NICELABEL / DESIGNER EXPRESS / UPDATED 26 OCT 2026
NiceLabel Designer Express Alternative: Monthly, on Windows, Mac and Linux
NiceLabel Designer Express is discontinued. LabelInn opens .nlbl files, prints from Excel and databases, runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, and bills monthly.
SHORT ANSWER
Short answer. Loftware has discontinued NiceLabel Designer Express (and NiceLabel Designer PowerForms), and from version 10.5 it no longer sells new perpetual licences for its label design and print products. New on-premises customers can buy NiceLabel Designer Pro, PowerForms Suite, LMS Pro or LMS Enterprise, on subscription only. If Designer Express did what you needed, LabelInn is a monthly alternative: it opens your .nlbl files, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, binds Excel and CSV files on Starter at $7.99 a month, and reads SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SAP HANA on Pro in the Windows app.
Your existing Designer Express is not switched off. Loftware says existing on-premises customers need to take no action and can still buy add-ons and edition upgrades. The question comes when you need another PC, a Mac, or a move into the subscription range.
Open one of your labels first. Download LabelInn, import a .nlbl file and print it next to the Designer Express printout. Free plan, no credit card. Download →
THE APP
The everyday design-and-print job, three screens in LabelInn.
Open the label, bind the spreadsheet, print.
NiceLabel does not need to be installed; your originals are only read.
Variables arrive as saved values; drop a column onto each.
Rows times copies, shown before you print.
01 / WHAT CHANGED
What Loftware changed
Each row quotes or follows Loftware's own pages, read on 26 Oct 2026.
| Change | What Loftware says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Designer Express | "The following products have been discontinued: NiceLabel Designer Express and NiceLabel Designer PowerForms." | NiceLabel Help Center |
| Perpetual licences | From version 10.5 Loftware no longer sells perpetual licences with its label design and print products and will only offer subscriptions. Perpetual licences remain available for sites without internet connectivity, subject to sales approval. | NiceLabel Help Center |
| Existing customers | Can remain on their current licensing model. For on-premises customers, "No action is needed from your side, add-ons and edition upgrades are still possible." | NiceLabel Help Center, Loftware licensing policy |
| New on-premises customers | NiceLabel Designer Pro, NiceLabel PowerForms Suite, NiceLabel LMS Pro and NiceLabel LMS Enterprise, with subscription licensing. | NiceLabel Help Center |
| Platform | The published system requirements for NiceLabel Designer list Windows operating systems only. | Loftware system requirements |
02 / OPTIONS
Your options
| Option | Fits when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Keep Designer Express as it is | It runs on the PCs you have and nothing needs to change. | You cannot buy Designer Express for a new PC: it is discontinued. |
| Move up to NiceLabel Designer Pro | You want to stay with NiceLabel and its file format. | New licences are subscription only. We found no public price list we could verify, so ask Loftware or your reseller for a written quote. |
| Switch to LabelInn | You print to ZPL, TSPL, TPCL or ESC/Label thermal printers from spreadsheets or a database, want a Mac or Linux app, or want to pay monthly. | Forms, variables and Automation triggers do not import; they are rebuilt. LabelInn has no SAP-certified connector. |
03 / JOBS
Designer Express jobs, done in LabelInn
The work an entry-level desktop designer does, and the LabelInn plan each one needs.
| Job | In LabelInn | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Open your existing labels | Import .nlbl files in the Windows or Mac desktop app, up to 300 at a time. Text, barcodes, pictures, lines and boxes become editable; variables and data sources arrive as the values saved in the file. | Free |
| Design and print by hand | Designer with text, barcodes, QR codes and images on the real media size; direct ZPL, TSPL, TPCL and ESC/Label, no driver. | Free |
| Serial numbers and counters, today's date | Running serials and counters, and today's date in a plain format. | Free |
| Print from Excel or CSV | Attach the file, pick the sheet and header row, drop columns onto fields: one label per row. How it works. | Starter, $7.99 a month |
| Print from a database | SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL / MariaDB, PostgreSQL and SAP HANA through a named query, in the Windows app. Database connectivity. | Pro, $24.90 a month |
| Print when a file lands | A watched folder prints each row of a new Excel or CSV file. | Pro |
04 / PLATFORMS
Where it runs
| Platform | LabelInn | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 or later, 64-bit | The only platform for direct database sources. |
| macOS | macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later | Native app; Excel and CSV binding and .nlbl import. |
| Linux | First release for 64-bit PCs: .deb for Ubuntu 22.04+ and Debian 12+, AppImage for other distributions | Needs an internet connection; it has no offline mode yet. Use the .deb for USB printers. |
| Web and Android | A web designer and an Android 12+ app | For designing and printing away from the desk. |
Details and download links are on the download page.
05 / SWITCH
Move from Designer Express in five steps
- Download LabelInn and sign in. Signing up starts a 14-day Pro trial.
- Import the folder that holds your .nlbl files. Check each label size against the stock you load.
- Attach the Excel or CSV file the labels used and drop each column onto its field. Fields that were NiceLabel variables arrive as plain values, so this is done by hand.
- Print row 1 next to a Designer Express printout and scan the barcode.
- Keep Starter for spreadsheets ($7.99 a month), or move to Pro ($24.90) when you add a database or a watched folder.
The full import table, with a worked example, is on the NiceLabel alternative page.
06 / PRICE
What it costs
| NiceLabel (Loftware) | LabelInn | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level designer | Designer Express: discontinued | Free plan: design, import, print by hand |
| Billing | Subscription for new licences; we found no public price list to verify | Published plans, monthly or yearly |
| Spreadsheet data | By edition and quote | Starter $7.99 a month, $79.90 a year |
| Databases, watched folders, API | By edition and quote | Pro $24.90 a month, $249.00 a year |
| Printers | Ask Loftware how printers are counted | Unlimited on every plan |
Yearly billing is ten months for twelve. See pricing for the user and device limits of each plan.
ANY PRINTER
Design it, bind your data, print on the printer you already own.
Zebra, TSC, Toshiba, Epson and more — over USB, network or Bluetooth, with no driver to install.
PRICING
Start free. Pay when it earns its keep.
QUESTIONS / FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is NiceLabel Designer Express discontinued?
Yes. Loftware's NiceLabel Help Center lists NiceLabel Designer Express and NiceLabel Designer PowerForms as discontinued, and from version 10.5 Loftware no longer sells new perpetual licences for its label design and print products.
Can I keep using Designer Express?
Yes. Loftware says existing on-premises customers need to take no action and can remain on their current licensing model; add-ons and edition upgrades are still possible. You cannot buy Designer Express for a new PC.
What replaced Designer Express?
For new on-premises customers Loftware lists NiceLabel Designer Pro, PowerForms Suite, LMS Pro and LMS Enterprise, on subscription. Outside NiceLabel, LabelInn designs labels and prints them from Excel, CSV or a database, with a free plan and monthly paid plans.
Can LabelInn open my Designer Express .nlbl files?
LabelInn reads .nlbl files and rebuilds text, barcodes, pictures, lines and boxes as editable elements. Variables and data sources arrive as their saved values and need rebinding. Print one label next to the original before you rely on it.
Does LabelInn run on Mac and Linux?
Yes. There is a native macOS app (macOS 11 or later) and a first Linux release for 64-bit PCs (.deb and AppImage) that needs an internet connection. Direct database sources run in the Windows app only.
How much is LabelInn per month?
Free to design and print. Starter, with Excel and CSV binding, is $7.99 a month; Pro, with databases, watched folders and the REST API, is $24.90 a month. Printers are unlimited on every plan.
KEEP GOING
Related
NEXT STEP / LABELINN
Open one Designer Express label in LabelInn
Import it, bind your spreadsheet and print it next to the original. · Opens .nlbl files · Windows, Mac and Linux · Monthly plans