Finding software that can help you meet your digital publishing goals can be difficult because there are so many options and it’s hard to know what to choose. You’ll need to know what kind of magazine you’re going to publish, whether you’re going to want a print edition, whether you plan to run advertisements, and your budget, before picking the software you’ll use to create and publish your magazine. Here are some options to consider.

* Adobe Digital Publishing – Adobe has introduced its Digital Publishing Suite which is available now in the creative suite. It uses InDesign CS5 plus a digital content bundle to make a powerful program to enable you to make both print or digital magazines suitable for viewing on iPads and other mobile devices. It requires a high level of skill and might not be easy for everyone.

* Instant Publisher – This is software, acrobat distiller, that enables you to create high resolution PDFs suitable for printing and uploading to some of the software presented here. It’s great for those who do not have Adobe Professional but still need a way to create high quality PDFs.

* The Magazine Manager – One of the higher cost magazine creation software around, this enables you to manage every aspect of your magazine, from creation to publishing including mailing lists, advertising, digital editions, print editions and more. The software is web pages and perfect for any type of publication you want to use. Used by almost 3,500 other magazines, this does everything from A to Z. You’ll need to use some other software for layout and design, like Adobe.

* BlueToad Publishing – This online software allows you to create digital editions of your PDF magazine. If you can make a PDF with any software, you can upload it to create a professional-looking digital magazine to be showcased on any digital system such as iPads, mobile, and desktop editions. It offers management systems and tracking information too, so that you can know what people are reading.

* FlippingBook Publisher – You can also publish your digital magazine with FlippingBook. Using exclusive tools, you can create a realistic-looking online magazine that allows you to flip the pages like you do with a paper magazine, except that it’s online. You can appear in the App Store and the Google Play Store.

* MadMagz – This online software enables you to create digital magazines from free to around $100.00. With the premium version you can add links, videos, sounds, and customize the experience with your logo and a special URL for online viewing.  There are metrics available too. You can even self-host your magazine if you prefer.

* ISSUU – This software enables you to publish professional quality magazines with all the bells and whistles that you could want at various pricing levels. Like most publishing platforms, you’ll need to create the magazine in PDF format to upload to the system.

* Joomag – This system is used a lot by educators but it can be used by anyone to create awesome online magazines simply and easily. Simply upload your PDF creations and get your magazine online in minutes. If you don’t have a PDF, they offer templates so that you can create the digital magazine content on the fly, including links, video and audio. You can even sell subscriptions to your magazine. It’s a great system that’s simple to use. The price isn’t bad either, and there is a free plan to help you check it out.

To create your online magazine, in most cases you’ll need a software program that enables you to create high quality PDF files such as Adobe Professional, InDesign or other professional-level publishing software.