Your first 7 days are free. Then take your time.
- ✓ 100% of the app is available during the trial
- ✓ No card required
- ✓ Keep designing books in the app for free even after the trial ends
- ✓ After the trial ends, buy a pass or a license once you’re ready to export
No commitment 1 Month Pass €2.99
- ✓ Full-resolution, print-ready export unlocked for 30 days
- ✓ One payment — never charged again automatically
Yours forever For Life €14.99
- ✓ Full-resolution, print-ready export unlocked for life
- ✓ One payment, no renewal, ever
Support the project For Life - Supporter Edition €24.99
- ✓ Same lifetime export unlock as For Life
- ✓ Pay a bit more to help fund Aldo, a solo indie project
Aldo Reborn vs InDesign vs Affinity vs Canva
Feature by feature, and now price by price.
Imposition & printing
InDesign ~€300 per year 
Affinity Publisher Free one-off / free 
Canva Free Pro ~€100+/year ✓ Automatic imposition (saddle-stitch, mini-booklet, sewn binding)
✕ paid plugin (Quite Imposing)
✕ basic (Print Booklet)
✕
✓ Creep compensation (fold ramp)
✕ plugin
✕
✕
✓ 7 ready binding formats (A5/A4/Half-Letter saddle, A7 booklet, A4/Letter/Square sewn)
✕ build it yourself
✕ build it yourself
✕
✓ A (ISO) & US (Letter/Tabloid) paper series
✕ manual
✕ manual
✕ free size
✓ Front/back imposition view with real dimensions + marks
✕ plugin
✕
✕
✓ Adjustable bleed (0 / 3 / 5 mm)
✓
✓
✕ on/off 3 mm (Pro)
✓ Change the bleed and your photos re-extend on their own (no manual rework)
✕ place images into bleed by hand
✕ manual
✕
✓ You never think about imposition
✕ expertise required
✕
✕
✓ Automatic imposition (saddle-stitch, mini-booklet, sewn binding)
✕ None of them
✓ Creep compensation (fold ramp)
✕ None of them
✓ 7 ready binding formats (A5/A4/Half-Letter saddle, A7 booklet, A4/Letter/Square sewn)
✕ None of them
✓ A (ISO) & US (Letter/Tabloid) paper series
✕ None of them
✓ Front/back imposition view with real dimensions + marks
✕ None of them
✓ Adjustable bleed (0 / 3 / 5 mm)
✓ Some of them
✓ Change the bleed and your photos re-extend on their own (no manual rework)
✕ None of them
✓ You never think about imposition
✕ None of them
Print-ready PDF export
InDesign ~€300 per year Affinity Publisher Free one-off / free Canva Free Pro ~€100+/year ✓ PDF/X-3 compliant (embedded FOGRA39 profile)
✓
✓
✕
✓ ICC CMYK conversion (FOGRA39, perceptual + BPC)
✓
✓
✕ generic CMYK (Pro)
✓ Automatic pagination / K-only black
✕ manual
✕
✕
✓ Embedded JPEG, no recompression (resample only if oversized)
✕ settings
✕
✕ recompresses
✓ Bleed applied after imposition
✕
✕
✕
✓ Dual export (imposed + flat spread) in one click
✕
✕
✕
✓ Vector text (folios, index)
✓
✓
✓
✓ PDF/X-3 compliant (embedded FOGRA39 profile)
✓ Some of them
✓ ICC CMYK conversion (FOGRA39, perceptual + BPC)
✓ Some of them
✓ Automatic pagination / K-only black
✕ None of them
✓ Embedded JPEG, no recompression (resample only if oversized)
✕ None of them
✓ Bleed applied after imposition
✕ None of them
✓ Dual export (imposed + flat spread) in one click
✕ None of them
✓ Vector text (folios, index)
✓ All of them
Images & colour
InDesign ~€300 per year Affinity Publisher Free one-off / free Canva Free Pro ~€100+/year ✓ Import HEIC / AVIF / RAW / JPEG XL / TIFF / JPEG
✕ format-dependent
✕
✕ no RAW
✓ CMYK soft-proof (RGB / CMYK tab)
✓
✓
✕
✓ Auto EXIF rotation on import
✓
✓
✓
✓ Crop / rotate / scale in-app
✓
✓
✓
✓ DPI badge / low-resolution warning
✕ Preflight
✕
✕ print alert
✓ Built-in photo library
✕ external Bridge
✕
✓ uploads + stock
✓ Import HEIC / AVIF / RAW / JPEG XL / TIFF / JPEG
✕ None of them
✓ CMYK soft-proof (RGB / CMYK tab)
✓ Some of them
✓ Auto EXIF rotation on import
✓ All of them
✓ Crop / rotate / scale in-app
✓ All of them
✓ DPI badge / low-resolution warning
✕ None of them
✓ Built-in photo library
✓ Some of them
Editing & layout
InDesign ~€300 per year Affinity Publisher Free one-off / free Canva Free Pro ~€100+/year ✓ Ready opinionated templates (24: covers, text, image, spreads, index)
✕ build everything
✕ a few templates
✓ massive library
✓ Fluid grid that reflows across every format
✕ manual master pages
✕
✕ resize, not binding-aware
✓ Double-page image across the binding (auto-coupled)
✕ manual
✕
✕
✓ Drag to reorder pages (swap + spread insertion)
✓
✓
✓
✓ Auto-generated photo index
✕ semi-manual table
✕
✕
✓ Asymmetric margins for sewn binding (sewing allowance)
✕ manual
✕
✕
✓ Cut-off text detection + jump to page
✕ Preflight
✕
✕
✕ Total placement freedom (free frames anywhere)
✓
✓
✓
✕ Advanced typography (styles, GREP, full OpenType)
✓
✓
✕ limited
✓ Ready opinionated templates (24: covers, text, image, spreads, index)
✓ Some of them
✓ Fluid grid that reflows across every format
✕ None of them
✓ Double-page image across the binding (auto-coupled)
✕ None of them
✓ Drag to reorder pages (swap + spread insertion)
✓ All of them
✓ Auto-generated photo index
✕ None of them
✓ Asymmetric margins for sewn binding (sewing allowance)
✕ None of them
✓ Cut-off text detection + jump to page
✕ None of them
✕ Total placement freedom (free frames anywhere)
✓ All of them
✕ Advanced typography (styles, GREP, full OpenType)
✓ Some of them
Project, UX & platform
InDesign ~€300 per year Affinity Publisher Free one-off / free Canva Free Pro ~€100+/year ✓ Design for free, no subscription to build your zine
✕ subscription
✓ one-off
✕ free, limited
✓ 3D zine preview (final object, binding, real cover)
✕
✕
✕
✓ Autosave + portable project format (.aldb, self-contained)
✕
✕
✕ cloud only
✓ Full undo / redo
✓
✓
✓
✓ Works offline (no connection)
✓
✓
✕ web only
✓ Learning curve for a non-DTP photographer
✕ steep
✕ medium
✓ minimal
Made for Photographers & fanzines
DTP pros
Semi-pros & pros
General public & marketing
✓ Design for free, no subscription to build your zine
✓ Some of them
✓ 3D zine preview (final object, binding, real cover)
✕ None of them
✓ Autosave + portable project format (.aldb, self-contained)
✕ None of them
✓ Full undo / redo
✓ All of them
✓ Works offline (no connection)
✓ Some of them
✓ Learning curve for a non-DTP photographer
✓ Some of them
Made for Photographers & fanzines
—
We left out total placement freedom and advanced typography on purpose, opinionated templates over a blank canvas. We remove the complexity, not the possibilities. Canva doesn't make bound books at all (no imposition, no print-ready PDF, it recompresses images), so it's a non-competitor on Aldo's core. InDesign, Affinity and Canva columns are general observations.