Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe InDesign
Score 9.2 out of 10
N/A
Adobe InDesign supports creating digital and print documents such as flyers, stationary, posters, and other types of media, with rich graphics, images, and more. Adobe InDesign is available standalone or as part of the Adobe Creative Suite collection of media management and creation products.
$31.49
per month
Infogram
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Infogram is an online tool for creating infographics, charts, dashboards, and interactive reports. Users can upload spreadsheets containing the data they want to visualize, or set up a live integration from another data source using the Infogram API. From a graphics and layout perspective, Infogram includes a library of stock images, icons, etc. (or users can upload their own) and a drag and drop editor.N/A
Microsoft Publisher
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Publisher is a desktop publishing application available with an Office 365 subscription, or as a standalone download.
$139
one time purchase
Pricing
Adobe InDesignInfogramMicrosoft Publisher
Editions & Modules
Monthly Plan
$31.49
per month
Annual Plan, Prepaid
$239.88 ($19.99)
per year (per month)
Annual Plan, Paid Monthly
$251.88 ($20.99)
per year (per month)
No answers on this topic
Microsoft Publisher
$139
one time purchase
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe InDesignInfogramMicrosoft Publisher
Free Trial
NoNoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Adobe InDesignInfogramMicrosoft Publisher
Considered Multiple Products
Adobe InDesign
Chose Adobe InDesign
InDesign is simply put, the best out there for the design of print and e-docs.

Canva and Microsoft Publisher both have great features and benefits, but they don't have quite the robust tools and features that are sometimes necessary when designing an item. If you need something …
Chose Adobe InDesign
The others do not include the robust features of Adobe InDesign. Some of the subscription or pricing models are not affordable or would be an additional cost. Adobe has the most flexibility in regards to pricing. Microsoft Publisher is the least recommended product and is not …
Chose Adobe InDesign
First, Microsoft products are notoriously difficult to work with, so the bar is already set pretty low. In my limited experience with MS Publisher in the past, the tools were not intuitive and the files did not save / share well outside of MS platforms. It has been many years …
Chose Adobe InDesign
This product sits head-and-shoulders above a product like Microsoft Publisher. The layout of Adobe InDesign is far more intuitive, the functionality of the tool is far more robust, and the sheer efficiency of it's interface is lightyears ahead of what Publisher offers. As just …
Chose Adobe InDesign
  • Microsoft Word is probably the most popular word processor, and I've been using that since I was a little kid, but InDesign gives you all the word processing tricks and then some with the ability to arrange every small part of your layout.
  • Microsoft Publisher is another product …
Chose Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is a more cohesive program with stronger features and control. It is best used for more indepth presentations and publications. I use it primarily because it allows for more creative and personalized layouts which is useful for showcasing the work I present to …
Chose Adobe InDesign
InDesign's real benefit is it's integration with the other Adobe products, allowing you to work fairly seamlessly with multiple types of design file on a project. The creative cloud allows you to store and use assets quickly and efficiently on multiple projects and really …
Chose Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign may have a steep learning curve and advanced interface, but the functionality it provides is more advanced that Publisher.

I used Publisher briefly for some brochures and flyers, and it is a good software for simple, quick solutions that do not require a lot of …
Chose Adobe InDesign
Publisher and Quark both work, but they don't play well with Adobe products, which makes you waste a lot of time converting Illustrator and Photoshop files into bitmaps for use in them. This can lead to issues with image quality, on top of wasting time and energy. The …
Chose Adobe InDesign
Publisher is something that we as an organization used to use at the beginning phase of our organization, and, as we grew and the team grew bigger and the needs increased, we needed a more professional tool. That's where Adobe InDesign came in. With Publisher, there was limited …
Chose Adobe InDesign
InDesign is the most widely accepted layout software in the world. It has plugins for extending its abilities and has had a vast industry lead since Dethroning Quark almost two decades ago. Publisher is a Microsoft train wreck and just isn't cut out for heavy lifting. Affinity …
Infogram
Chose Infogram
Infogram had the best balance between the quality and variety of graphics you can produce vs being easy to use.
Microsoft Publisher
Chose Microsoft Publisher
At the time I was not impressed with Quark Xpress. I always disliked PageMaker. I always considered it over-rated. I like InDesign and have always liked InDesign, if I have a need for more complex documents I'll go with InDesign over Publisher or Quark Xpress in a heartbeat. …
Chose Microsoft Publisher
Publisher wins hand down. To be honest, In-Design can do things with more precision and perhaps a somewhat better final design. However, the learning curve is WAY too steep for In-Design. I have been using computers and publishing programs since the mid 80's. Publisher melds …
Chose Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Publisher is more for beginners, or for basic needs, anyone with some familiarity with the Microsoft suite should be able to use it easily. If you’re looking to create something more graphic and advanced, you’d probably want to look into something like InDesign, which …
Best Alternatives
Adobe InDesignInfogramMicrosoft Publisher
Small Businesses
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.1 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.1 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Canva
Canva
Score 9.1 out of 10
GIMP
GIMP
Score 8.1 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.1 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.1 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 7.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe InDesignInfogramMicrosoft Publisher
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(101 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
7.4
(11 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.5
(11 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
Availability
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
5.0
(64 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(3 ratings)
In-Person Training
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe InDesignInfogramMicrosoft Publisher
Likelihood to Recommend
Adobe
Adobe InDesign is very well-suited to creating professional-looking page designs. If you want a newspaper or magazine to have attractive pages that go beyond simple templates, InDesign is the best option out there, to my knowledge. It's less suited to scenarios where people without page design skills are responsible for creating pages, as it requires some training and skills to use effectively.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
Infogram is perfect for creating engaging and professional-looking infographics, data visualizations, and social media content with no technical knowledge required. I have worked with NGOs with no technical or design staff that need to get their message out there or raise awareness about something. Infogram is easy and quick to use and the results look great. Infogram is not heavyweight data visualization software, it's best for summarizing and explaining the results of data analysis to an audience or breaking down complex concepts to make them understandable to the general public.
Read full review
Microsoft
Microsoft Publisher is well suited for almost any situation. It is something that I'm sure has far more advanced tools than I use or am aware of, but it is also very simple for entry-level users to create professional documents quickly. I have used it for very involved brochures in real estate scenarios and I have also used it for very simple "Construction Zone" signs at a job site under construction. There are so many uses for this program!
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Pros
Adobe
  • Customization - With Adobe InDesign, as well as many other applications in the Adobe Creative Suite, I can fully customize my workspaces and save different workspaces. This makes it easy to navigate through my project and have the panels and tools I need easily accessible and configured based on my project needs.
  • Styles - Adobe InDesign has character styles, object styles, and tables styles. This speeds up my workflows and allows me to easily apply the same format across multiple elements. This is super helpful, especially when working with length documents.
  • File compatibility - I can easily export my files into so many different file types.
  • The Book feature - This feature is really helpful when creating books or very long documents with multiple sections.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
  • It is specifically made for the creation of infographics and it excels in this field.
  • It provides the novice user with many beautiful templates, easing the learning process.
  • It integrates with many databases, making the infographic dynamic always up-to-date.
Read full review
Microsoft
  • Design of my quarterly full color magazine: (usually 28-56 pages in length)
  • Design of the quarterly planning system used by me and others in the annual conference.
  • Design and layout of any document that requires graphics/photos.
  • Simple to use with ample flexibility and strength of features
Read full review
Cons
Adobe
  • Not naturally a WYSIWYG display (this is an option, and doesn't always work as intended)
  • Moving images and photos around while holding an additional key
  • Layers or objects are not easily clickable behind other objects.
  • Adobe InDesign does require some fair system resources to work smoothly
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
  • I gave it a 10 for a reason....
  • Some graphs could have more features to change their appearance (but perhaps then it wouldn’t be as simple)
  • Should have a better way to copy and paste to another app
Read full review
Microsoft
  • Formatting in general. It's a pain to refine a layout in Publisher in my opinion.
  • Microsoft is so invested in their approach to software and making it look and feel like an Office 365 application that they inadvertantly cripple applications like Publisher.
  • Earlier versions of Publisher gave you a lot more latitude and creative freedom. They were also much easier to work with. Not everything has to look like it's part of Office 365. They did the same ... thing to Access.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Adobe
I've had great experiences with the product and plan to continue to use it. It has been my go-to product for designing and creating materials. I have had great luck with it and have been able to create all of the needed marketing materials that have been requested for our company.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
We use this product 2-3 times a month and have not been able to find a comparable alternative.
Read full review
Usability
Adobe
If you know what you are doing it is an amazingly granular and powerful application. You can control pretty much any aspect of the design and layout of your documents and make changes globally and rapidly. But, if you don't know what you are doing...you will be staring at your screen in bewilderment for a long time. You can learn it, but be ready for a hefty time investment.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
There are a few quirks with Microsoft Publisher that make some functions a little tricky for new users at first, but most of our employees are able to figure out the quirks and work around them to use the product for their job. It is relatively high on the scale of usability.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Adobe
I've needed Adobe InDesign team very little which is a bonus in and of itself.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Performance
Adobe
One of the advantages of Adobe InDesign is it is faster and less glitchy than Microsoft Word.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Adobe
Adobe support is ok but not great. Chat support often doesn't initially understand the question at-hand and it takes awhile to get to the right agent. Phone support has long wait times, and though I've had more luck there, it does take quite a time investment if you are looking for help. However, Adobe does have some online learning solutions available as well as a knowledgebase for frequently asked questions. If you're looking to learn how to use the platform, there are lots of resources which can typically be found in a few Google searches. If you have a technical issue with the system, that's going to be a bit more of a time investment as far as getting a tech's assistance to resolve the problem.
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Infogram Software, Inc.
I have personally always had quick, friendly, and helpful responses from the Infogram team.
Read full review
Microsoft
While I have not directly used support for Microsoft Publisher, I have used their help files and found them to be useful. I have also found that most answers that I need can be found through simple web searches and chat platforms. In all though, there are very few times when the preloaded help files have not given me the answers that I need.
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In-Person Training
Adobe
Attending Adobe MAX each year is extremely valuable.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Adobe
The online training works well and is not wholly necessary as it is user-friendly and you can learn by doing.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Adobe
Implementation was smooth and easy.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Adobe
Microsoft products do not match the aesthetic tools that [Adobe] InDesign offers, cannot support the customizable options available for export, and do not produce documents with as high a degree of accessibility. That said, they do have their place in collaboration in a team- I'd consider Office to be the first step and [Adobe] InDesign to be the final product.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
Infogram's most unique strength is its focus on infographics, providing a great number of templates and at the same time connecting such graphics with data sources. Prezi is great for presentation, but it provides static infographics. Illustrator and Photoshop have some possible ways to integrate data into their graphics, but they are rudimentary compared to Infogram's abilities. Despite the huge power of Photoshop and Illustrator for creating specific images, Infogram is easier and more powerful in conveying data, making it the best option for infographics.
Read full review
Microsoft
Microsoft Publisher is more for beginners, or for basic needs, anyone with some familiarity with the Microsoft suite should be able to use it easily. If you’re looking to create something more graphic and advanced, you’d probably want to look into something like InDesign, which is not as user friendly if you’re not familiar with it at all. For basic needs the average employee should be able to use Microsoft Publisher with ease.
Read full review
Scalability
Adobe
Working in a cloud environment makes it easy to scale and share resources.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Adobe
  • A great ROI for time in my small architectural practice, [especially] when a design has been updated and a report needs to be submitted. We can be submitting many reports that all look similar, clean and beautiful. We just save as the file and replace the images with more updated images. This way the client finds it easy to navigate updated reports, as many as they can be.
Read full review
Infogram Software, Inc.
  • Has a free user option and it is faster and easier to build great graphical graphs.
  • Now I don’t have to ask design guys to make me a fancier graph for a presentation.
  • After the first graphs are made I can reuse them for the next month's presentation.
Read full review
Microsoft
  • we have invested on our Microsoft license for our team and that has made a very big productivity for making banners and holdings for our projects as making it from third party would cost much higher and the return is very well over the comparison with third-party vendors
  • Functionality is very easy, so we don’t have to train much to get it in production and use it efficiently so we don’t have to invest much on training and learning things and we can work on it directly with a very basic knowledge as well
  • It has functionality to get stored and share things directly to the OneDrive and using curated links, which is very secure and reliable to transfer files without losing picture and banners quality and share them in lossless quality.
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ScreenShots