Publishing · head to head
BookBaby vs Goodreads
BookBaby
Publishing
Pay-per-book self-publishing service for ebook conversion, print on demand and distribution
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Goodreads
Publishing
Amazon-owned book cataloguing, review and recommendation app
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Goodreads has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: BookBaby every stage beyond the base package, ISBN registration, expanded distribution, extra proof revisions and editing, is billed separately, so the advertised entry price is rarely the final cost.; Goodreads being owned by Amazon since 2013, the platform is structurally oriented toward driving Kindle and Amazon purchases rather than existing as an independent literary community, even though it remains free to use.
- They diverge on capability: BookBaby covers Ebook conversion, Goodreads covers Reading tracking and shelves.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which BookBaby and Goodreads actually diverge.
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 BookBaby
- Ebook conversion
- Print on demand
- ISBN assignment
- BookBaby Bookshop
- Editing and cover design add-ons
- Distribution to major retailers
Only in Goodreads
- Reading tracking and shelves
- Reviews and ratings
- Reading Challenge
- Groups and discussions
- Author profiles and Q&A
- Kindle and Amazon purchase links
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
BookBaby
- A first-time author who wants a single vendor to handle conversion, printing and distribution without learning the formats themselvesnot Goodreads
- An author who wants a direct storefront (BookBaby Bookshop) alongside Amazon and Apple Books listingsnot Goodreads
- A non-fiction author producing a small print run for events or clients rather than ongoing retail salesnot Goodreads
- An author who has a finished manuscript and wants ISBNs assigned and registered under a known publisher of recordnot Goodreads
Goodreads
- A reader wanting a personal log of books read with ratings and notes over timenot BookBaby
- Someone checking aggregated reviews before buying or borrowing a booknot BookBaby
- A book club coordinating discussion in a dedicated group spacenot BookBaby
- A reader setting and tracking an annual reading goal through the Reading Challenge featurenot BookBaby
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
BookBaby
- Every stage beyond the base package, ISBN registration, expanded distribution, extra proof revisions and editing, is billed separately, so the advertised entry price is rarely the final cost.
- Unlike Draft2Digital or Kindle Direct Publishing, there is no free tier; authors pay upfront for services regardless of whether the book ever sells a copy.
- Revision rounds after the first proof are charged per round, which penalises authors who want to iterate on formatting.
- Editing is priced per word rather than as a flat fee, so a full manuscript edit can cost more than the entire publishing package.
- It packages services that KDP, Draft2Digital and IngramSpark offer for free or on a royalty-share basis, so cost-conscious authors comfortable with self-formatting pay for convenience they do not need.
Goodreads
- Being owned by Amazon since 2013, the platform is structurally oriented toward driving Kindle and Amazon purchases rather than existing as an independent literary community, even though it remains free to use.
- Interface and feature development have seen limited meaningful investment since the acquisition, and long-standing user complaints about outdated design and moderation tools have gone largely unaddressed for years.
- Review and rating manipulation, including review bombing and coordinated fake reviews, has been a persistent, documented problem with limited effective moderation response.
- The recommendation engine and reading data are used to inform Amazon retail and advertising systems, which is a real data use consideration for readers who value privacy around their reading habits.
- There is no official API for third-party developers since Amazon deprecated the previous public API, which has limited independent tools and integrations that used to exist around the platform.
Pricing, plan by plan
BookBaby
On request- Ebook Publishing$299/one-time
- Ebook conversion and formatting
- Distribution to major ebook retailers
- 100 percent royalties from most retailers
- Print on Demand$399/one-time
- Paperback print on demand setup
- No inventory purchase required
- Amazon and BookBaby Bookshop listing
- Print plus Ebook Bundle$2190/one-time
- Basic cover design
- Ebook conversion and print on demand
- A run of printed copies included
Goodreads
Free- GoodreadsFree
- Full cataloguing, review and group features at no cost
- No ads sold directly within the reading experience beyond Amazon purchase links
- No premium tier exists
Which should you pick?
Choose Goodreads if
- You need reading tracking and shelves.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want reviews and ratings.
Questions people ask
- Is BookBaby or Goodreads better?
- Neither clearly leads. BookBaby starts at On request and Goodreads at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, BookBaby or Goodreads?
- Goodreads has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for BookBaby and Free for Goodreads.
- Does BookBaby or Goodreads run on more platforms?
- BookBaby runs on Web. Goodreads runs on iOS, Android, Web.
- Can I use Goodreads for free?
- Yes. Goodreads has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BookBaby starts at On request.
- What is BookBaby best used for?
- BookBaby is most often used for a first-time author who wants a single vendor to handle conversion, printing and distribution without learning the formats themselves, an author who wants a direct storefront (bookbaby bookshop) alongside amazon and apple books listings, a non-fiction author producing a small print run for events or clients rather than ongoing retail sales, an author who has a finished manuscript and wants isbns assigned and registered under a known publisher of record. Of those, a first-time author who wants a single vendor to handle conversion, printing and distribution without learning the formats themselves and an author who wants a direct storefront (bookbaby bookshop) alongside amazon and apple books listings are not what Goodreads is typically brought in for.
- What can BookBaby do that Goodreads cannot?
- BookBaby covers Ebook conversion, Print on demand, ISBN assignment, BookBaby Bookshop. Goodreads covers Reading tracking and shelves, Reviews and ratings, Reading Challenge, Groups and discussions.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
BookBaby: Does BookBaby take a cut of royalties?
No for most retailers; authors keep 100 percent of the retailer royalty. BookBaby earns money from the upfront service fees instead.
Goodreads: Is Goodreads free?
Yes, there is no subscription or premium tier; all cataloguing, review and group features are free.
BookBaby: Can I publish only an ebook without print?
Yes, ebook-only packages start at 299 US dollars and do not require the print on demand package.
Goodreads: Who owns Goodreads?
Amazon, which acquired it in 2013.
BookBaby: Is a BookBaby ISBN owned by me or by BookBaby?
ISBNs are registered with BookBaby listed as the publisher of record unless you supply your own, which affects how the book is catalogued.
Goodreads: Does Goodreads have an API for developers?
Amazon deprecated the previous public Goodreads API, so third-party tool development is now much more limited than it once was.
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