a great source for extensions, plug-ins, templates, and more. Some resources are free; others are available to buy. And all have been created to bring extra functionality to InDesign. PDF forms within InDesign- Design PDF forms without leaving InDesign. You can add interactive form fields, and even assign the tab order using the Articles panel, before you export your document to PDF.

Adobe InDesign Creative Cloud System Requirements:

Windows:

Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64 processor

Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 or Windows 8

2GB of RAM (8GB recommended)

2.6GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on removable flash storage devices)

1024x768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 32-bit video card

Adobe Flash Player 10 software required to export SWF files

Internet connection and registration are necessary for required software activation, membership validation, and access to online services.

Mac OS:

Difference Between Photoshop and InDesign

• Categorized under Software,Technology | Difference Between Photoshop and InDesign

Coming from the house of Adobe, both Photoshop and InDesign are powerful graphic design tools packed with unique, creative features that make them best suited for specific tasks and projects. The Adobe’s software suite surely packs a punch when it comes to graphics designing and editing, and both are industry-leading software with their own strengths and weaknesses that make stand out in what they do. We compare the two leading Adobe software to help you choose the best for your creation.

What is Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop is the world’s leading authority on raster graphics editing as well as digital artwork. Photoshop is undoubtedly one of the best known pieces of professional software in the world and probably the best go-to tool for image editing and manipulation. Photoshop turns your ideas and imaginations into incredible images and art on any device. It takes the most beautiful moments of your life and turns them into stunning artwork. Photoshop is the industry-standard tool for digital imaging which is used by artists around the world for photography, design, photo and video editing, and more. It started as a simple, easy to use tool to get to grips compared with what it is today, but over time, it has evolved into a full-fledged photographers’ tool. It’s also the most used tool for image retouching.

What is Adobe InDesign?

Adobe InDesign is the industry-leading desktop publishing and page design software for print and digital media. It allows graphic designers and desktop publishers to create beautiful layouts and images for print media such as flyers, brochures, magazines, posters, books, and newspapers. The interactive media such as the magazines on your smartphone and tablet you see are probably designed in InDesign and published with the Adobe Digital Publishing Solution. It is the ideal tool for creating multi-page documents and that involve heavy text, vector artwork and images. Although originally designed to be use for print media, InDesign has grown to be a cross platform solution for creating interactive documents such as PDFs, eBooks and interactive publications for mobile devices.

Difference between Photoshop and InDesign

Tool

– Adobe Photoshop is the world’s leading raster graphics editor and image manipulation program that packs all the creative tools to turn your imagination into vivid artwork. Adobe InDesign is the industry standard app for desktop publishing and page design ranging from print media to all kinds of digital publications. It is the ideal tool for creating multi-page documents that contain heavy text, vector artwork and imagery.

Use

– Photoshop is the go-to tool for digital imaging used by artists around the world for photography, design, photo and video editing, and more. It provides best tools and features for pixel-based image editing as well as vector graphics. It is also used for web designing, project layout, graphics creation, compositing digital art, and more. InDesign, on the other hand, allows you to create beautiful layouts and images for print media such as flyers, brochures, magazines, posters, books, and newspapers, all of which you can view on any format.

Photoshop vs. InDesign: Comparison Chart

Summary

While both come from the house of Adobe and are great tools used for creating a variety of digital and print media, Photoshop works best for photo editing and digital artwork, while InDesign is the ideal tool for creating multipage documents that are heavy in text and imagery. InDesign’s flexible workflow integrates seamlessly with Adobe suite of mobile apps which allows you to create rich layouts, multi-column pages with text and graphics using a host of creative tools. Photoshop is a pixel-based image editor that focuses on manipulation and formatting of images that go on the Internet or any print media. Photoshop is the world’s leading authority on raster based image editing with limited functionality for vector based graphics.

What is the purpose of Adobe InDesign?

Adobe InDesign is the industry standard app for desktop publishing and page designing for both print and digital media, and other interactive publications for mobile devices. The idea is to create beautiful layouts and images for print media such as flyers, brochures, magazines, posters, books, and newspapers.

Is Photoshop or InDesign easier to use?

Photoshop is an image editing and manipulation tool, while InDesign is a leading app for designing and publishing multiple page documents containing heavy text and images. So, when it comes to projects that involve a lot of text, InDesign is most preferred choice because it simplifies tasks containing text. Photoshop, on the other hand, makes it easier to edit, manipulate and retouch images and videos.

What can InDesign do that Photoshop can’t?

While Photoshop can do almost everything InDesign does, even the documents that are heavy on text and imagery, InDesign does it even better and easier, thanks to a host of creative tools and interactive features. The ease with which InDesign handles print and digital media documents, Photoshop simply cannot. However, InDesign’s capabilities come to a halt when it comes creating vector graphics.

When should I use Photoshop vs. Illustrator vs. InDesign?

Photoshop is great for image editing and manipulation; in fact, it’s the industry leading software on image retouching. InDesign is the ideal tool for creating multi-page documents with heavy text and imagery for both print and digital media. Illustrator is not as good when it comes to photo editing or creating multi-page documents, for that matter, but it shines when it comes to creating gorgeous vector art and illustrations.