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Publishing · head to head

Draft2Digital vs IngramSpark

Draft2Digital logo

Draft2Digital

Publishing

Ebook and print distribution aggregator that takes a percentage instead of a fee

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IngramSpark logo

IngramSpark

Publishing

Print-on-demand and distribution into the wholesale catalogue that bookshops order from

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Draft2Digital has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Draft2Digital the 10% cut is taken from the list price of every copy for as long as the title stays in the channel, so on a backlist that sells for years it costs far more than a one-off formatting or distribution fee would have.; IngramSpark you must buy your own ISBN for every format, which is a real upfront cost in territories such as the United States where the national agency charges over a hundred dollars for a single number.
  • They diverge on capability: Draft2Digital covers One-upload distribution, IngramSpark covers Ingram catalogue distribution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Draft2Digital and IngramSpark actually diverge.

Attributes where Draft2Digital and IngramSpark differ
AttributeDraft2DigitalIngramSpark
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing model10% of retail list price, no upfront feeFree title setup, then per-unit print cost and revision fees
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Draft2Digital

  • One-upload distribution
  • Free conversion
  • Books2Read universal links
  • Print distribution
  • Free ISBN option
  • Series and back-matter automation

Only in IngramSpark

  • Ingram catalogue distribution
  • Global print on demand
  • Discount and returns settings
  • Hardback and colour printing
  • Ebook distribution
  • Author copies at cost

What people use each for

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

Draft2Digital

  • An author with a growing backlist who does not want to maintain accounts at eight separate retailers and reupload corrected files to each onenot IngramSpark
  • A writer who wants library distribution through OverDrive and Bibliotheca without meeting the requirements those platforms set for direct suppliersnot IngramSpark
  • Anyone publishing outside the United States who wants Tolino and other regional European stores reached without local accountsnot IngramSpark
  • A publisher of series fiction that benefits from automated end-matter linking across every store editionnot IngramSpark

IngramSpark

  • An author who wants independent bookshops and libraries to be able to order the book on normal trade terms rather than only through Amazonnot Draft2Digital
  • A small press that needs hardback and colour formats printed on demand without holding stocknot Draft2Digital
  • A non-fiction author selling at conferences and events who wants author copies at print cost and trade distribution from the same title recordnot Draft2Digital
  • A publisher printing for international readers who needs local manufacturing in the UK or Australia to avoid shipping costs killing the marginnot Draft2Digital

Where each one falls short

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

Draft2Digital

  • The 10% cut is taken from the list price of every copy for as long as the title stays in the channel, so on a backlist that sells for years it costs far more than a one-off formatting or distribution fee would have.
  • Moving a title to direct distribution later means unpublishing and republishing at each store, which usually resets reviews, rankings and pre-order history at that retailer.
  • The free ISBN names Draft2Digital as publisher of record, which weakens the case that the book is independently published when dealing with libraries, bookshops or awards that check the imprint.
  • You lose the merchandising and promotional tools retailers give direct suppliers, including Kobo price promotion tools and Apple promotional scheduling, which are among the few levers indie authors actually have.
  • Payments wait on retailer reporting, so revenue arrives later than a direct account would pay it, and reconciling a discrepancy means the aggregator has to raise it with the store on your behalf.

IngramSpark

  • You must buy your own ISBN for every format, which is a real upfront cost in territories such as the United States where the national agency charges over a hundred dollars for a single number.
  • Setting the 55% wholesale discount and returns flag that bookshops expect can reduce net revenue on a modestly priced paperback to near nothing once print cost is deducted.
  • Enabling returns exposes you to charge-backs for unsold copies that are returned and destroyed, which turns a bookshop order that looked like a sale into a cost months later.
  • Print quality varies between plants and print runs, colour reproduction in particular, and resolving a complaint about a misprinted batch is slow because you are dealing with a distributor and not a printer you can telephone.
  • File revisions after publication carry a fee each time, so correcting an error found by an early reader costs money and takes days to propagate through the retail listings.

Pricing, plan by plan

Draft2Digital

Free
  • Draft2Digital$undefined/month
    • No setup, subscription or conversion fees
    • Draft2Digital retains 10% of the retail list price of each sale
    • Free ISBN available, or supply your own

IngramSpark

On request
  • IngramSpark$undefined/month
    • No title setup fee
    • File revisions after publication charged per title, around twenty-five dollars
    • Print cost deducted per unit from the wholesale payment

Which should you pick?

Choose Draft2Digital if

  • You need one-upload distribution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want free conversion.
Draft2Digital review

Choose IngramSpark if

  • You need ingram catalogue distribution.
  • You also want global print on demand.
IngramSpark review

Questions people ask

Is Draft2Digital or IngramSpark better?
Neither clearly leads. Draft2Digital starts at Free and IngramSpark at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Draft2Digital or IngramSpark?
Draft2Digital has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Draft2Digital and On request for IngramSpark.
Does Draft2Digital or IngramSpark run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Draft2Digital for free?
Yes. Draft2Digital has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IngramSpark starts at On request.
What is Draft2Digital best used for?
Draft2Digital is most often used for an author with a growing backlist who does not want to maintain accounts at eight separate retailers and reupload corrected files to each one, a writer who wants library distribution through overdrive and bibliotheca without meeting the requirements those platforms set for direct suppliers, anyone publishing outside the united states who wants tolino and other regional european stores reached without local accounts, a publisher of series fiction that benefits from automated end-matter linking across every store edition. Of those, an author with a growing backlist who does not want to maintain accounts at eight separate retailers and reupload corrected files to each one and a writer who wants library distribution through overdrive and bibliotheca without meeting the requirements those platforms set for direct suppliers are not what IngramSpark is typically brought in for.
What can Draft2Digital do that IngramSpark cannot?
Draft2Digital covers One-upload distribution, Free conversion, Books2Read universal links, Print distribution. IngramSpark covers Ingram catalogue distribution, Global print on demand, Discount and returns settings, Hardback and colour printing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Draft2Digital: Should I distribute to Amazon through Draft2Digital?

Usually not. Amazon accounts are free and paying an aggregator a percentage on your largest sales channel is difficult to justify unless you have a specific reason to avoid a direct account.

IngramSpark: Does IngramSpark give me a free ISBN?

No. You supply your own, one for each format. That is a cost, and it is also why the publisher of record on the book is your imprint rather than theirs.

Draft2Digital: Can I use my own ISBN?

Yes, and you should if you want the imprint on record to be yours. The free ISBN is convenient but lists Draft2Digital as publisher.

IngramSpark: Will bookshops actually stock my book?

They can order it, which is a precondition, not a guarantee. Being in the catalogue on trade terms, discounted and returnable, is what makes stocking possible; convincing a shop to do it is still your job.

Draft2Digital: What happened to Smashwords?

Draft2Digital acquired it in 2022. The Smashwords store continues, and the two distribution operations were brought under one company, which reduced the number of independent aggregators to choose between.

IngramSpark: Should I use IngramSpark and Amazon print together?

Many authors do, using Amazon for Amazon sales and IngramSpark for everyone else. Watch for duplicate listings and check which edition Amazon shows as the buy option.

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