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Publishing · head to head

BookBaby vs Sigil

BookBaby logo

BookBaby

Publishing

Pay-per-book self-publishing service for ebook conversion, print on demand and distribution

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sigil logo

Sigil

Publishing

Open source EPUB editor for working directly on the file, not generating it

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sigil 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.; Sigil it produces no print output whatever, so any book that needs a paperback interior requires a completely separate tool and a second workflow.
  • They diverge on capability: BookBaby covers Ebook conversion, Sigil covers Direct EPUB editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BookBaby and Sigil actually diverge.

Attributes where BookBaby and Sigil differ
AttributeBookBabySigil
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchase per projectOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux

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 Sigil

  • Direct EPUB editing
  • Code and preview views
  • EPUB 2 and EPUB 3
  • Regex across files
  • Validation
  • Python plugins

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 Sigil
  • An author who wants a direct storefront (BookBaby Bookshop) alongside Amazon and Apple Books listingsnot Sigil
  • A non-fiction author producing a small print run for events or clients rather than ongoing retail salesnot Sigil
  • An author who has a finished manuscript and wants ISBNs assigned and registered under a known publisher of recordnot Sigil

Sigil

  • Fixing an EPUB that a retailer validator has rejected, without re-exporting from the tool that generated itnot BookBaby
  • Correcting the table of contents, reading order or metadata in a file supplied by a conversion servicenot BookBaby
  • Preparing a back-catalogue title where the only surviving source is the EPUB itselfnot BookBaby
  • Applying a consistent stylesheet or a bulk text correction across every chapter of a book at oncenot 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.

Sigil

  • It produces no print output whatever, so any book that needs a paperback interior requires a completely separate tool and a second workflow.
  • Meaningful use requires reading and writing HTML and CSS, which puts it out of reach of most authors who simply want a finished file.
  • There is no cloud storage, sync or collaboration, so the book exists as a file on one machine and version control is whatever you set up yourself.
  • Development depends on a small number of volunteer maintainers, so release timing and platform builds follow their availability rather than a roadmap, and a lapse in maintenance would leave no obvious successor.
  • It provides no distribution, no retailer connection and no Kindle-native output, so it sits in the middle of a workflow that other tools have to complete on both sides.

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

Sigil

Free
  • SigilFree
    • GPL licensed with no cost or account required
    • Full functionality with no feature gating
    • Community support through forums and the issue tracker

Which should you pick?

Choose BookBaby if

  • You need ebook conversion.
  • You also want print on demand.
BookBaby review

Choose Sigil if

  • You need direct epub editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want code and preview views.
Sigil review

Questions people ask

Is BookBaby or Sigil better?
Neither clearly leads. BookBaby starts at On request and Sigil at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BookBaby or Sigil?
Sigil has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for BookBaby and Free for Sigil.
Does BookBaby or Sigil run on more platforms?
BookBaby runs on Web. Sigil runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Sigil for free?
Yes. Sigil 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 Sigil is typically brought in for.
What can BookBaby do that Sigil cannot?
BookBaby covers Ebook conversion, Print on demand, ISBN assignment, BookBaby Bookshop. Sigil covers Direct EPUB editing, Code and preview views, EPUB 2 and EPUB 3, Regex across files.

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.

Sigil: Can I write my book in Sigil?

You can, but you should not. It is an EPUB editor, not a word processor, and writing long-form prose in it is unpleasant. Write elsewhere, import, then finish in Sigil.

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.

Sigil: Does it make Kindle files?

Not natively. Produce a valid EPUB in Sigil and let Amazon convert it, or use a separate conversion tool for other Kindle formats.

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.

Sigil: Is it safe to rely on a volunteer project for commercial work?

The files it produces are standard EPUB, so nothing is locked in. The risk is that maintenance stops, not that your books become unreadable.

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