Adobe InDesign now requires a $23/month subscription. For most users, that price alone is enough to look for alternatives.
There are ways to reduce the cost, and options to fund the subscription without paying out of pocket. Free alternatives are also worth considering if none of the approaches below fit.
Use the Free Trial and Extend It With the Money-Back Guarantee
Adobe's 7-day trial can effectively be extended to three weeks by using the refund policy:
- Sign up to the free trial.
- Pay for one billing period on day eight.
- Cancel the subscription on day 20 for a full refund.
Adobe InDesign free trial cancellation screen showing refund eligibility · April, 2025
This isn't a long-term solution, but it covers three weeks of full access at no cost.
Use the Student Discount
Adobe offers a discounted Creative Cloud bundle — which includes InDesign — to students and educators at $20 per month. There's no standalone InDesign discount, but the bundle price is lower than the single-app subscription even if InDesign is the only tool needed.
The discount is available to anyone over 13 enrolled at:
- University or college
- Primary or secondary school
- Alternative education institutions (those offering micro-credentials, certificates, or professional certifications)
- Homeschool
Eligible users can sign up for Adobe Creative Cloud for Students directly through Adobe.
Fund the Adobe InDesign Subscription With Freecash
For those who don't qualify for a discount, earning Amazon gift cards through Freecash and subscribing via Adobe's official Amazon store covers the monthly cost without spending personal income.
Freecash pays users to complete short tasks online — answering surveys and testing new games are among the most popular. Tasks work on mobile and take a few minutes each. Rated 4.6 on Trustpilot from over 311479 reviews.
