VectorCraft Online

DesignCraft Online – Free Page Layout & InDesign Alternative

Preparing DesignCraft…

First visit downloads the editor once (≈13 MB). After that it opens instantly from your browser cache. Nothing you draw is uploaded.

Free · Open source · In your browser

The open-source InDesign alternative, running right here. Spreads and parent pages, threaded text frames, paragraph styles, beautiful justification, and PDF, IDML and EPUB export.

  • Official DesignCraft web build, unmodified
  • Runs locally with WebAssembly in your browser
  • Open source (MIT or Apache-2.0), made by ArtCraft team

About the app

What is DesignCraft?

DesignCraft is a free, open-source page layout app that recreates the Adobe InDesign workflow: spreads and parent pages, frames and threaded stories, the Control panel, paragraph and character styles, swatches and text wrap. It is written in Rust by the ArtCraft team and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and in the browser.

It is the youngest of the Crafting Apps — its roadmap calls it pre-alpha — so expect gaps. Its typography is already a highlight: a Knuth–Plass paragraph composer, hyphenation and optical margin alignment, with identical line breaks on screen and in PDF.

DesignCraft is one of the Crafting Apps, alongside VectorCraft, the free Illustrator alternative.

DesignCraft features

InDesign’s layout workflow, rebuilt from scratch in Rust

Spreads, frames and parent pages in DesignCraft

Spreads, frames and parent pages

Lay out spreads with parent pages, frames, columns, a baseline grid and the familiar Control panel.

Threaded text and wrap in DesignCraft

Threaded text and wrap

One story flows through columns and frames and around images and pull quotes.

Paragraph and character styles in DesignCraft

Paragraph and character styles

Kickers, headlines, decks and body text from reusable styles, with keeps, rules and tabs.

Beautiful type in DesignCraft

Beautiful type

A Knuth–Plass paragraph composer, dictionary hyphenation and optical margin alignment.

Swatches and print-ready PDF in DesignCraft

Swatches and print-ready PDF

Named colours and CMYK process swatches, exported to PDF/X-4 or PDF/A-2b.

Screenshots and sample pages: DesignCraft contributors, MIT OR Apache-2.0.

Get started

How to use DesignCraft online

  1. 1

    Let it load once

    The first visit downloads DesignCraft (about 13 MB). After that your browser keeps it, so it opens in a moment.

  2. 2

    Start a document

    Pick a page size, open an IDML file, or click Open sample magazine to explore a finished layout.

  3. 3

    Lay out, then export

    Place frames, thread text, apply styles, then export a PDF (including PDF/X-4), PNG, EPUB or IDML.

Compare

DesignCraft vs InDesign, Affinity and Scribus

FeatureDesignCraft OnlineAdobe InDesignAffinityScribus
PriceFreeSubscriptionFreeFree
Runs in the browser
No account needed
Open source
InDesign-style tools & shortcuts
IDML import and exportImportPartial import
MaturityPre-alphaIndustry standardMatureMature

Affinity is free for individuals with a Canva account.

Desktop app · version 0.8.0 · released 2026-10-14

Download DesignCraft

Prefer a native app? Every link goes straight to the official GitHub release by ArtCraft team.

DesignCraft for Windows

How to install

  1. Download the .msi installer that matches your PC (x64 for almost all Intel and AMD computers).
  2. Double-click it and follow the setup steps; DesignCraft appears in the Start menu.
  3. Prefer not to install? Unzip the portable build anywhere and run DesignCraft from that folder.

DesignCraft for macOS

How to install

  1. Download the universal .dmg and open it.
  2. Drag DesignCraft into your Applications folder.
  3. Open it from Applications or Launchpad. The app is signed and notarized by Apple.

DesignCraft for Linux

How to install

  1. AppImage: make it executable (chmod +x designcraft-*.AppImage) and run it.
  2. Flatpak: flatpak install --user designcraft-*.flatpak
  3. Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install ./designcraft-*.deb — Fedora: sudo dnf install ./designcraft-*.rpm

DesignCraft for FreeBSD

How to install

  1. Unpack the tarball and run the designcraft binary inside it.

Verify your download

Compare the file’s SHA-256 hash with SHA256SUMS.txt from the release. On macOS or Linux run shasum -a 256 <file>; on Windows run certutil -hashfile <file> SHA256. Older versions and release notes are on the GitHub releases page .

DesignCraft FAQ

Is DesignCraft free?

Yes. DesignCraft is free, open-source software (MIT or Apache-2.0), and this page lets you use its web version without paying, installing anything or creating an account.

Can DesignCraft open InDesign files?

It imports and exports IDML, InDesign’s interchange format. It cannot open native .indd files — save them as IDML from InDesign first.

Which formats can DesignCraft export?

PDF (including PDF/X-4 and PDF/A-2b), PNG, EPUB and IDML, plus its own documented native format.

Is DesignCraft ready for professional work?

Not yet. It is the youngest Crafting App and its roadmap calls it pre-alpha. Try it on personal projects and keep InDesign or Affinity for client work.

Is this the official DesignCraft website?

No. DesignCraft is made by the ArtCraft team (getartcraft.com). This is an independent page that hosts the unmodified official web build.

Can I download DesignCraft as a desktop app?

Yes. Signed builds for Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD are linked in the download section below, straight from the official GitHub release.

DesignCraft guides

More free Crafting Apps

DesignCraft, the free InDesign alternative, is one of the ArtCraft team’s open-source Crafting Apps. See all apps