Best Book Publishing Platforms
Lulu alternatives
7 tools scored in the same category. Lulu currently scores highest in this category at 3.0/5.
Ranked by independent composite score, not by payment. Nobody on this page paid to be here.
Before you switch — what Lulu does well
- Retain 100% of your revenue and even split it among book contributors
- White-label shipping for all orders
- Fully automated sales, printing, and shipping
And where it was marked down
- The platform's user interface could be more intuitive for first-time users
The premier storefront for independent e-books, offering authors 75% royalties and global distribution via Draft2Digital. (Now: Acquired by Draft2Digital in March 2022; as of 2026, Smashwords functions primarily as a storefront brand while its publishing and distribution backend is fully integrated into the Draft2Digital platform.)
Scores 0.2 lower than Lulu
Global self-publishing platform for distributing ebooks and print books via Amazon
Scores 0.2 lower than Lulu
A global digital bookstore providing extensive reach for ebooks and AI-powered audiobook distribution
Scores 0.4 lower than Lulu
Enterprise cloud platform for creating and distributing secure interactive educational eBooks
Scores 0.4 lower than Lulu
AI-powered publishing platform that streamlines book production from manuscript to distribution in under 30 days. (Now: Rebranded from Boox.ai in early 2024 to better represent its role as the foundational backbone (spine) of the publishing process.)
Scores 0.5 lower than Lulu
Premium digital bookstore reaching the global ecosystem of Apple device users
Scores 0.5 lower than Lulu
A comprehensive distribution and automated formatting platform for independent authors and publishers
Scores 0.5 lower than Lulu
Common questions
What is the best alternative to Lulu?
On Benchmark Grid's independent scoring, Smashwords is the highest-scoring alternative in Best Book Publishing Platforms at 2.8/5, against Lulu at 3.0/5. Which is right for you depends on your publication's size, revenue model and vertical.
Why would a publisher move away from Lulu?
Our editors flagged: The platform's user interface could be more intuitive for first-time users. Whether those matter depends on your setup — many publishers run Lulu successfully despite them.
Are these alternatives ranked by paid placement?
No. Every tool here is ranked by a composite score set by SODP's editorial team across 12 criteria. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, for a score, or for a position on this page.
