Publishing · head to head
Affinity Publisher vs Kotobee
Affinity Publisher
Publishing
Desktop page layout application, free since the Affinity range was relaunched by Canva
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Kotobee
Publishing
Interactive EPUB authoring that also exports native mobile apps and hosted libraries
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Affinity Publisher it cannot open native InDesign documents, only IDML exports, so inherited client archives either come across imperfectly or have to be rebuilt from scratch.; Kotobee interactive EPUB 3 features degrade or disappear in mainstream retail readers, Kindle in particular, so a book built around widgets and quizzes cannot simply be resold through ordinary retail channels later.
- They diverge on capability: Affinity Publisher covers Master pages and text flow, Kotobee covers Interactive EPUB 3.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Affinity Publisher and Kotobee actually diverge.
| Attribute | Affinity Publisher | Kotobee |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free, no licence fee | Per licence per year |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, iPadOS | Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Publishing).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Affinity Publisher
- Master pages and text flow
- Prepress output
- Unified application
- IDML import
- Data merge
- Cross platform files
Only in Kotobee
- Interactive EPUB 3
- Quizzes and question banks
- Native app export
- Kotobee Cloud
- DRM and access control
- Kotobee Reader
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Affinity Publisher
- Freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscriptionnot Kotobee
- In-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial printnot Kotobee
- Print buyers who need to check and correct supplied artwork without a design suite licencenot Kotobee
- Schools, charities and community publishers where a zero licence cost decides the toolnot Kotobee
Kotobee
- An education publisher whose distribution channel is a branded app installed by schools rather than a retail ebook storenot Affinity Publisher
- A training department delivering interactive course material with embedded assessment to a known set of employeesnot Affinity Publisher
- A publisher in a market where regional retail ebook channels are weak and direct institutional sales dominatenot Affinity Publisher
- An organisation that needs access control and device limits on material it cannot distribute openlynot Affinity Publisher
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Affinity Publisher
- It cannot open native InDesign documents, only IDML exports, so inherited client archives either come across imperfectly or have to be rebuilt from scratch.
- There is no scripting or plugin interface, so studios that automate catalogue or variable data production still need InDesign alongside it.
- Signing in through a Canva account is now part of using the free application, which is a problem for regulated or offline environments that forbid cloud accounts.
- The roadmap belongs to Canva, and the 2025 relaunch already reset the licence model that earlier perpetual buyers paid for, so long-term direction is outside your control.
- Commercial printers and freelance collaborators still expect InDesign packages, so handoff usually means delivering flattened PDFs rather than editable files.
Kotobee
- Interactive EPUB 3 features degrade or disappear in mainstream retail readers, Kindle in particular, so a book built around widgets and quizzes cannot simply be resold through ordinary retail channels later.
- Exporting a native app does not remove the app store obligations: you need Apple and Google developer accounts, you handle review submissions, and you own every rejection and update cycle.
- There is no print workflow at all, so a title that also needs a paperback edition requires a separate layout tool and a duplicated production process.
- It is a small vendor with a limited partner and integration ecosystem, which is a genuine concern for an institution embedding it in a multi-year curriculum programme.
- Cloud hosting, DRM and user management are priced separately from the authoring licence, so the recurring cost of delivery, rather than the software purchase, is what the budget has to carry.
Pricing, plan by plan
Affinity Publisher
Free- AffinityFree
- Free for everyone since the 2025 relaunch
- Layout, vector and photo tools in one application
- Requires a Canva account to sign in
Kotobee
Free- Kotobee Author$undefined/year
- A free tier with limited export options
- Paid licence tiers unlock app export and advanced widgets
- Kotobee Cloud hosting and DRM billed separately
Which should you pick?
Choose Affinity Publisher if
- You need master pages and text flow.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on macOS, Windows, iPadOS.
- You also want prepress output.
Choose Kotobee if
- You need interactive epub 3.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want quizzes and question banks.
Questions people ask
- Is Affinity Publisher or Kotobee better?
- Neither clearly leads. Affinity Publisher starts at Free and Kotobee at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Affinity Publisher or Kotobee?
- Affinity Publisher starts at Free and Kotobee at Free.
- Does Affinity Publisher or Kotobee run on more platforms?
- Affinity Publisher runs on macOS, Windows, iPadOS. Kotobee runs on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Affinity Publisher for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Affinity Publisher best used for?
- Affinity Publisher is most often used for freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscription, in-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial print, print buyers who need to check and correct supplied artwork without a design suite licence, schools, charities and community publishers where a zero licence cost decides the tool. Of those, freelance designers and small studios that cannot justify a monthly page layout subscription and in-house marketing teams producing brochures, reports and price lists for commercial print are not what Kotobee is typically brought in for.
- What can Affinity Publisher do that Kotobee cannot?
- Affinity Publisher covers Master pages and text flow, Prepress output, Unified application, IDML import. Kotobee covers Interactive EPUB 3, Quizzes and question banks, Native app export, Kotobee Cloud.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Affinity Publisher: Is Affinity Publisher really free now?
Yes. Since the 2025 relaunch the unified Affinity application is free. Artificial intelligence features need a paid Canva plan.
Kotobee: Can I sell a Kotobee book on Amazon?
You can sell a stripped-down EPUB, but the interactive content that justified the tool will not render. Treat retail as a separate, simpler edition.
Affinity Publisher: Can it open InDesign files?
Only IDML interchange files, and complex layouts lose fidelity. Native INDD files cannot be opened at all.
Kotobee: Does Kotobee publish the app to the stores for me?
No. It generates the application; you supply the developer accounts and go through Apple and Google review yourself, including every subsequent update.
Affinity Publisher: What happened to the perpetual licences people bought?
Canva made the relaunched application free to everyone, which superseded the paid version 2 licence model.
Kotobee: Is it suitable for a trade fiction publisher?
No. It is built for education, training and reference material where interactivity and controlled access are the point.
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