Is Blurb or Wattpad better?

Neither clearly leads. Blurb starts at $3.99/unit and Wattpad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Blurb or Wattpad?

Wattpad has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3.99/unit for Blurb and Free for Wattpad.

Does Blurb or Wattpad run on more platforms?

Blurb runs on Web. Wattpad runs on iOS, Android, Web.

Can I use Wattpad for free?

Yes. Wattpad has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Blurb starts at $3.99/unit.

What is Blurb best used for?

Blurb is most often used for self-publishing, print marketing materials. Of those, self-publishing and print marketing materials are not what Wattpad is typically brought in for.

What can Blurb do that Wattpad cannot?

Wattpad covers Free serialised fiction library, Wattpad Premium subscription, Wattpad Coins, Paid Stories programme.

Publishing · head to head

Blurb vs Wattpad

Blurb

Publishing

Visual storytelling through print-on-demand books and wall art

From: $3.99/unit
Rated: -

Full review Website

Wattpad

Publishing

User-generated fiction publishing and reading app, owned by Naver alongside Webtoon

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Wattpad has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Blurb print-on-demand model; no subscription plans or seat limits; Wattpad only a small, selected group of authors participate in the Paid Stories revenue-share programme, so the large majority of writers publishing on the platform earn nothing directly from their work being read.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blurb and Wattpad actually diverge.

Attributes where Blurb and Wattpad differ
Attribute	Blurb	Wattpad
Starting price	$3.99/unit	Free
Pricing model	usage-based	Free with ads; paid ad-free subscription and optional in-app coin purchases
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web	iOS, Android, Web

Identical on both: 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 Blurb

Nothing recorded that Wattpad does not also cover.

Only in Wattpad

Free serialised fiction library
Wattpad Premium subscription
Wattpad Coins
Paid Stories programme
Writing and publishing tools
Wattpad Studios

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Blurb

Self-publishingnot Wattpad
Print marketing materialsnot Wattpad

Wattpad

A reader wanting free access to a large catalogue of ongoing, chapter-by-chapter serialised fictionnot Blurb
An amateur writer wanting to publish work chapter by chapter and build a following before seeking traditional publicationnot Blurb
A frequent reader wanting an ad-free, offline-capable experience through Wattpad Premiumnot Blurb
A fan wanting to tip a favourite author or unlock select paid stories through the Wattpad Coins systemnot Blurb

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Blurb

Print-on-demand model; no subscription plans or seat limits
Per-page costs add $0.04-$3.50 depending on product type
Volume discounts require minimum orders

Wattpad

Only a small, selected group of authors participate in the Paid Stories revenue-share programme, so the large majority of writers publishing on the platform earn nothing directly from their work being read.
The free tier is ad-supported with ads appearing between chapters, which interrupts reading flow in a way competitors with a purely subscription model do not.
Content moderation across a huge volume of user-submitted fiction has been an ongoing challenge, and mature or borderline content has periodically drawn scrutiny given the platform's substantial teenage user base.
Since the 2021 Naver acquisition and merger with Webtoon, product direction is set within a larger Korean media conglomerate strategy rather than independently, which has meant slower, less predictable feature development for the original Wattpad product.
Story completion and update frequency depend entirely on individual amateur authors, so readers following an ongoing story have no guarantee it will ever be finished.

Pricing, plan by plan

Blurb

$3.99/unit

Paperback$3.99/unit
Photo Books$12/unit
Notebooks$12/unit
Wall Art$65/unit

Wattpad

Free

FreeFree
- Ad-supported reading of the full story catalogue
- No offline downloads
- Ads shown between chapters
Wattpad Premium$4.99/month
- Ad-free reading
- Offline chapter downloads
- Also offered at a discounted annual rate

Which should you pick?

Choose Blurb if

Nothing in the data separates Blurb from Wattpad on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Blurb review

Choose Wattpad if

You need free serialised fiction library.
You want to start without paying.
You work on iOS, Android, Web.
You also want wattpad premium subscription.

Wattpad review

Questions people ask

Is Blurb or Wattpad better?: Neither clearly leads. Blurb starts at $3.99/unit and Wattpad at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blurb or Wattpad?: Wattpad has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3.99/unit for Blurb and Free for Wattpad.
Does Blurb or Wattpad run on more platforms?: Blurb runs on Web. Wattpad runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Wattpad for free?: Yes. Wattpad has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Blurb starts at $3.99/unit.
What is Blurb best used for?: Blurb is most often used for self-publishing, print marketing materials. Of those, self-publishing and print marketing materials are not what Wattpad is typically brought in for.
What can Blurb do that Wattpad cannot?: Wattpad covers Free serialised fiction library, Wattpad Premium subscription, Wattpad Coins, Paid Stories programme.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blurb: What is Blurb's starting price for printed books?

Blurb's paperback books start at $3.99 for a 5x8-inch book with economy color paper, with prices increasing based on size and binding style.

Source

Wattpad: Is Wattpad free?

Yes, reading is free and ad-supported; Wattpad Premium removes ads and adds offline downloads for a monthly or annual fee.

Blurb: Does Blurb offer volume discounts?

Blurb provides volume discounts: 10-20% for 10-19 copies, 15-20% for 20-49 copies, and 20-25% for 50+ copies depending on product type.

Source

Wattpad: Can writers make money on Wattpad?

A limited number of authors are selected into the Paid Stories programme and earn a share of Wattpad Coins spent on their work; most authors do not earn direct payment from the platform.

Blurb: What does Blurb charge for photo book printing?

Blurb's photo books start at $12 and can cost up to $159 depending on size (6 sizes available), paper quality, and cover binding option.

Source

Wattpad: Who owns Wattpad?

Naver, the South Korean internet company that also owns Webtoon, acquired Wattpad in 2021.

Blurb vs Wattpad

Blurb

Wattpad

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Blurb

Only in Wattpad

What people use each for

Blurb

Wattpad

Where each one falls short

Blurb

Wattpad

Pricing, plan by plan

Blurb

Wattpad

Which should you pick?

Choose Blurb if

Choose Wattpad if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Blurb

More on Wattpad

Keep looking

Other head to heads