QuarkXPress vs Marq

Canva

Adobe Photoshop

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Graphic design and video editing tool for creating and publishing marketing material, presentations, social media content, and a range of printed products, using a drag-and-drop editor and a library of customizable templates.

Adobe Photoshop is an image editing and graphic designing software that helps businesses streamline photo editing and compositing processes and create digital paintings and animations. The artificial-intelligence (AI)-enabled platform lets designers invite external stakeholders to edit documents and share projects via live streaming functionality.

GIMP is an open-source image manipulation software that enables businesses, graphic designers, scientists, illustrators, and photographers to edit and retouch images, design icons, create free-hand artworks, and convert files into various formats.

QuarkXPress is content design and desktop publishing software.

Unmatched page layout and digital publishing capabilities are complemented by tools for refining graphics and illustrations and non-destructive photo editing. 

Brilliant content begins with QuarkXPress.


Content Import/Export

Content Library

Content Management

Custom Fonts

Customizable Branding

Design Management

Drag & Drop Editor

Image Editing

Interactive Content

Layout & Design

Magazines

Multi-Language

Newsletters

Newspapers

Print Management

Search/Filter

Secure Data Storage

Template Management

Text Editing

Third-Party Integrations

Version Control

QuarkXPress

Web-based

Windows

Adobe InDesign

CorelDRAW

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Creative Cloud

Canvas X Draw

PhotoADKing

Prepaid Annual Subscription

Perpetual License

Student & Faculty Annual Subscription

Charity & Nonprofit License

Government Perpetual License with 1 year Maintenance

Government Subscription License

Publisher

We have been using QuarkXPress for over two decades to design, update and manage a wide range of editorial products, including tourist guides, art books and magazines.

Versatility: supports both print and digital outputs (PDF, ePub, HTML), allowing hybrid editorial projects without changing tools.

Chairman

The software helps me in getting out a consistent layout, automating things (like conditional formats triggered by my own conditions).

President

We really could use a properly functioning document converter that would allow us to work with versions as far back as Quark 6 and or older versions of indesign.  

Owner

Conversion of eps files sometime does not convert totally when I import from Adobe software and convert to line but if I leave as original I have no problems.

Director

Fantastic placing and cropping of boxed images, far faster and better than InDesign, not to mention Picture Usage / Font Usage menu which has always been better.  

Principal Architect

I like that it knows if I've edited an image already inserted into my document so that I simply can update the photo without deleting and reinserting.  

Designer, owner

One limitation is the lack of deep integration with other creative software. While QuarkXPress is very capable on its own, users who rely heavily on multi-app ecosystems may find the workflow less seamless.

Partner

I have used Quark Xpress since the beginning it's just got better and better, some of the new features picture editing, font changes etc.. make my job a lot easier.

Sole Trader

Using it makes the production of documents have the correct style and presentation that shows that a professional job has been achieved.

Art Director-Photographer

QuarkXPess has remained our agency go to software for all things and we appreciate the minimal interface changes that keep us productive year after year and with various employees.

Constant checks (via said updater) and seems like the purchase is through a third-party, while you can't launch the software without a user-password login.

Color Operations Manager

The bugs, because Quark freezes up saying not responding when we look at the app after clicking force quit on the mac, and then have to force quit and restart it.

We are able to open our current and older quark files and ALL the fonts we used previously are still available.

Quark is still the only superior graphics software (Sorry not sorry Adobe) that allows typesetting for traditional graphic design.

Manager

I like the fact that Quark is a complete software package that each version builds upon the existing base, unlike its competitor that just drops difficult features.

Book design and layout

Still has option for permanent license, which is extremely important for any freelancer. And has very good customer support--again, a stark contrast with Adobe.

Efficiency in complex layouts: ideal for books, guides, magazines and multi-page publications with recurring structures.

I want to design my layouts, not have layers of unnecessary click-clicks and menu pull-downs to do what was once more straightforward. -

Managing Director

Quark Express has always been the standard design software in my view and always has been, it really works well for designers that want to think for themselves rather than being lead by increasing AI tech.

I use QX for typesetting books of music scores which I embed as PDF.

Chief Designer

The experience of writing about a problem and getting no answer except "If you do not respond to this email within 24 hours this case will be closed" has become quite common in the past few years.

I have used it for single page flyers and posters as well as for multi-page documents.

The user interface is quite friendly, allowing me to edit text and images with ease.  

art director

It has a full suite of advanced typography tools, a smart approach to page layout, powerful style sheets, graphics management and much more.

not applicable

At the time, did hospital flowsheets (new concept at the time), and needed to use all the tools available at the time to create clear and logical clinical information flow, largest possible entry spaces coupled with unscrunched clear text, attractive headings, and so on, while meeting common hospital forms requirements.

Recruitment Team Lead

The fantastic features like advance image editing, printing documents of excellent quality with all compliant standards makes the software highly reliable and dependable.

Development activity for designing of brochures, leaflets, Newsletters and Coffee table book has been significantly improvement after introduction of QuarkXPress in our system and we will continue using the software in upcoming years.

Facility to export tp pdf for publishing (required by our print shop)

Polyvalent

Support is slow, often unhelpful, and inefficient. When issues arise, especially billing-related ones, resolving them takes too much time and energy.

The CONSTANT "updates" are absolutely off-putting and NAGWARE to the point I had to find a way to disable the updater.

Design Director

This offers value for money for the company. When ever I have had issues the customer support team have got managed to fixed these and get me up and running quickly.

Owner operator

An annoying glitch (the loss of the specific sizing function) that require a software restart.

I use it daily for my work in graphics and print.

the interface has become unrecognizable and completely over-bloated in an effort to compete with Adobe.

Director of Design

Simple the best why choose others, like many I have tried other software brands but nothing touches the eas of use, the simple transparent interface and quality that is unrivaled.

Writer, editor, curator

Keeping the essential working rules and tools constant, while developing the application's newer versions.

Office Administrator

Scrolling with the mouse wheel is too fast: even a slight movement scrolls several lines.

The photo-editing features, pagination and layout choices are exceptionally convenient.

Owner Designer

Working in QuarkXPress I've always found there to be issues with font programs and QuarkXpress.

Quality of page structuring pages and resizing pictures.

Gives me excellent control--MUCH finer control over typography than InDesign.

Quark lets me do the work I need to do in fewer steps with less difficulties than Indesign.  

The Subscription model I wasn't happy with, and think it's too expensive compared to buying outright and keeping a version for years.  

Designer, Owner

Contextual menu items changes for each toolbar item.

Currently, have campground info (pertinent to us), chest freezer inventory, backpack content checklist (by compartment)...all of which can be done using other programs, but it is nice to fine tune for convenience.

I would have appreciated an option to reduce the number of lines per scroll.

Have created numerous projects and the conversion to .pdf for print is perfect.

Quark Xpress has been my go-to DTP program since the original version, and it just keeps getting better and better.

It was not always an easy decision due to the price and me using only fractions of its functionality. But I feel quite attached to it and would hat having to abandon it.

Print Production

Workflow and Automation

Menu and Shortcuts

Flyer and Newspaper Creation

Layout and Design

User Interface

Bugs and Issues

Customer Support

File Export and Conversion

Mid-size Business

Small Business

Large Enterprises

Freelancers

Quark Software

WordPress

WordPress is a website and blog creation and publishing platform with tools for aesthetic designing, visitor tracking, content storage and upload, and more

Adobe InDesign is a layout design and desktop publishing software designed to help businesses and creative individuals create graphic designs with typography from various foundries and imagery from Adobe Stock. The platform lets teams create and publish digital magazines, books, eBooks, interactive PDFs, posters, and more.

Adobe Creative Cloud is a graphic design and video editing suite that enables businesses to publish print layouts, edit images, manage PDF documents, and collaborate with team members using various mobile and desktop applications.

Marq integrates brand guardrails into customizable templates, enabling teams to create, localize, and publish on-brand content at scale.

Access Controls/Permissions

Approval Process Control

Archiving & Retention

Artwork Management

Asset Categorization

Asset Library

Asset Sharing

Brand Guidelines

CAD Tools

Campaign Management

Categorization/Grouping

Change Management

Collaboration Tools

Commenting/Notes

Content Publishing Options

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Data Storage Management

Design Templates

Digital Asset Management

Document Management

Document Storage

Drag & Drop

Email Management

Email Marketing

Engagement Tracking

File Conversion

File Management

File Sharing

Fulfillment Distribution

Full Text Search

Image Library

Multi-Channel Campaigns

Personalization

Presentation Tools

Preview Functionality

Project Management

Reporting & Statistics

Role-Based Permissions

Sales Onboarding & Training

Single Sign On

Social Media Integration

Task Management

Workflow Management

WYSIWYG Editor

Most reviewers indicate Marq provides strong value for money, citing affordable pricing and a useful free version. Some users report the free tier is restrictive, and a few feel paid plans are expensive for infrequent use.

Value for money

Reviews for Marq come from a wide variety of industries, including non-profit organization management (10% of reviewers), education management (7%), and marketing and advertising (6%). The most frequent use case for Marq cited by reviewers is graphic design (47% of reviewers).

Marq

Linux

Chromebook

Free

Team

Business

Creative

I liked the security system and the user-friendly layout of the software and that it’s very user-friendly and I would recommend it to all my friends and family

Fabricator

It offers easy-to-use templates, real-time collaboration, and cloud-based access, making it accessible for teams regardless of location.

Art Director

Marq is a cost effective platform for creating brand templates that allow control over what elements other employees can update and edit.

Customer Manager

Marq has provided us with world class sales enablement tools at an affordable cost.

QuarkXPress vs Marq Comparison (2026)

QuarkXPress

Marq

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives