Lulu vs Spines
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 Nov 12, 2026
At a glance
- Lulu scores 3.0/5 and Spines scores 2.5/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent book publishing platforms benchmark, both assessed on the same 10 criteria.
- The widest gaps are royalty rates & payment terms (Lulu 4.2, Spines 2.5) and marketing tools (Lulu 2.2, Spines 3.8); they are within 0.3 on 1 of 10 criteria.
- Both are built for small and mid-market publishers.
- On total cost of ownership Lulu scores 4.4 and Spines 3.0 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 3 publishers use Lulu and 0 use Spines.
- Scores last verified 12 Nov 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
Lulu is stronger on royalty rates & payment terms (4.2 vs 2.5) and print quality & fulfilment (4.7 vs 3.5).
Spines is stronger on marketing tools (3.8 vs 2.2) and production & formatting tools (4.6 vs 3.2).
Which one fits
Choose Lulu if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight royalty rates & payment terms, print quality & fulfilment and metadata & discoverability heavily — Lulu leads on those in this benchmark.
Choose Spines if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight marketing tools, production & formatting tools and sales reporting & reconciliation heavily — Spines leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to Lulu and Spines 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.
Spines · 0
No publisher adoption verified yet.
Head to head
| Criterion | Lulu | Spines |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution reach14% of capability | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Royalty rates & payment terms14% of capability | 4.2 | 2.5 |
| Format support12% of capability | 4.6 | 4.0 |
| Rights & IP control12% of capability | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| Metadata & discoverability10% of capability | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| Production & formatting tools10% of capability | 3.2 | 4.6 |
| Sales reporting & reconciliation10% of capability | 3.0 | 3.8 |
| Pricing controls8% of capability | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Marketing tools6% of capability | 2.2 | 3.8 |
| Print quality & fulfilment4% of capability | 4.7 | 3.5 |
| Capability45% of composite | 3.8 | 3.6 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 4.4 | 3.0 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | Lulu | Spines |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| Entry cost | 4.9 | 1.0 |
| Implementation cost | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 4.0 | 2.5 |
| Ongoing cost | 4.2 | 2.3 |
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.
Spines pricing
Packages roughly $3,600 to $10,410 full price (instalment options from about $636, with up to 24 monthly payments via Affirm); authors earn 70% of net royalties.
What users say
Lulu
12 positive · 13 neutral · 3 negative
Spines
1 positive · 1 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.
Lulu scores 3.0 and Spines scores 2.5 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Book Publishing Platforms benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/lulu/spines, verified Nov 12, 2026)
Common questions
How do Lulu and Spines differ?
Lulu is stronger on royalty rates & payment terms (4.2 vs 2.5) and print quality & fulfilment (4.7 vs 3.5). Spines is stronger on marketing tools (3.8 vs 2.2) and production & formatting tools (4.6 vs 3.2). 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, Lulu or Spines?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — Lulu scores 4.4/5 and Spines scores 3.0/5. 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 Lulu or alternatives to Spines.
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Where to next
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