Affinity Publisher vs. Marq

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Affinity Publisher
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Affinity Publisher replaces the former PagePlus desktop publishing application, from Serif Europe headquartered in Nottingham.
$24.99
Marq
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Marq, formerly Lucidpress, is a design & brand templating platform that enables users to create & share branded collateral. Marq offers consistency so brands can deliver its message more effectively wherever it goes. The vendor states over 5 million people use Lucidpress to create, customize, control & distribute their brand’s content.N/A
Pricing
Affinity PublisherMarq
Editions & Modules
Affinity Publisher
$24.99
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Affinity PublisherMarq
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Affinity PublisherMarq
Considered Both Products
Affinity Publisher
Chose Affinity Publisher
Only useful on the Windows platform. Perhaps it is just fine, but the plug-in style function of the Affinity photo and designer attached to Publisher makes the Affinity solution more robust. The Microsoft product is also attached to a subscription platform, where the Serif …
Chose Affinity Publisher
I used to use Adobe FrameMaker for similar tasks. Affinity Publisher is easier to use with similar functionality (excluding mathematics).
Chose Affinity Publisher
The features in Affinity Publisher easily stack up against the much more expensive Adobe suite of products. With the ability to open all file types it is a bit of a workhorse for all things. We have been using it for social media template designs as well as client booklets and …
Chose Affinity Publisher
It's just as full-featured. It's nice to not be locked into the Adobe Creative Suite. We also use Affinity Photo, so we knew Affinity was a reputable company making some incredible software worth looking into. It took us a while, but very glad we gave it a chance. It can do …
Chose Affinity Publisher
Affinity Publisher has a comparable feature set to Adobe InDesign, but for a fraction of the cost. You can technically create print graphics in Illustrator and Sketch (and some of our people still do), but you have to worry about converting pixels to inches pretty regularly to …
Chose Affinity Publisher
Affinity Publisher is a more cost effective way to achieve the same goals as InDesign and Quark. I'm sure there are various differences that Affinity may lack, however we have yet to run into one that our business has needed, or even recognized. It has completely replaced any …
Marq
Chose Marq
I tried to use Canva as a more affordable option early on but found that the platform didn't really work well with text and creating cohesive design was difficult because of the way the page layouts were. Every page was separate and it wasn't easy to scroll to find errors in …
Chose Marq
I think if we had found Canva first we would have probably chosen it as our platform. We had already invested a lot of time and energy into developing multiple templates and branding standards in LucidPress.
Best Alternatives
Affinity PublisherMarq
Small Businesses
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.8 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Canva
Canva
Score 9.1 out of 10
Canva
Canva
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.8 out of 10
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
Score 9.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Affinity PublisherMarq
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.6
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Affinity PublisherMarq
Likelihood to Recommend
Honestly, I thought our department would use this more for creating documentation for our staff and doing some mock-ups and layouts to envision future projects. I also run the social media for us, and I didn't expect to come to rely on Publisher for some of my social media layouts. There are other apps and subscription services that can streamline some social media posts, but with a bit of usage I've come to like using Publisher, as well.
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It’s a good platform to provide a hub for locked down template management. If you are needing a service for managing branded assets and users across multiple teams or departments this can be a good fit. However if you are looking for an online design software you may be better served by other platforms
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Pros
  • Supports just about any format you'll need for your project.
  • The variety of templates makes startign projects simple.
  • The program is just really powerful and fairly priced.
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  • User management
  • Easy to create and edit templates
  • Able to install an approval layer to govern use
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Cons
  • Menu differences can be an impediment to new users from other softwares
  • Some functions are not in places I would expect
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  • Automated page numbering would be amazing
  • Scroll button should be darker to find it easier
  • More template options
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Usability
It offers a user-friendly interface and powerful design tools that make creating high-quality graphics and layouts straightforward. However, some features can feel complex, especially for new users, which may require a bit of a learning curve. The integration between desktop and iPad is excellent, but improving compatibility with other popular software could enhance collaboration and efficiency even further. Overall, it’s a robust tool that balances functionality and ease of use quite well.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
So far, when we've needed support, it has been top tier. However, I rate it an 8 because sometimes searching for things within the application hasn't yielded answers I've hoped for, so I've had to turn to YouTube or other outside sources. Thankfully there's a fantastic community that surrounds Affinity and their various apps that's been quite beneficial
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
The features in Affinity Publisher easily stack up against the much more expensive Adobe suite of products. With the ability to open all file types it is a bit of a workhorse for all things. We have been using it for social media template designs as well as client booklets and case studies. It's a very versatile program.
Read full review
I tried to use Canva as a more affordable option early on but found that the platform didn't really work well with text and creating cohesive design was difficult because of the way the page layouts were. Every page was separate and it wasn't easy to scroll to find errors in margins, font size, and spacing.
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Return on Investment
  • The one-time purchase model has saved us approximately 50% compared to subscription software, freeing up budget for other critical business needs.
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  • I am able to save over $10K per issue by doing the design and layout myself.
  • I am able to save at least 2-3 weeks per issue by doing the design and layout myself.
  • I don't need to employ a team to compile each issue, I do it all myself.
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ScreenShots

Marq Screenshots

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