We stand with Ukraine to help keep people safe. Join us

Page layout with professional publishing features.

3.8
Based on 15 user ratesRead reviews & comments
Free
Absolutely Free

Scribus overview

Scribus is an Open-Source program that brings award-winning professional page layout to Linux/Unix, OS X, and Windows desktops with a combination of "press-ready" output and new approaches to page layout. Underneath the modern and user-friendly interface, Scribus supports professional publishing features such as CMYK color, separations, ICC color management, and versatile PDF creation. Scribus/Aqua is a port of Scribus to a native Aqua build using Qt Free for macOS.

What’s new in version 1.6.1

Updated on Jan 09 2024

  • Fixes to text wrapping, primarily evident on later versions of mac OS (13/14)
  • Fixes to hyphenation
  • Update to tell Windows installer to not reboot on installation of the Visual C++ Redistributable package
  • Update DublinCore input fields for Document Information tagging
  • Clarification of specific PDF/X export versions
  • Some scripter improvements
  • Update to poppler 24.01 in our builds.
View older Scribus updates

Information

License

Free

Size

236.2 MB

Developer’s website

https://www.scribus.net

Downloads

68974

App requirements

Try our new feature and write a detailed review about Scribus. All reviews will be posted soon.

Write your thoughts in our old-fashioned comment

MacUpdate Comment Policy. We strongly recommend leaving comments, however comments with abusive words, bullying, personal attacks of any type will be moderated.
0.0

(0 Reviews of )

There are no reviews yet
  • Comments

  • User Ratings

RogerKatz
RogerKatz
Jan 1 2024
1.5.6.1
0.0
Jan 1 2024
0.0
Version: 1.5.6.1
macOS 10.15.7 won't open Scribus version 1.5.6.1 while providing the following Alert: "“Scribus.app” can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software.
anonymous-dingo-653
anonymous-dingo-653
Mar 27 2014
1.4.3
3.5
Mar 27 2014
3.5
Version: 1.4.3
I have finally installed and used this one... to some success on some minor projects for output to PDF. I give high marks on that last part, but as to the rest... Scribus needs some serious updating! I have used many moderate to top of the line DTP applications, all the way to the nightmare that is the industrial strength InDesign CC. While Scribus is not that bad, I would not call it good and would not recommend it to anyone unfamiliar with DTP. Things that should be simple, such as inline / inlayout editing, are not. Constantly switching panes to set different things in just one paragraph, section, and/or page was tedious at times. And the story editor was... well, just bad compared to programs of a similar focus. Still, I will keep working at this one, as one day I hope to switch to Linux fully and slave other OSes. Scribus would be the best choice for sparse DTP needs. But hopefully by the time that switch becomes reality, it will have improved. It really needs to from install all the way to advanced work.
anonymous-dingo-653
anonymous-dingo-653
Oct 14 2013
1.4.3
3.5
Oct 14 2013
3.5
Version: 1.4.3
A bit disconcerting the Scribus documentation references GS 8.71 in its GhostScript links, and yet the latest version of GS is 9.1. The additional frustration is that neither version will download directly from openprinting.org or from macports. Without GS, Scribus is only half-functional... and yet I cannot even get GS to begin the inevitable wresting match. Anyone having similar problems or know of another location to acquire a directly installable version of GS?
Penguirl
Penguirl
Jan 19 2013
1.4.2
0.0
Jan 19 2013
0.0
Version: 1.4.2
Interesting that InDesign is not listed under Similar Software…
Magosilvan
Magosilvan
May 7 2012
1.4.1
5.0
May 7 2012
5.0
Version: 1.4.1
Really good,cheap and fast app. Thanks to the developer.
Skyhorse
Skyhorse
Jan 20 2012
1.4.0
1.5
Jan 20 2012
1.5
Version: 1.4.0
NOT so perfect. It downloads easily and looks relatively easy to figure out and use, and there is an instruction manual. However, in order to use Print Preview for pre-press or PDF export features you MUST download Ghostscript. These features are kind of critical for the intended purpose of a DTP. OK, no problem there, Ghostscript is easy to find following the links in Scribus or externally and it has its own Mac OS loader. But once it's loaded, Scribus can't find it on its own and wants YOU to give it a path. How to do that? NOT in the manual though there is a convenient placeholder for it and I couldn't find it in the user forums. Bottom line: too much Linux in this for use by most Mac users, including this relatively experienced one who's used X11 for years (but never needed Ghostscript). So for me, it's unusable as is.
bgabesy007
bgabesy007
Jan 11 2012
1.4.0
5.0
Jan 11 2012
5.0
Version: 1.4.0
Perfect app.
Laos
Laos
Aug 8 2011
1.4.0.rc3
4.0
Aug 8 2011
4.0
Version: 1.4.0.rc3
Scribus is a professional DTP solution. To really understand its value we must look at it pros and cons. 1. Scribus is cross-platform (Linux, Windows, Mac OS X). This is its main advantage and its main disadvantage. It is an advantage as you can move its document files across different operating systems and the result will still look the same (try this with a MS product). It is a disadvantage as you cannot expect a native Mac OS X user interface. 2. Scribus has a professional feature set. As with any professional software it has its complexity and learning curve. But when you start to manage it, it is of real value. I printed a lot of flyers and smaller books with it and was always impressed by its feature set. 3. Scribus is open source and comes for free. It is really impressive what Scribus brings you for nothing. But, as true for many open source projects, its development cycles could be shorter. Of course, we all would like to see every month a new final release, but the available resources are limited. Scribus has a strong development community, which offers continuous support since many years. What else can we expect? If you do not bring your files to a professional printer often, then this software might not be for you. You might be more pleased with Apple's Pages. If you need to create printable PDFs and you do not want to invest in expensive software like Adobe InDesign, then this is worth looking at.
GymW
GymW
Feb 20 2011
1.3.9
0.0
Feb 20 2011
0.0
Version: 1.3.9
Ghostsrcript help is under the troubleshooting tab
GymW
GymW
Feb 20 2011
1.3.9
0.0
Feb 20 2011
0.0
Version: 1.3.9
A recent compiled version is now located here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ghostscript/files/GPL%20Ghostscript/8.71/ghostscript-8.71-macosx.tar.gz/download Install the executable file here: /$home/usr/bin Where $home is your root directory of your hard drive. The 'bin' folder is hidden so you will need to us the Finder 'Go To Folder' menu item or a utility to reveal hidden folders. In an application that needs it, such as Scribus, in preferences point the gs file path to the executable in your 'bin' folder. To pont to this file, open the 'bin' folder or leave it open from the install. When in the Open dialog in your program, click on the executable in the 'bin' folder.
Cenocre
Cenocre
Jul 13 2010
1.3.7
3.0
Jul 13 2010
3.0
Version: 1.3.7
I really wanted to like this program, but now have mostly disdain for it. At first, it looked pretty good - nice logo decent layout, but it all went waaaaaay downhill from there. At first, it needed GhostScript to import EPS and PDF. Just try to find an easy to install version of GhostScript. Most versions are a pain to install, having to run UNIX scripts and finding out that additional pieces are needed part way through the install forcing one to start over. Finally, I finally found an easy Mac version, but why in the hell wasn't it mentioned at the various websites for GhostScript and Scribus! Next, I TRIED to install templates. They were easy to find, but the instructions were either missing, utterly cryptic, or wrong. This is a classic case of open source assuming that everyone is a UNIX or LINUX geek. After lots of research and trials, I gave up. So, I just tried to create my own document from scratch and almost immediately got the error, 'The application "pdflatex --interaction nonstopmode" failed to start! Please check the path:' Huh? Continuing on, I found that the interface was stunning stupid for some tasks, especially related to text. It is incredible that you have to change the text's characteristics in a one window and then go back to the main window to see the effect. I'm a programmer and run web servers so I am somewhat used to the "logic" and assumptions of the open source and UNIX world. And, I've used Quark since it's intro, Pagemaker, MultiAd Creator, and other DTP programs and have rarely needed to consult their manuals and am very schooled on DTP. I found Scribus to be unnecessarily difficult and illogical. Scribus should and could be a great product and it appears to be very comprehensive, but it need LOTS of help to make it rationally easy to install and use for even the above average user. A lot of good work has gone into Scribus. I hope that they end up making it a great competitor to Quark. For now I will stick with the surprisingly good MultiAd Creator.
Rubaiyat
Rubaiyat
Nov 8 2009
1.3.5v180209
0.0
Nov 8 2009
0.0
Version: 1.3.5v180209
Just starting to have a look at this, so not a comprehensive review. First impressions: 1. Seems to have a very large selection of features. Some appear pointed to professional usage. 2. GUI is crude. Windows, particularly dialogues, resize oddly. Buttons and fields scatter when the dialogue box is resized. Functions are not clearly grouped, not helped by the bad icons. 3. Interface icons are cheap wishy washy PC style, don't do their job and are generally indecipherable. 4. Feedback on some actions is either non existent or hard to discern. 5. Palettes are disorganised and can't be docked. 6. Tends to use programmer's jargon naming interface objects 7. Has PC behavior eg It opened the .app twice in my attempts to open sample files and closing all windows closes the application. 8. The Wiki has dead links. 9. The downloadable sample doesn't open in Scribus and there is no dialog saying why. 10 I'd rate this a stable beta. In all it is a mix of considerable promise, in desperate need of a good UI designer. Be interesting where they go from here. It seems to be making very little progress at this stage. Nothing since February.
resuna
resuna
Dec 1 2008
1.3.5
0.0
Dec 1 2008
0.0
Version: 1.3.5
I can't move the main window... it's stuck in the upper left corner of the screen. Clicking the "greyed out" maximize icon in the window reveals that this is actually a full-screen Windows style MDI application with a fake OS X window hidden inside the real main window... and the main window has no title bar. They would actually have done better to make it a plain X11 port. This is so bad a design that I see no reason to bother investigating it further.
Bmurray
Bmurray
Feb 13 2008
1.3.3.9
0.0
Feb 13 2008
0.0
Version: 1.3.3.9
This version and the current stable (1.3.3.10) are basically unusable on an Intel Mac for projects in excess of about four pages. 1.3.5 is anticipated in May and will have a native Intel build which may or may not be usable -- we'll see.
macroxx-ultra
macroxx-ultra
Jan 9 2008
1.3.3.9
0.0
Jan 9 2008
0.0
Version: 1.3.3.9
Unfortunately the PPC version is very slow on my intel mac. Hopefully a universal binary or intel version will be available soon...
GymW
GymW
Mar 16 2007
1.3.3.8
0.0
Mar 16 2007
0.0
Version: 1.3.3.8
Suggestion to old Ragtime Solo users: Since Ragtime has discontinued Ragtime Solo, it might be wise to convert your files to this product, before Solo becomes incompatible with the newer Mac OS's. This is a definite possibility since it is my understanding that Solo no longer supported. Unless this product includes a converter, copy and past should do it after creating the appropriate layouts.
Saxphile
Saxphile
Nov 12 2006
1.3.3.2
0.0
Nov 12 2006
0.0
Version: 1.3.3.2
The Aqua port's page is http://www.scribus.net/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=3&page=1
pietglorieux
pietglorieux
Feb 10 2020
4.0
Feb 10 2020
4.0
Version: null
mrwest
mrwest
May 26 2015
5.0
May 26 2015
5.0
Version: null
nicole-3
nicole-3
Jan 14 2015
3.0
Jan 14 2015
3.0
Version: null
Ervins Strauhmanis
Ervins Strauhmanis
May 29 2014
5.0
May 29 2014
5.0
Version: null
anonymous-dingo-653
anonymous-dingo-653
Mar 27 2014
3.5
Mar 27 2014
3.5
Version: null
piquadratpi2
piquadratpi2
Jul 31 2013
5.0
Jul 31 2013
5.0
Version: null
Laos
Laos
Jan 16 2013
4.0
Jan 16 2013
4.0
Version: null
Magosilvan
Magosilvan
May 7 2012
5.0
May 7 2012
5.0
Version: null
Skyhorse
Skyhorse
Jan 20 2012
1.5
Jan 20 2012
1.5
Version: null
bgabesy007
bgabesy007
Jan 11 2012
5.0
Jan 11 2012
5.0
Version: null
Stefanoaz
Stefanoaz
Jan 3 2012
4.0
Jan 3 2012
4.0
Version: null
Jack75
Jack75
Jan 2 2012
3.0
Jan 2 2012
3.0
Version: null
Batyli
Batyli
Jan 2 2012
3.0
Jan 2 2012
3.0
Version: null
neba
neba
Apr 25 2011
3.5
Apr 25 2011
3.5
Version: null
Cenocre
Cenocre
Jul 13 2010
3.0
Jul 13 2010
3.0
Version: null
Free
Absolutely Free
How would you rate Scribus?
Similar apps
Affinity Publisher
Publishing software for page layout and design.
Is this app is similar to Affinity Publisher? Vote to improve the quality of this list.
Vote results
6
Upvotes
5
Total score
-1
Downvotes
Apple Pages
Apple's word processor from the iWork suite.
Is this app is similar to Apple Pages? Vote to improve the quality of this list.
Vote results
2
Upvotes
2
Total score
0
Downvotes
iCalamus
Desktop publishing solution.
Is this app is similar to iCalamus? Vote to improve the quality of this list.
Vote results
1
Upvotes
1
Total score
0
Downvotes
RagTime
Professional business publishing software.
Is this app is similar to RagTime? Vote to improve the quality of this list.
Vote results
0
Upvotes
0
Total score
0
Downvotes
Orion PDF Author 2
Creates multi-page PDF documents.
Is this app is similar to Orion PDF Author 2? Vote to improve the quality of this list.
Vote results
2
Upvotes
0
Total score
-2
Downvotes