Adobe InDesign vs Laidout

Struggling to choose between Adobe InDesign and Laidout? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Adobe InDesign is a Photos & Graphics solution with tags like page-layout, typography, graphics, publishing, print-design, digital-publishing, ebooks.

It boasts features such as Page Layout, Typography Tools, Image Editing, Interactive Elements, Preflight Checking, Color Management, EPUB Export, PDF Export, Print Production Tools and pros including Powerful layout and design features, Tight integration with other Adobe apps, Industry standard for print design, Many templates and assets available, Can create interactive documents, Great typography controls, Good collaboration features.

On the other hand, Laidout is a Office & Productivity product tagged with desktop-publishing, vector-graphics, diagramming, math-typesetting, technical-illustrations.

Its standout features include Vector graphics editing, Page layout and typesetting, Diagramming and flowcharting, Math typesetting, Technical illustration, Scriptable using Python or Scheme, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows), Powerful technical illustration tools, Advanced typography and math typesetting capabilities, Extensible and customizable via scripts.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is professional page layout software used to design and publish print, digital, and eBook layouts. It allows precise control over typography, images, graphics, and multi-page documents.

Categories:
page-layout typography graphics publishing print-design digital-publishing ebooks

Adobe InDesign Features

  1. Page Layout
  2. Typography Tools
  3. Image Editing
  4. Interactive Elements
  5. Preflight Checking
  6. Color Management
  7. EPUB Export
  8. PDF Export
  9. Print Production Tools

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Powerful layout and design features

Tight integration with other Adobe apps

Industry standard for print design

Many templates and assets available

Can create interactive documents

Great typography controls

Good collaboration features

Cons

Expensive subscription pricing

Steep learning curve

Overkill for simple documents

Not intended for web design

Requires constant updates


Laidout

Laidout

Laidout is an open-source desktop publishing and vector graphics editor software for Linux. It specializes in creating technical documents and has advanced tools for diagramming, math typesetting, and technical illustrations.

Categories:
desktop-publishing vector-graphics diagramming math-typesetting technical-illustrations

Laidout Features

  1. Vector graphics editing
  2. Page layout and typesetting
  3. Diagramming and flowcharting
  4. Math typesetting
  5. Technical illustration
  6. Scriptable using Python or Scheme

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows)

Powerful technical illustration tools

Advanced typography and math typesetting capabilities

Extensible and customizable via scripts

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited user community and documentation

Development seems stagnant

User interface not very polished