If you’re eyeing Adobe InDesign for your layout and publishing needs, you’ll soon face a common decision:
Should you subscribe to just InDesign—or go all-in with the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite?
This guide breaks down the pros, cons, and real-world use cases to help you decide where to invest your money and attention.
🧠 First, What’s the Difference?
- InDesign-Only Plan gives you access to just Adobe InDesign, plus 100GB of cloud storage and Adobe Fonts.
- Creative Cloud All Apps Plan gives you access to 20+ Adobe apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and more.
While both come with core Adobe services like Creative Cloud storage, Adobe Fonts, and Portfolio, the price difference is significant—which is why it’s important to know which route best fits your needs.
💡 When the InDesign-Only Plan Is Enough
If your work is focused on print layouts, editorial design, digital publishing, or document formatting, InDesign alone may be all you need. Here are some scenarios:
- You’re a freelance book designer, magazine layout specialist, or resume creator.
- You mostly work with text-heavy layouts like annual reports, manuals, or whitepapers.
- You use other non-Adobe tools for image editing (like Affinity Photo, Canva, or free apps).
👉 Price Advantage: The InDesign-only plan is roughly half the cost of the full suite, making it ideal if InDesign is your main or only creative tool.
🚀 When the Full Creative Cloud Is Worth It
The Creative Cloud All Apps plan makes sense if:
1. You use InDesign alongside Photoshop and Illustrator
Most professional designers don’t work in a vacuum. They’ll build assets in Illustrator (like logos and icons), edit photos in Photoshop, then assemble everything in InDesign. If this sounds like your workflow, the bundle is often more efficient—and cost-effective.
2. You’re expanding into digital media
The All Apps plan includes apps like:
- Premiere Pro for video editing
- After Effects for motion graphics
- Acrobat Pro for advanced PDF handling
- XD for UX/UI design
Having all these tools at your fingertips helps you offer more services or build multi-format content.
3. You’re part of a team or agency
Creative Cloud for teams offers shared libraries, license management, and priority support—none of which you get with a single-app plan.
💰 Price Comparison
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (Paid Monthly) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| InDesign Only | ~$22.99 | ~$22.99/mo | Solo layout designers |
| All Apps | ~$59.99 | ~$54.99/mo | Multi-disciplinary creatives, agencies |
| Student/Teacher All Apps | ~$19.99 | ~$19.99/mo | Eligible educational users |
Note: Prices vary by region and promotions.
🧩 Still Not Sure? Try the Free Trial
Adobe offers a 7-day free trial of both single-app and full Creative Cloud plans. If you’re torn, start with All Apps—then downgrade if you realize you only use InDesign.
✅ Final Verdict
| You Should Choose… | If You… |
|---|---|
| InDesign Only | Focus solely on layout, text, publishing, and don’t need Photoshop or Illustrator |
| Creative Cloud All Apps | Want to design across print, web, video, and more—or expect to grow your skillset soon |
💬 Pro Tip:
If you plan to offer services to clients, bundling your skills (e.g., logo + brochure + social graphics) often requires multiple Adobe apps. In that case, the Creative Cloud plan practically pays for itself.
🧲 Want to Try Before You Buy?
👉 Click here to start a free trial of InDesign or the full Creative Cloud.
Includes access to Adobe Fonts, Adobe Portfolio, and 100GB storage.
📌 TL;DR
- InDesign-only: Great for focused document and layout work.
- Creative Cloud All Apps: Best for cross-media projects and growing creative pros.
