Despite its popularity, the tech world moved on. Adobe eventually pivoted its focus to , which offered more advanced transparency effects and better integration with Photoshop. According to Adobe's own history , development on PageMaker officially ceased in 2004, and users were encouraged to migrate to Adobe InDesign .

Many design schools use PageMaker to teach core principles because the software lacks “modern crutches” like smart guides and AI content. It’s pure manual layout—great for learning.