There are a lot of alternative tools available on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms when considering Adobe InDesign.

* Most of the details I have mentioned to explain about the applications are copied and pasted from other internet sources. I have mentioned the reference below.

Out of the softwares listed below, some are commercial and some are free & open source. But my vote goes to Scribus not only because it is free & open source, it offers most of the features available from a commercial software.

http://linuxdevcenter.com/linux/2004/09/02/graphics/gradient1.jpg

1. Microsoft Publisher
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Microsoft Office Publisher, is a desktop publishing application from Microsoft. It is an entry-level application, differing from Microsoft Word in that the emphasis is placed on page layout and design rather than text composition and proofing.
-Platform : Windows-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_publisher

2. Scribus
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Scribus is a desktop publishing (DTP) application, released under the GNU General Public License as free software. It is based on the free Qt toolkit, therefore native versions are available for Linux, Unix-like, Mac OS X, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows. It is known for its broad set of page layout features comparable to leading non-free applications such as Adobe PageMaker, PagePlus, QuarkXPress or Adobe InDesign.
-Platform : Windows / Mac / Linux-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scribus

3. Serif Pageplus
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PagePlus is a desktop publishing (page layout) program developed by Serif. The first version was released in 1991 as the first commercial sub-£100 DTP package for Windows. The latest release is PagePlus X412, which supports Windows Vista.
-Platform : Windows-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serif_pageplus

4. QuarkXPress
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QuarkXPress ("Quark") is a computer application for creating and editing complex page layouts in a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment. It runs on Mac OS X and Windows. It was first released by Quark, Inc. in 1987 and is still owned and published by them. The most recent version is QuarkXPress 8 and it allows publishing in English ("International and U.S. and 36 other languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.
-Platform : Windows / Mac-
http://www.quark.com/

5. PageStream
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PageStream is a desktop publishing software package by Grasshopper LLC (USA), currently available for a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and Amiga. The software was originally released under the name Publishing Partner for the Atari ST in 1986.
-Platform : Windows / Mac / Linux -
http://www.pagestream.org/

6. imPRESSion
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imPRESSion and imPRESSion Lite are affordable desktop publishing applications that combine powerful vector graphics drawing with a range of text handling functions.
-Platform : Windows-
http://impression.ro/

7. Adobe FrameMaker
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Adobe FrameMaker is a desktop publishing (DTP) and word processing application that is popular for large documents. It is produced by Adobe Systems. Although FrameMaker has evolved slowly in recent years, it maintains a strong following among professional technical writers.
-Platform : Windows-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_FrameMaker

I found this link from the internet which lists the alternate tools available for this software.

Scribus 1.3.3 is an alternative to Adobe In Design. I just found this for you by looking it up on google. Hope this helps you out. Open source is awesome.

I found that throughout my college years and early in my career, I did not have the funds to obtain the Adobe InDesign software. Even purchasing the educational version of the software was beyond my reach. Adobe's monopoly in the creative software market has always bothered me. While their products have always remained strong, the lack of competition has created high price points. I also thought it was well beyond the reach of most artists or children that simply wanted to dabble with digital art.

The best free alternative that is available in the market is Scribus. This open source program is designed for desktop publishing. This program supports PDF/X-3 standards and comes with a limited amount of vector tools. It supports SVG importing and Open Type fonts.

** If you plan on using software on a semi-professional or professional manner, it is best to ask your printer first. Unlike the other programs on this list, your printer will want to be able to access your native Scribus file. Ask your printer in advance to install the software before sending out a print job.

To download visit www.scribus.net/

I know of a free product, it is call Pageplus

BEST OFF ALL ITS FREE

http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PagePlus/default.asp

QuarkXPress ("Quark") is a computer application for creating and editing complex page layouts in a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment. It runs on Mac OS X and Windows. It was first released by Quark, Inc. in 1987 and is still owned and published by them. The most recent version is QuarkXPress 8 and it allows publishing in English ("International and U.S." and 36 other languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.

On Mac there are some good, cheap alternatives. None will have all the functionality and features of InDesign but may be more to your liking because they aren't the bloatware that the Adobe products have become.

Apple's Pages, part of the iWork suite, is a nice application for someone with little or no training. The supplied templates are excellent and adhere to Apple's superior design aesthetic.

Swift Publisher is a great program very similar to Pages. It's $44.95.

Obviously Quark is a good tool but too expensive for your tastes (I can't blame you.)

Drawing programs like Inkscape, Vector Designer and Lineform could probably all work for you.

Additionally aviary.com has a suite of design tools that could very well be usable for some magazine design.

Although I don't currently use any apps like this on PC there are some. I've come across many who enjoy using Microsoft Publisher. But I've had to work with the files produced by the program and would say the incompatibilities and annoyances outweigh any positives.

Unfortunately for designers, because of price, InDesign is probably your best bet for professional quality work.