Short answer
Buy OmniMarkz Windows SE ($469 a year or $719 perpetual) if your old layouts include anything besides QuarkXPress: Microsoft Publisher, InDesign, PDF or Affinity files. It also has a free version for previewing and counting your files, and it converts them in batches. Buy QXPMarkz (Windows), which Markzware calls QXPMarkz SE ($259 a year or $429 perpetual), if every file you need to rescue is a QuarkXPress document.
Both are Markzware products, both run on Windows 10 and 11, and both turn files into IDML for InDesign, Affinity Publisher or QuarkXPress 2017 and newer. OmniMarkz SE contains QXPMarkz SE's QuarkXPress converter, so for Quark files the result is the same. You're choosing how many formats you pay for.
At a glance
| OmniMarkz SE | QXPMarkz SE |
|---|
| Best for | Mixed archives, and anyone leaving Microsoft Publisher | QuarkXPress files only |
| Subscription | $469 a year | $259 a year |
| Perpetual license | $719 | $429 |
| Our Buy Now button sells | The $719 perpetual license | The $259 one-year subscription |
| QuarkXPress 3 to 2026 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Publisher (.pub) | ✓ | ✗ |
| InDesign CS4 to 2026 | ✓ | ✗ |
| PDF and Affinity Publisher files | ✓ | ✗ |
| Output | IDML | IDML |
| Conversion Center | Finds files on your PC and batch-converts them | Finds and lists QuarkXPress files |
| Free version | ✓ Preview and inventory, no export | ✗ |
| Built-in MCP server for AI assistants | ✓ | ✗ |
| Current version | 4.7.1 (October 1, 2026) | 5.6.1 (October 1, 2026) |
| Platform | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows 10 and 11 |
How we compared them
- Read both products' Windows pages, store pages and purchase options on Markzware's site, including what each license type includes and the volume discounts.
- Went through both release-notes histories to see which features each version added, and which fixes landed in both apps at once.
- Checked which installer each download link actually serves, and its size.
- Collected the user reviews Markzware publishes for each product, the star ratings where shown, and an independent review of the Mac edition of OmniMarkz.
What we checked: on October 14, 2026, Markzware's product pages listed OmniMarkz SE at $469 a year or $719 perpetual and QXPMarkz SE at $259 a year or $429 perpetual. The same day, the release notes listed OmniMarkz SE 4.7.1 and QXPMarkz SE 5.6.1, both dated October 1, 2026, and both installers measured 33.5 MB.
OmniMarkz SE: the all-format converter
OmniMarkz Windows SE: Markzware's Windows app that turns Publisher, InDesign, QuarkXPress, Affinity and PDF files into IDML.
- Price: $719 perpetual, or $469 a year
- Platform: Windows 10 and 11
- Free version: yes, preview and inventory only
- Best for: anyone with more than one legacy format, and every Microsoft Publisher user
The OmniMarkz SE main window: output folder, replace or rename, lo-res image previews, the program to open the IDML in (here Affinity), and a drop zone for InDesign, QuarkXPress, PDF, Microsoft Publisher, Affinity and Illustrator files.
OmniMarkz SE is QXPMarkz SE, IDMarkz SE and PDFMarkz SE in one application, plus Microsoft Publisher, which arrived in version 4.2.0 in April 2026 and has been refined in every release since: drop shadows, anchored boxes, guides, master page names, gradients and shapes now carry over. With Publisher retired by Microsoft in October 2026, that's the feature most buyers come for.
The other reason to choose OmniMarkz SE is scale. Its Conversion Center scans your PC for every supported file, shows how many it found of each type, and converts the ones you tick in a batch. It runs in the free version too, so you can count a file server's Publisher, Quark and InDesign files before you spend anything. Version 4.6.3 added a built-in MCP server that lets ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor inspect and convert documents through OmniMarkz, and 4.7.1 lets Windows Search read the text inside your old layouts.
Where it falls short: the price is high for a single project, the output is IDML only (no Word, no new PDF), and you still need InDesign, Affinity Publisher or a recent QuarkXPress to edit the result.
What we like
- Six source formats in one app, including Microsoft Publisher
- Free version previews files and inventories them
- Conversion Center batch conversion
- Frequent updates: five releases between April and October 2026
Watch out for
- $719 perpetual is a lot for one small job
- Exports IDML only
- Converted pages still need checking by hand
- Windows only (the Mac version is sold separately)
What users say about OmniMarkz
"Markzware completely revolutionized the way I work. With OmniMarkz SE, I can accomplish in minutes what used to take hours. The software is intuitive and lightning-fast, and the customer service has been incredibly helpful." Cal Derreberry, Lead Publications Associate, Broadway Licensing (on Markzware's OmniMarkz SE page)
Reviewing the Mac edition for Apple World Today in August 2026, Dennis Sellers gave it four stars out of five: "This isn't a product for everyone. However, if you need to preview, report, and/or convert QuarkXPress, InDesign, Illustrator and PDF documents, you should add it to your software portfolio."
Download OmniMarkz SE Free VersionBuy OmniMarkz SE ($719 perpetual)
QXPMarkz SE: the QuarkXPress specialist
QXPMarkz (Windows): Markzware's Windows app that converts QuarkXPress 3 through 2026 documents to IDML.
- Price: $259 a year, or $429 perpetual
- Platform: Windows 10 and 11
- Free version: no
- Best for: studios and print shops whose only legacy format is QuarkXPress
Markzware's box art for QXPMarkz SE, "QuarkXPress Conversion for Creatives", with the Windows badge.
QXPMarkz SE is the stand-alone successor to Markzware's Q2ID InDesign plug-in. You drop a .qxp file on it, or open one with Ctrl+O, and it writes an IDML file and can open it in InDesign CS4 or later, Affinity Publisher 1.8 or later, or QuarkXPress 2017 or newer. That reaches files InDesign can't open on its own, since InDesign imports only QuarkXPress 3.3 and 4.1 documents.
QXPMarkz SE gets the same QuarkXPress fixes as OmniMarkz SE, often on the same day: the September 23, 2026 releases of both made them convert every layout in a project, and both October 1, 2026 releases added Windows Search and fixed long file paths. Its own Conversion Center (5.5.2) finds and lists QuarkXPress files on your PC. The release notes don't mention batch conversion from it, which OmniMarkz SE's does.
Where it falls short: it reads QuarkXPress only, and there's no free version to test with.
What we like
- $210 a year less than OmniMarkz SE
- Reads every QuarkXPress version, from 3 to 2026
- Same QuarkXPress engine and fixes as OmniMarkz SE
- 4.6 out of 5 from its users on Markzware's site
Watch out for
- QuarkXPress files only
- No free version or trial
- Exports IDML only
- Some pages need spacing or image fixes
What users say about QXPMarkz SE (4.6 out of 5 from 5 reviews on Markzware's site)
"We had to move about 4,000 files from Quark to InDesign and from a Mac to a PC. Our office was concerned about this migration, and Markzware made it easy." Tiffany Crouse, Marketing Manager, Blue Mound Graphics
"There are times that it converts perfectly and sometimes there are issues with spacing that need to be corrected but overall I am grateful to have this program!!" Renee E., September 7, 2023
"Works great! Still need to go through each page to make sure nothing's amiss. Sometimes, pictures are resized/out of position within their frame." Merrill Miller, Senior Graphic Designer, MennoMedia
Download QXPMarkz SE InstallerBuy QXPMarkz SE ($259 a year)
File formats: OmniMarkz SE wins outright
OmniMarkz SE opens six kinds of source file, QXPMarkz SE opens one. If even one of your old files is a Publisher newsletter, an InDesign document from a newer version than yours, or a PDF whose layout file is lost, QXPMarkz SE can't help with it, and buying it now means buying OmniMarkz SE later anyway.
Source file types each app opens
OmniMarkz SE (Publisher, InDesign, QuarkXPress, PDF, Affinity, Illustrator)6
QXPMarkz SE (QuarkXPress)1
File types listed in each app's drop zone and product page, checked on October 14, 2026.
QuarkXPress conversion: a tie
For QuarkXPress files, OmniMarkz SE and QXPMarkz SE give you the same result. OmniMarkz SE is built from QXPMarkz SE, both read QuarkXPress 3 through 2026, and their release notes list the same QuarkXPress fixes: minimum 1-point fonts in QuarkXPress 2020 and newer files, left indents in some QuarkXPress 9 files, font styles in QuarkXPress 2024 and older, and QuarkXPress 2026 character styles. Pay for OmniMarkz SE for its other formats, not for better Quark conversion.
Finding and batch-converting files: OmniMarkz SE is ahead
OmniMarkz SE's Conversion Center finds supported files across your PC, reports how many of each type it found, and converts a selection in one batch. QXPMarkz SE got a Conversion Center in September 2026 too, but its release notes describe it as finding and listing files. For a few dozen documents you won't notice. For a migration of thousands, OmniMarkz SE's batch queue (improved in 4.6.8 to handle large queues) saves real time.
Price and licensing: QXPMarkz SE costs 40-45% less
QXPMarkz SE is the cheaper app on both license types: $210 less a year, $290 less perpetual. Each product also sells a perpetual license that pays for itself in the second year compared with renewing the subscription. Markzware gives the same volume discounts on both (10% off for 6-10 seats, 15% for 11-20, 20% for 21 or more).
One-year subscription, one PC (USD)
Prices listed on Markzware's product pages, checked on October 14, 2026.
Perpetual license, one PC (USD)
Prices listed on Markzware's product pages, checked on October 14, 2026.
Note which license each Buy button on this page opens: OmniMarkz SE's goes to the $719 perpetual license and QXPMarkz SE's to the $259 one-year subscription. The other license type of each is on Markzware's own product page.
Trying before you buy: only OmniMarkz SE has a free version
OmniMarkz SE's free version previews Publisher, InDesign, Illustrator, QuarkXPress and PDF files and runs the Conversion Center inventory; it just won't export. QXPMarkz SE has no free version or trial. That gives you a sensible plan whichever you end up buying: install the free OmniMarkz SE, preview your hardest QuarkXPress files, and if they look right and Quark is all you have, buy QXPMarkz SE.
Which should you choose?
- You're leaving Microsoft Publisher: OmniMarkz SE. QXPMarkz SE doesn't read .pub files.
- Your archive mixes QuarkXPress, InDesign and PDF: OmniMarkz SE, one program for all of it.
- Every file is QuarkXPress: QXPMarkz SE. The conversion is the same and it costs $210 less a year.
- One QuarkXPress migration project, then done: QXPMarkz SE's $259 one-year subscription.
- You'll convert files for years: a perpetual license of either, which beats the subscription from the second year.
- Thousands of files across a server: OmniMarkz SE, for its batch conversion from the Conversion Center.
- You're on a Mac: neither. Both are Windows apps, and Markzware sells separate Mac editions (OmniMarkz and QXPMarkz).
FAQs
Does OmniMarkz SE include everything QXPMarkz SE does?
Yes. OmniMarkz SE combines QXPMarkz SE, IDMarkz SE and PDFMarkz SE, so it converts QuarkXPress 3 through 2026 files exactly as QXPMarkz SE does, plus Publisher, InDesign, PDF and Affinity files.
Which Markzware app converts Microsoft Publisher files?
OmniMarkz SE converts Microsoft Publisher (.pub) files to IDML on Windows. QXPMarkz SE doesn't support Publisher at all.
Can I try QXPMarkz SE for free?
No, QXPMarkz SE has no free version or trial. OmniMarkz SE's free version previews QuarkXPress files with the same engine, so use it to check your files before buying either app.
Do OmniMarkz SE and QXPMarkz SE need InDesign?
Neither OmniMarkz SE nor QXPMarkz SE needs InDesign to convert. Both write IDML, which you then edit in InDesign CS4 or later, Affinity Publisher, or QuarkXPress 2017 or newer.
Can OmniMarkz SE or QXPMarkz SE convert to Word or PDF?
No. OmniMarkz SE and QXPMarkz SE both export IDML only. Open the IDML in a layout program to export a PDF or copy the text out.
Is a perpetual license or a subscription better value?
A perpetual license is better value if you'll use either app into a second year: OmniMarkz SE costs $719 once versus $469 a year, and QXPMarkz SE $429 once versus $259 a year. For a one-off migration, a single year's subscription is cheaper.
Do OmniMarkz SE and QXPMarkz SE run on a Mac?
No. The SE editions are Windows-only. Markzware sells OmniMarkz and QXPMarkz for macOS separately, each with its own license.
Will converted QuarkXPress files need fixing?
Some will. Users of QXPMarkz SE, whose engine OmniMarkz SE shares, report that most files convert cleanly but some need spacing or image-position fixes, so check each page before you reuse a layout.
Conclusion
For most Windows users with old layouts, OmniMarkz SE is the one to buy: it handles QuarkXPress exactly as well as QXPMarkz SE, adds Microsoft Publisher, InDesign, PDF and Affinity files, converts in batches, and lets you preview everything free before paying. QXPMarkz SE is the smart saving only when QuarkXPress is your sole legacy format.
Start with the free OmniMarkz SE download, run the Conversion Center over your files, and let the count by type make the decision for you.
Download OmniMarkz SE Free VersionBuy OmniMarkz SE ($719 perpetual)