- Magazine makers compared
- Ten magazine makers to explore
- Which magazine maker fits your publication
- Print and online editions need separate ISSNs
- Design together, publish online or print?
- Six questions before you publish issue one
- Signs your magazine is losing readers
- My plain advice on a magazine people finish
- Frequently asked questions
A magazine maker helps you design, publish or print a magazine, whether that's a digital flipbook, a school or community magazine or a printed zine. Some let a group create the magazine together, some turn a finished PDF into an interactive flipbook and some print and bind it for you. Ten options follow in no particular order.
A magazine gives a school, club or small business something a social feed can't: a finished issue people read from cover to cover and come back to.
The ten tools below cover making, publishing and printing. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If you're deciding between a magazine and a blog, my guide on where to write and publish blog posts weighs up the online side.
Magazine makers compared
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site says the tool, or a plan or version of it, is free or open source. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Designrr | eBook and flipbook creator | Turning blog posts into publications | Not stated |
| FlippingBook | PDF to flipbook web service | Tracking who reads your publication | Not stated |
| Flipsnack | Interactive flipbook maker | Catalogues and magazines for brands | Not stated |
| Heyzine | Online flipbook maker | A free page-flip magazine from a PDF | Yes |
| Issuu | Digital publishing platform | Reaching readers with flipbooks | Not stated |
| Joomag | Digital publishing and content platform | Company magazines and sales content | Not stated |
| Madmagz | Online magazine maker | School and community magazines | Not stated |
| Marq | Brand template platform | On-brand magazines across a team | Not stated |
| Mixam | Online printer for zines and magazines | Printing zines and perfect bound magazines | Not stated |
| Publuu | Digital publication maker | Interactive PDFs on a virtual bookshelf | Not stated |
Ten magazine makers to explore
Designrr
Best for: Creators who want to turn existing content, like blog posts, into eBooks, lead magnets and flipbooks in minutes.
FlippingBook
Best for: Businesses that publish PDF magazines and want them as HTML5 flipbooks with tracking and content protection.
Flipsnack
Best for: Retail, hospitality and education teams that want interactive digital magazines, catalogues or internal publications.
Heyzine
Best for: Small publishers who want to turn a PDF into a free, ad-free flipbook with page-flip effects to share or embed.
Issuu
Best for: Magazine publishers who want a page-turning flipbook experience, full-screen sharing and embedding on their own site.
Joomag
Best for: Marketing and internal comms teams that publish digital magazines as part of sales enablement or staff communication.
Madmagz
Best for: Schools, clubs and communities that want to create magazines together, in both digital and print formats.
Marq
Best for: Organisations that want locked brand templates so every team publishes on-brand magazines and documents.
Mixam
Best for: Zine makers and indie publishers who want comics, zines, booklets and perfect bound magazines printed to order.
Publuu
Best for: Publishers who want PDFs turned into interactive digital publications, with a virtual bookshelf for back issues.
Which magazine maker fits your publication
- Turning blog posts into publications: Designrr.
- PDF magazines with reader tracking: FlippingBook.
- Brand catalogues and magazines: Flipsnack or Joomag.
- A free page-flip magazine from a PDF: Heyzine.
- Reaching readers with flipbooks: Issuu.
- School and community magazines: Madmagz.
- Locked brand templates for teams: Marq.
- Printing zines and bound magazines: Mixam.
- A bookshelf of back issues: Publuu.
Print and online editions need separate ISSNs
The Library of Congress U.S. ISSN Center describes the ISSN as a standard identifier for serials such as journals, magazines, newsletters and newspapers, whether they're published in print, online or in other media. It also says each medium version is assigned a separate ISSN.
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Small publishers often register one number and use it everywhere. If your magazine has a printed edition and a digital flipbook, each one needs its own ISSN. Outside the US, apply through your own country's ISSN centre, and apply before the first issue so the number can go on the cover.
Design together, publish online or print?
A group magazine maker lets several people write and lay out pages at once. It's the natural choice for schools, clubs and community groups.
A flipbook platform takes a finished PDF and turns it into a page-turning online magazine you can share, embed and sometimes track.
An online printer prints, folds and binds the finished file, from stapled zines to perfect bound magazines with a spine.
Six questions before you publish issue one
- Who is the magazine for, and why would they read it?
- How often can you realistically publish?
- Who writes, who edits and who signs off each issue?
- Will readers get it in print, online or both?
- Do you need an ISSN for each edition?
- Where will back issues live?
Signs your magazine is losing readers
- Issues keep coming out late. Publish less often.
- Every article is about you. Write about readers.
- The PDF is hard to read on a phone. Use a flipbook or larger text.
- Nobody can find old issues. Keep an archive.
Do you make a magazine maker? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on a magazine people finish
Plan three issues before you publish the first. A launch issue is easy, because every good idea goes into it. The second and third are where magazines stall, so write down what goes in each before issue one goes out, and choose a schedule you can keep even in a busy month.
If the magazine will also go out by email, my newsletter design experiment shows what changed when I tried new layouts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a magazine maker?
It's a tool that helps you design, publish or print a magazine, from a digital flipbook to a printed zine.
Are magazine makers free?
Some have a free version and others offer a trial or start free. Printing is charged per copy. Check the free plan column above.
Does a magazine need an ISSN?
It's optional, but useful for libraries and distributors. The Library of Congress says each print or online version gets its own ISSN.
What is a flipbook?
It's a digital publication that turns a PDF into pages readers can flip through online, like a printed magazine.
What is a zine?
It's a small, self-published magazine, often made by one person or a small group and printed in short runs.
Can a school make its own magazine?
Yes. Some magazine makers let students and staff create pages together and publish in print or online.
