Apple Books vs Lulu
Apple Books
Premium digital bookstore reaching the global ecosystem of Apple device users
Publishers using it: 2 · incl. Reese's Book Club
Lulu
Global print-on-demand platform for direct-to-consumer book publishing and retail distribution
Publishers using it: 3 · incl. Indie Author Magazine
Last verified Oct 19, 2026
At a glance
- Apple Books scores 2.5/5 and Lulu scores 3.0/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent book publishing platforms benchmark, both assessed on the same 10 criteria.
- The widest gaps are print quality & fulfilment (Apple Books 0.0, Lulu 4.7) and format support (Apple Books 2.5, Lulu 4.6); they are within 0.3 on 3 of 10 criteria.
- Apple Books is built for small publishers; Lulu for small and mid-market.
- On total cost of ownership Apple Books scores 4.6 and Lulu 4.4 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 2 publishers use Apple Books and 3 use Lulu.
- Scores last verified 19 Oct 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
Apple Books is stronger on marketing tools (3.5 vs 2.2).
Lulu is stronger on print quality & fulfilment (4.7 vs 0.0), format support (4.6 vs 2.5) and distribution reach (4.5 vs 2.5).
Which one fits
Choose Apple Books if…
- You publish at small scale.
- You weight marketing tools, pricing controls and royalty rates & payment terms heavily — Apple Books leads on those in this benchmark.
Choose Lulu if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight print quality & fulfilment, format support and distribution reach heavily — Lulu leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to Apple Books and Lulu in this benchmark, listed A to Z.
- 2.9Amazon KDPGlobal self-publishing platform for distributing ebooks and print books via AmazonRead review
- 2.6Draft2DigitalA comprehensive distribution and automated formatting platform for independent authors and publishersRead review
- 2.6Google Play BooksA global digital bookstore providing extensive reach for ebooks and AI-powered audiobook distributionRead review
- 2.5KitabooEnterprise cloud platform for creating and distributing secure interactive educational eBooksRead review
All 6 scored tools are in Best Book Publishing Platforms.
Who uses them
Publishers we have detected running each tool, from ads.txt, site code and published case studies. Agencies, brands and vendors are excluded.
Head to head
| Criterion | Apple Books | Lulu |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution reach14% of capability | 2.5 | 4.5 |
| Royalty rates & payment terms14% of capability | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Format support12% of capability | 2.5 | 4.6 |
| Rights & IP control12% of capability | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Metadata & discoverability10% of capability | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Production & formatting tools10% of capability | 2.5 | 3.2 |
| Sales reporting & reconciliation10% of capability | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| Pricing controls8% of capability | 4.0 | 3.5 |
| Marketing tools6% of capability | 3.5 | 2.2 |
| Print quality & fulfilment4% of capability | 0.0 | 4.7 |
| Capability45% of composite | 3.1 | 3.8 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 4.6 | 4.4 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | Apple Books | Lulu |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Entry cost | 4.9 | 4.9 |
| Implementation cost | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 4.6 | 4.0 |
| Ongoing cost | 4.7 | 4.2 |
Apple Books pricing
Free app; pay-per-title for individual books and audiobooks; 70% royalty rate for authors selling via the platform.
Lulu pricing
Free to use with no monthly fees; users pay manufacturing and shipping costs. Lulu takes a 20% commission on print profits and 10% on ebooks.
What users say
Apple Books
42 positive · 47 neutral · 39 negative
Lulu
12 positive · 13 neutral · 3 negative
Mentions we could not tie to a real user, and those flagged as promotional, are excluded. Sentiment is opinion, and is independent of the verified publisher adoptions above.
Apple Books scores 2.5 and Lulu scores 3.0 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Book Publishing Platforms benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/apple-books/lulu, verified Oct 19, 2026)
Common questions
How do Apple Books and Lulu differ?
Apple Books is stronger on marketing tools (3.5 vs 2.2). Lulu is stronger on print quality & fulfilment (4.7 vs 0.0), format support (4.6 vs 2.5) and distribution reach (4.5 vs 2.5). Neither is better in the abstract — which one suits you depends on which of those dimensions carries the most weight in your operation.
Which is cheaper, Apple Books or Lulu?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — Apple Books scores 4.6/5 and Lulu scores 4.4/5. A higher score means better value, not a lower sticker price.
How are these scores calculated?
Each tool is assessed against its category's published criteria (10 in this benchmark), which make up Capability (45% of the composite), Publisher fit (40%) and Total cost of ownership (15%). Assessment is carried out by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, scores or positions.
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Both tools are scored in Best Book Publishing Platforms. See alternatives to Apple Books or alternatives to Lulu.
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Where to next
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