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DesignCraft: Free InDesign Alternative

Lay out pages with text frames, styles, spreads and parent pages.

Free · No subscription · Windows / macOS / Linux

DesignCraft magazine spread with text frames, guides and layout properties.
Official screenshot
Download for your systemShortcutsvs InDesign
DesignCraft 0.7.1 · Official release
On this page

DesignCraft vs InDesign

Good for…

  • Laying out a short document with text frames and styles.
  • Arranging facing pages and reusable page designs.
  • Trying an InDesign layout through an IDML copy.
  • Exporting a layout to PDF or a reflowable EPUB.

Not yet if you need…

  • Opening native InDesign INDD files directly.
  • Keeping an InDesign script or plug-in workflow.
  • Returning complex IDML files with every layout detail intact.
  • Completing demanding publications with precise complex typography.

Try simpler layouts through IDML; keep InDesign for demanding publications and INDD files.

A short standalone document gives you an easier place to judge the text flow and exported pages before moving a larger publication.

DesignCraft has spreads, parent pages, frames, paragraph styles and character styles. Reusable styles let you change related text together, while text wrap and page guides help you arrange copy around artwork.

Screenshots and results

The opening screenshot shows a two-page magazine layout with frames, guides and a properties panel. The image below is an official sample document's rendered cover, showing the page output rather than another app interface.

Cover rendered from the official DesignCraft sample document; this is a layout result, not the app interface.

A finished page layout

The official sample cover combines a large title and page artwork into a single publication page.

Is DesignCraft free?

Free

Local page layout is free, with no subscription.

No licence server

DesignCraft has no licence server and no telemetry.

Accounts and offline use

The developers haven't published separate account requirements or an app-wide offline policy.

ArtCraft's AI workbench is a separate product, and hosted generation uses credits. Making a layout in the desktop editor and generating new media through that service have different costs; see AI Workbench and Is ArtCraft free?.

Download and install

Choose the official desktop package for your system below. Use Craft Launcher if you want one place to manage several Craft apps, or choose the standalone package to install DesignCraft on its own.

Match the processor before downloading: macOS uses a universal package, while Windows has separate x64, x86 and ARM64 packages. On Linux, keep the instructions for the package you chose together; a Flatpak bundle and an AppImage use different installation routes.

For several editing apps, use Craft Launcher to install, verify and update them.

Choose your system and processor to get an official package. The complete package list is available below.

Current release 0.7.1 · published 12 Oct 2026
All official desktop packages
Windows6 packages
  • ARM64 / aarch64MSI49.8 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-windows-arm64.msi

    SHA-256

    a6da74d2eb7f2dbc5a2dc6059b473a9e14f9075cacf3a9b03a359e343bfa8ba5

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    Get-FileHash -LiteralPath "<downloaded-file>" -Algorithm SHA256
  • ARM64 / aarch64Portable ZIP63.6 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-windows-arm64-portable.zip

    SHA-256

    ae6d0a1d0ebed74ea74f4a20d8137b2749f5a0635c5766a97908ca081cd6820d

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    Get-FileHash -LiteralPath "<downloaded-file>" -Algorithm SHA256
  • x86 / 32-bitMSI52.1 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-windows-x86.msi

    SHA-256

    605a9d5960ff8433ce0cb6137b5c93ecf33b902ca56ff472df6e52bb2fffd8a9

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    Get-FileHash -LiteralPath "<downloaded-file>" -Algorithm SHA256
  • x86 / 32-bitPortable ZIP64.5 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-windows-x86-portable.zip

    SHA-256

    9219ee03756be3a1f25576cdf213934f8e65c4f9bea343f2ea87864b99960fc8

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    Get-FileHash -LiteralPath "<downloaded-file>" -Algorithm SHA256
  • x64 / Intel & AMDMSI53.0 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-windows-x64.msi

    SHA-256

    650c6f70ef965f1d922d6c233fc768dfac214054a833a516c2b25741c4b1c758

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    Get-FileHash -LiteralPath "<downloaded-file>" -Algorithm SHA256
  • x64 / Intel & AMDPortable ZIP66.8 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-windows-x64-portable.zip

    SHA-256

    b3db17ac0fc6e1db54d60c5491b5c1d6874459e2867495eaa74b5a8c56e59077

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    Get-FileHash -LiteralPath "<downloaded-file>" -Algorithm SHA256
macOS1 packages
  • Apple silicon & IntelDMG74.0 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-macos-universal.dmg

    SHA-256

    c8520b8fa702e19436c06269792e68a3ca09a629c6d5cb59193355ef3e89ec52

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    shasum -a 256 "<downloaded-file>"
Linux13 packages
  • ARM64 / aarch64AppImage60.9 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-aarch64.AppImage

    SHA-256

    6aa239aef20a856ed81f16b976e5c3a22076ff6407ede4a0dae35fb616e3b6ce

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • ARM64 / aarch64DEB66.1 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-aarch64.deb

    SHA-256

    dd9956d42b23c7cd16ecc0c26bc608b2d3c7b60ff55e1a7b2b13b5ae66ffa404

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • ARM64 / aarch64Flatpak44.5 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-aarch64.flatpak

    SHA-256

    87054122a6abe1e911f722ad7d7f21ac2aedc6a72237c1d1f18c45019fbbb388

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • ARM64 / aarch64RPM65.7 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-aarch64.rpm

    SHA-256

    78f4e7f02546f4886a3298f8e12a723dbf436db2fad354a096f2e93482c560b5

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • ARM64 / aarch64tar.gz64.5 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-aarch64.tar.gz

    SHA-256

    665c2736ad0841b8a917b4f5b761a1ad104a7196fcaf5d2d5608df0dd876d820

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • RISC-V64DEB67.2 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-riscv64.deb

    SHA-256

    a5eb2e39c4a140e3b0daecee61d546134371b933d5c407c5fc5ec842c6fc67a0

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • RISC-V64RPM67.0 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-riscv64.rpm

    SHA-256

    3d359e63b1c08e6dc09a0b0c31781bfecdbb2ca8f124f6d610c9ca476995b1c7

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • RISC-V64tar.gz66.3 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-riscv64.tar.gz

    SHA-256

    01b10d5a51caba17402dacbe371500fd6c3ef313e35a8a70f58475d452a25f00

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • x64 / Intel & AMDAppImage63.7 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage

    SHA-256

    4fbb5d2d2c2f1d67fb7e131e54a8545310c489258ca5a2d5509a7a2c5d3fa59b

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • x64 / Intel & AMDDEB68.4 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-x86_64.deb

    SHA-256

    75e27e5aa70919d43fa8730c508ca6edf7c93102b91bd411ddf99ae311ef332b

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • x64 / Intel & AMDFlatpak47.4 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-x86_64.flatpak

    SHA-256

    a756d37b93c5634a5da958ba589cf3a35ef8172e5894ef52d3a430b182293d1c

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • x64 / Intel & AMDRPM68.1 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-x86_64.rpm

    SHA-256

    36e0d6b66bb3c0ef2dc14f83c7dad0ba5651fa64f4b8fe84942de8e5e03a3aca

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
  • x64 / Intel & AMDtar.gz67.5 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-linux-x86_64.tar.gz

    SHA-256

    05a2b2531f6f26746b4a743081fd00f9ea77822fa178663802a0eaeced6c1437

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256sum "<downloaded-file>"
FreeBSD1 packages
  • x64 / Intel & AMDtar.gz67.4 MiBDownload
    File & checksum

    designcraft-0.7.1-freebsd-x86_64.tar.gz

    SHA-256

    76501354e668ecdc9d0c1465c5905fc2ff23dd9e5c4bd5ab8662b2c522bd21fd

    Matching SHA-256 list

    Calculate the local file’s SHA-256, then compare the complete value for this filename.

    sha256 -q "<downloaded-file>"
macOS
  1. Choose the universal DMG from the official release page; it covers Intel and Apple silicon.
  2. Open the disk image; if it shows an Applications link, drag DesignCraft there.
  3. Open DesignCraft from Applications.
Windows
  1. Choose the MSI for your processor: x64, x86 or ARM64.
  2. Open the installation file and follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. Open DesignCraft after installation; the official release also offers portable ZIP packages.
Linux
  1. Choose the x86_64 or aarch64 Flatpak bundle and follow Flathub setup if needed.
  2. Install it with flatpak install --user followed by the downloaded filename.
  3. Open the installed app; follow the official download notes if you chose another package type.

System requirements

System Published requirement
macOS Intel and Apple silicon universal package; minimum OS not published.
Windows x64, x86 and ARM64 packages; minimum OS not published.
Linux General minimum OS/runtime not published; riscv64 tarball needs glibc 2.39 or later.
RAM, GPU and storage The developers haven't published complete minimum values.

The developers haven't published DesignCraft-specific steps for Gatekeeper or SmartScreen warnings. If your computer blocks the app or it won't open, describe the message and your system in the official support tracker.

Your first edit, shortcuts and tutorials

Make a simple page with your own text and a picture, then save the editable document and export a PDF. Start with a short plain-text file and a PNG image so you can focus on the page layout before trying an existing publication.

Your first edit in 5 steps

  1. Choose File > New Document… to create a small document.
  2. Choose File > Place… and select your short .txt file to add text to the layout.
  3. Choose File > Place… again and select your PNG picture; inspect the placed text and artwork on the page.
  4. Choose File > Save As… and save an editable .designcraft document.
  5. Choose File > Export PDF… to create a separate copy for viewing or printing.

Everyday shortcuts

Ten shortcuts for documents, placed artwork and common edits.

Action Windows / Linux macOS
New document Ctrl+N Command+N
Open Ctrl+O Command+O
Save Ctrl+S Command+S
Save As Ctrl+Shift+S Command+Shift+S
Close Ctrl+W Command+W
Place Ctrl+D Command+D
Undo Ctrl+Z Command+Z
Redo Ctrl+Shift+Z Command+Shift+Z
Select All Ctrl+A Command+A
Deselect All Ctrl+Shift+A Command+Shift+A
More command and tool shortcuts

Command and tool defaults

ActionWindows / LinuxmacOS
Document…Ctrl+NCommand+N
Open…Ctrl+OCommand+O
SaveCtrl+SCommand+S
Save As…Ctrl+Shift+SCommand+Shift+S
CloseCtrl+WCommand+W
Place…Ctrl+DCommand+D
UndoCtrl+ZCommand+Z
RedoCtrl+Shift+ZCommand+Shift+Z
Select AllCtrl+ACommand+A
Deselect AllCtrl+Shift+ACommand+Shift+A
ClearDeleteDelete
CopyCtrl+CCommand+C
CutCtrl+XCommand+X
Paste without FormattingCtrl+Shift+VCommand+Shift+V
PasteCtrl+VCommand+V
Paste IntoCtrl+Alt+VCommand+Option+V
Paste in PlaceCtrl+Alt+Shift+VCommand+Option+Shift+V
DuplicateCtrl+Alt+Shift+DCommand+Option+Shift+D

Tutorials worth opening

Use the layout overview to understand frames and styles before changing a larger document. Its quick-start code is a separate developer route, so the five desktop steps above are the shorter starting point for an installed app.

What others say

One production account describes a completed brand guide and warnings during print export.

az9713 · Seven Crafts Development Journey

The author's Windows workflow using Claude Code and scripts made a twelve-page brand guide with paragraph styles and a generated contents list. Preflight passed, but PDF/X export still reported eleven warnings. Read the earlier-release production account.

Can DesignCraft open InDesign files?

Use an IDML copy to move an InDesign layout; DesignCraft cannot open INDD directly. Inspect page breaks, fonts, linked artwork and text frames when you exchange the saved layout.

Format Open / save What to watch
IDML Import and export Check page layout and text flow in the receiving app.
INDD Opening planned; no export Export an IDML copy from InDesign first.
DESIGNCRAFT Read and write Native editable document.
PDF Place artwork and export pages Placed PDF artwork is not directly editable; confirm the printer's required PDF standard.
EPUB Export Reflowable stories adapt to the reader's screen.

Keep your editable document alongside the exported delivery. PDF preserves a page for viewing or printing, while EPUB lets text reflow; choose based on how the reader will use the document. See the full format reference.

Other free alternatives

Choose by the length and kind of layout. LibreOffice Draw suits simple flyers and diagrams, while Inkscape is a useful choice for a single-page vector poster; use a publishing-focused app when your main task is a multi-page publication.

App Good for Free option
DesignCraft Short layouts and IDML exchange you can check Free local editor.
LibreOffice Draw Simple flyers, diagrams and light page layout Free and open source; paid support is separate.
Inkscape Single-page vector posters and simple layouts Free and open source.

FAQ

Do I need an ArtCraft subscription?

No. DesignCraft's local page editing is free; the separate AI workbench charges credits for hosted generation.

Can I open my existing INDD document?

Direct opening is planned. Export an IDML copy from InDesign, then check it in DesignCraft.

Can I send the layout back to InDesign?

IDML export is available. Inspect page breaks, fonts, artwork and text frames after opening the returned file.

Can I make a print PDF?

PDF export includes PDF/X-4 and PDF/A-2b. Confirm the required standard with the printer and check the exported pages.

Where should a beginner start?

Follow the five-step text-and-picture page above, then read the official layout overview for frames, styles and export choices.

Sources

Based on official docs and published reviews; we didn't install it ourselves.

Last checked: 14 Oct 2026.

Current release: 0.7.1.

Image credits

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