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PagePlus Review – 5 Best Alternatives to The Locked Down Program

Last Updated on February 27, 2022 by Peter Wood

PagePlus Starter Edition was one of the most popular publishing packages on PC, which was developed by Serif for Windows in 1991. If you are an advertisement designer or publisher, you must have heard of PagePlus. It is targeted at entry-level users. It has all the useful features that high-end software has. For example, PagePlus allows users to work in CMYK color space.

Serif has released several updates during the past two decades. And its features are extensive gradually. Its latest version is PagePlus X9 released in 2015. Affinity Publisher is the successor of PagePlus in August 2018. When you need to find some alternatives to get the desired files for publication, the article introduces the 5 best alternatives.

PagePlus Review

Part 1: Simple Review of PagePlus You Should Know

Whether you need to make a business plan or get the highest-quality template libraries, PagePlus is the best choice that enables you to import content from staple programs like Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop. Moreover, you can also let you do things usually restricted to Adobe Acrobat, like creating fillable forms.

Pros

1. It is compatible with most Windows system, including Windows 10.

2. The last version of PagePlus has improved its interface and template.

3. Serif had updated the software annually before 2015.

4. It provides a Starter Edition for free.

Cons

1. PagePlus is an application for Windows, so it is not available on Mac OS.

2. It is entry-level publishing software, so it may be too simple to advanced users.

3. The cost of CC license is a prohibitive for part-time users.

4. The Starter Edition has a limit on document size: no more than five.

PagePlus

Part 2: 5 Best Alternatives of PagePlus on Win/Mac

As you can see, PagePlus is more suitable for amateur designers, but not professionals. So you might need an alternative layout program. Just learn more detail about the alternative programs for PagePlus.

Microsoft Office Publisher: PagePlus Alternative for Windows

Microsoft Office Publisher is convenient layout design software. The PagePlus alternative does not have a limit on the number of pictures imported. And users could import pictures from online services and social media, like Flickr and Facebook. Unfortunately, Publisher is only available to Microsoft Office 365 subscribers now. Here are the other basic features.

  1. It is compatible with Windows 10.
  2. A new online research tool, Smart Lookup, has been integrated within Publisher.
  3. The Insights panel will show you Wikipedia and other information related to selected words or concepts.
  4. This PagePlus alternative allows users to customize the background of the interface and create a personalized workspace.
  5. The embedded headline styles are helpful and convenient as well.
  6. Publisher supports Excel charts now.
Microsoft Office Publisher

Swift Publisher: PagePlus Alternative for macOS

Swift Publisher is an affordable layout design application for Mac users. Compared to other fantastic page layout software, Swift Publisher is a friendlier and easy-to-use application. And considering there are fewer publishing applications compatible with Mac OS, Swift Publisher is one of the best alternatives to Serif PagePlus.

  1. It provides more than 300 templates, so users could control pages and create a project quickly.
  2. The interface is so friendly that users will not confuse about it.
  3. This PagePlus alternative will not limit the number of layers built for a project.
  4. Swift Publisher integrates a library containing more than 2,000 clipart images.
Swift Publisher

Scribus: Best Free Alternative of PagePlus

Scribus is an open source-publishing program. Users could utilize it to create business cards, brochures, and other publishing documents. And you can access the useful features of Scribus.

  1. This PagePlus alternative program has a powerful template feature. Users could utilize this feature to create a project quickly and conveniently.
  2. It could read documents generated by other publishing programs and most file formats.
  3. It is an open-source program, so users could extend the software with plugins. And if you have any problems, you can ask for help in its developer community.
Scribus

QuarkXPress: Cross-Platform Alternative of PagePlus

QuarkXPress is another alternative to PagePlus and it supports both Windows and Mac OS. Many advertisers, magazines, and newspapers use QuarkXPress as the publisher program. That is because it powerful design program.

  1. The interface is standard, so users can find all the tools easily. And the layouts of the program are easy to navigate.
  2. The program support searching for any attributes, like colors, text, frames.
  3. Users could divide a project into different components and send them to multiple users. So it is appropriate for teamwork.
  4. In addition to basic tools, this PagePlus alternative has a feature of Story Editor. This feature could remember your text settings and apply them to other text.
QuarkXPress

Lucidpress: The Online Alternative of PagePlus

Lucidpress is an online layout and design service, which is a cloud-based PagePlus alternative. As an online service, sometimes Lucidpress is more convenient. Here are some useful features you should know about Lucidpress.

  1. It supports most cloud services, like Google Drive, Dropbox, and so on. So users could import documents from cloud services and save the outputs in the cloud as well.
  2. Its interface is friendly and concise.
  3. Lucidpress provides 25 MB space for beginners freely. And if you need to expand storage, you can subscribe to the service.
  4. This PagePlus alternative has many templates and other basic tools.
Lucidpress

If you need to stitch some large photos with multiple micro-images, WidsMob Montage is the versatile Pic Stitch alternative on Windows and Mac. You can combine mosaic, collage, and montage photos with hundreds of tiles. There are different parameters you can tweak, such as stitching modes, mosaic frames, photo columns, sizes, and more other parameters.

  1. Create the desired photo grid and montage in both JPEG and PNG.
  2. Combine more than 2,00 mosaic tiles with up to 140pixel for each tile.
  3. Apply special effects before stitching micro tiles into a photomosaic.
  4. Personalize frames, modes and customize the column count and size.
Generate Mosaic Win Download Mac Download

Part 4: FAQs about PagePlus

1What are the differences between PagePlus and Publisher?

Serif Publisher is a successor of PagePlus, which bears a striking similarity in many aspects of the user interface. Serif decided to rewrite their DTP software to provide multiplatform implementation and new methods for internal software operations with modern OSs.

2Can I still purchase the licenses of Serif PagePlus?

Yes. You can purchase Serif Page Plus even though it is a legacy product. It is still available on Amazon and more other websites. But there are lots of restrictions. You can simply choose the best alternatives mentioned above or upgrade to Serif Publisher.

3PagePlus V.S. InDesign, Which is a Better Choice?

Page Plus is a better choice if the skill lies more with writing. It is cheaper, easier to use, and comes with tutorials and a wealth of templates. Quality differences in output are indistinguishable, certainly in ePub format, and even in PDF format.

Conclusion

Page design is easier than you thought if you have an appropriate tool. This article introduces the pros and cons of PagePlus and its 5 best alternatives. Therefore, you can make your decision according to your demands. Microsoft Office Publisher is available for Windows users and Swift Publisher is compatible with Mac OS. Scribus is a free page design program with extensive features. QuarkXPress is more suitable for teamwork. If you prefer to online service, Lucidpress is a better choice.

Win Download Mac Download

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