gLabels

gLabels is a free desktop application for designing and printing labels and business cards on laser or ink-jet sheets. It suits offices, clubs, classrooms, and small operations that need custom layouts or record-based batches without subscription costs. Its core workflow is capable, but choosing between its legacy branch and the still-unreleased Qt successor is essential.

Overview

gLabels is built around peel-off label and business-card sheets rather than general page layout. A design can combine text, images, lines, shapes, and barcodes, covering address labels, name tags, price tags, and CD/DVD labels. Support for both laser and ink-jet printers makes it a sensible match for organisations that already use those printers and standard sheet stock.

Document merge is the feature that makes gLabels more than a one-off drawing tool. It can read an external source such as a CSV file and print a different label for each record. That is useful for address lists, inventories, or event badges, where duplicating a design manually would be slow and error-prone. The desktop-only deployment is less suitable when several people need browser access or online collaboration.

Key features

• Sheet-oriented design: Text, images, lines, and shapes cover the essential composition work for labels and business cards without requiring a separate graphics application.
• Barcode elements: Barcodes support identification and tracking jobs where a purely visual label is insufficient.
• Variable-data printing: Document merge turns each external record into its own printed label, making CSV-driven batches practical for addresses, products, or attendees.
• Printer support: Laser and ink-jet output aligns with common office and home printing hardware, rather than requiring a dedicated label printer.
• gLabels-qt direction: The development version for gLabels 4 is a Qt6 rewrite with an activity-based interface, user-defined variables, continuous-roll support, and additional product templates. Those additions are promising for users whose stock or workflows need them, but they belong to a development build rather than an official release.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes the free GUI label and business-card designer. There are no paid tiers, seat charges, quotas, or subscription renewals to weigh, which suits occasional and small-scale in-house printing. The trade-off is not a reduced feature tier; it is the responsibility of selecting and maintaining an appropriate project version.

Platforms

gLabels runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows as desktop software. That broad operating-system coverage helps mixed-device households and small teams, while the lack of a web deployment means designs and printing remain tied to an installed workstation.

Who it's for

Choose gLabels for address labels, name tags, price tags, CD/DVD labels, or business cards printed on laser or ink-jet sheets. It is particularly well suited to users who need barcode layouts or CSV-based variable printing and prefer free software over a hosted service. It is a weaker fit for teams requiring browser collaboration, continuous-roll output today, or a supported legacy release: the 3.x version has not been supported since 2018, and gLabels 4 has no official release.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free across three desktop platforms: Linux, macOS, and Windows users can use the same no-cost model.
• Useful batch workflow: CSV document merge produces unique labels from records instead of forcing repetitive manual edits.
• Broad label vocabulary: Text, imagery, shapes, lines, and barcodes cover both informational and machine-readable designs.
• Printer flexibility: It targets familiar laser and ink-jet hardware and sheet formats.

Cons

• Unsettled release path: gLabels-qt is a development version, has no official gLabels 4 release, and offers no self-hosted binary snapshots; users are encouraged to build it themselves.
• Legacy branch is obsolete: The 3.x line has been unsupported since 2018, limiting the appeal of relying on it for ongoing work.
• No browser workflow: Desktop deployment does not provide built-in online sharing or collaboration.
• Development-build warranty position: gLabels-qt is distributed without warranty, including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Label Design Software. Pick PrintSpirit instead when a freemium product with a free cloud-based Web Edition, storage, sharing, and batch printing is preferable. ZebraDesigner is the better choice for Zebra Link-OS and Link-OS Basic printer workflows, with a free Essentials edition. Choose Brother P-touch Editor for free software intended for select Brother P-touch and QL models.

EASYLABEL suits Windows users who want a free Start plan with a Tharo printer or paid one-time editions supporting all available printers and Windows drivers. FreeLabels Desktop is an alternative for free-forever, offline use on Linux, macOS, or Windows, with no account or watermark. LabelForge offers another free, open-source desktop option under the MIT License. MasoLabel is a Windows freemium service with a capped free Starter plan. Union Label is a web and Windows option with a limited free plan and paid Excel/CSV workflows.

Verdict

gLabels is a strong fit for cost-conscious users who need flexible sheet layouts, barcode support, and CSV-driven variable printing on Linux, macOS, or Windows. Choose it for a straightforward desktop workflow with no subscription; look elsewhere if you need a supported current release, ready-made binaries for gLabels 4, browser collaboration, or a dedicated printer ecosystem.