Apple Books vs PublishDrive
Apple Books offers direct free distribution to Apple's ecosystem with a 70% royalty rate, but limits reach to one store. PublishDrive charges a monthly subscription fee starting around $16.99, distributing your books to over 400 stores and retaining 100% royalties. For authors focused solely on Apple users, Apple Books is cost-free; for broader distribution across multiple platforms, PublishDrive provides that reach at a recurring cost. Both support ebooks and audiobooks, but PublishDrive also includes translation and rights services.
Pick Apple Books
Pick Apple Books if you want to sell directly on Apple's platform without any upfront cost and are comfortable with a 70% royalty rate and limited distribution to Apple users only.
Pick PublishDrive
Pick PublishDrive if you want to distribute your book to over 400 stores globally, keep 100% of your royalties, and are willing to pay a monthly subscription fee starting around $16.99.
At a glance
| Apple Books | PublishDrive | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free; 70% | From ~$16.99/mo |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Free option | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Best for | Distribution & Publishing | Distribution & Publishing |
| AI features | No | No |
| Open source | No | No |
PublishDrive
publishdrive.com
Subscription aggregator (keep 100% royalties); 400+ stores.
Visit PublishDrive ↗See more options: Apple Books alternatives · PublishDrive alternatives