If you’re a user of Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), you’ve seen some big changes lately.
Adobe have switched their focus for DPS from small publishers to large enterprises – and now Adobe only offers Digital Publishing to mobile platforms as part of the Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) product, which comes with a hefty price tag.
As a result, this means DPS is no longer a viable option for many small operators – so what now?
Read on to find out about what your options are now for managing an Adobe DPS app.
Why Is DPS No Longer Supported?
As part of the transition to AEM Mobile, Adobe announced that DPS would no longer be available as a standalone product and could only be purchased as part of the AEM package.
This product targets the enterprise market, as Adobe has identified huge potential in enabling corporate customers to create apps to effectively communicate training materials and distribute company information to their team at scale. This therefore means that there are no longer smaller monthly subscriptions available – each contract is negotiated with Adobe, with average minimum spend pushing small content producers out of the market.
What’s the Best Alternative to Adobe DPS?
If you’re now looking for an alternative to DPS, there are some good options currently on the market. We’ve tried Purple DS, Pug Pig, Mag+ and Twixl Publisher.
First and foremost, we’ve compared the options, basing our investigation on factors including content creation workflow, ease of use, system limitations, cost and fees, and ownership of content. We then examined each platform’s strengths and weaknesses, and found Twixl came out on top in all categories.
Some of our favourite Twixl features include:
- Powerful, stable and easy to use
- Ability to publish a combination of InDesign, HTML and PDF content, images and movies within the same app
- You can update the interface of your app at any time
- You are able publish an unlimited number of issues in the main stores with even the basic licence
- The single creative environment for both layout and enrichment keeps costs down
- It’s easy to share articles and publications during pre-publish testing and review processes
- The complete ecosystem includes Enriched Apps, PDF replicas and Web Reader.
Furthermore, Twixl Publisher can be integrated with many CMS platforms, the major editorial systems and with several HTML5-based editors. It includes functions to enrich content, transparent fees with no hidden costs, and the best support in the market. In addition, this product also has the best application support we've seen on the market, with features such as automatic diagnostics straight from the app.
What About My DPS Apps?
When choosing an alternative, smooth migration of your DPS apps to the new platform should be a key consideration.
You have two options when migrating - you can either update your existing app or launch a new one. We strongly recommend updating over re-launching, as it allows you to retain your current readers. In addition, all the above platforms have migration functions that enable a smooth transition. Ultimately, want to migrate your DPS app without your users noticing anything, except say, some slight restyling of the interface. It’s also essential that your in-app purchases and subscriptions are seamlessly moved over, so you won’t lose any of your subscribers.
What the Experts Say
If you’re looking for an alternative to DPS, Twixl is our recommendation. And it’s not only us – the industry experts agree.
Keith Gilbert
"Digital Publishing Consultant and Adobe Certified Instructor, says, “Twixl Publisher, Aquafadas and Mag+ Designd are all systems that are quite similar to DPS – in my opinion, Twixl Publisher is the strongest contender”
Bob Levine
Likewise, the Adobe InDesign expert agrees saying, "I’ve experimented with several third party DPS alternatives for InDesign-based publishing, such as Mag+, Aquafadas, and App Studio and while all have pros and cons, I’ve concluded that Twixl Publisher is likely to be the best choice for DPS users."
Final Word
In conclusion, Twixl is an affordable, flexible digital publishing solution, and is the ideal platform for any organisation to transition to from DPS. At the same time, it’s user-friendly, and provides the ability to publish a combination of InDesign, HTML and PDF content.
Who knows - the loss of DPS, may just be your gain.
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