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Publishing · head to head

GIMP vs PublishDrive

GIMP logo

GIMP

Publishing

Free and open-source image editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PublishDrive logo

PublishDrive

Publishing

Ebook distribution aggregator that moved from a royalty-share model to flat-fee subscription pricing, so authors now keep 100% of the store royalty rather than splitting it with the platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GIMP gPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed; PublishDrive the flat-fee model works against an author with low or unpredictable sales, since the monthly subscription is charged regardless of whether the book earns enough royalty to cover it, unlike a royalty-share model that only costs money on actual sales.
  • They diverge on capability: GIMP covers Photo editing, PublishDrive covers Wide distribution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GIMP and PublishDrive actually diverge.

Attributes where GIMP and PublishDrive differ
AttributeGIMPPublishDrive
Pricing modelopen-sourceFlat-fee subscription, no commission on paid plans
PlatformsGNU/Linux, macOS, WindowsWeb
Founded1995Unknown

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 GIMP

  • Photo editing
  • Digital painting
  • Image processing
  • Batch editing
  • Filters
  • Color correction
  • Layer support
  • Script-fu automation

Only in PublishDrive

  • Wide distribution
  • 0% commission on paid plans
  • Ebook converter
  • Sales analytics
  • AI publishing chatbot
  • Free tier

What people use each for

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

GIMP

  • Photo editing and retouching with professional colour managementnot PublishDrive
  • Digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformationnot PublishDrive
  • Icon and UI element design for application developmentnot PublishDrive
  • Batch image processing through Python, C, C++, and Scheme scriptingnot PublishDrive

PublishDrive

  • An author wanting one upload to reach 400+ retail and library channels rather than managing each retailer account separatelynot GIMP
  • An author confident in steady sales volume who prefers a fixed monthly fee over a per-sale royalty cut, since the flat fee does not scale with successnot GIMP
  • A publisher distributing to library and subscription services like Scribd alongside standard retail channels from one dashboardnot GIMP
  • An author testing distribution on the free tier with one book before committing to a paid plan for a larger cataloguenot GIMP

Where each one falls short

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

GIMP

  • GPLv3 licence requires derivative works to be open-source and freely distributed
  • Community-driven development with no commercial support tier
  • No native CMYK support for professional print workflows
  • Ecosystem depends on community plugins and scripts for advanced features

PublishDrive

  • The flat-fee model works against an author with low or unpredictable sales, since the monthly subscription is charged regardless of whether the book earns enough royalty to cover it, unlike a royalty-share model that only costs money on actual sales.
  • The free tier gives access to only 29 of roughly 49 total channels, so testing the platform for free does not represent the full distribution reach a paid plan provides.
  • Subscription service royalties (25-60%, typically around 55%) are lower and more variable than standard retail royalties, so an author distributing heavily through subscription channels should model that lower rate specifically rather than assuming a flat 70%.
  • As an aggregator, PublishDrive sits between the author and each retailer, so account-level issues or policy changes at an individual retailer (Amazon, Kobo, Apple) can affect distribution in ways the author does not directly control.
  • Multiple books beyond the Starter plan 3-book cap require a higher tier, so an author with a larger catalogue needs to check the cost of higher plans against direct multi-retailer management before committing.

Pricing, plan by plan

GIMP

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the GIMP review.

PublishDrive

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 29 of ~49 distribution channels
    • 1 book
    • Ebook converter, sales analytics, AI chatbot
  • Starter$undefined/month
    • All ~49 distribution channels
    • Up to 3 books
    • 0% commission, author keeps full retailer royalty

Which should you pick?

Choose GIMP if

  • You need photo editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want digital painting.
GIMP review

Choose PublishDrive if

  • You need wide distribution.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want 0% commission on paid plans.
PublishDrive review

Questions people ask

Is GIMP or PublishDrive better?
Neither clearly leads. GIMP starts at Free and PublishDrive at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GIMP or PublishDrive?
GIMP starts at Free and PublishDrive at Free.
Does GIMP or PublishDrive run on more platforms?
GIMP runs on GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows. PublishDrive runs on Web.
Can I use GIMP for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GIMP best used for?
GIMP is most often used for photo editing and retouching with professional colour management, digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformation, icon and ui element design for application development, batch image processing through python, c, c++, and scheme scripting. Of those, photo editing and retouching with professional colour management and digital art creation with power and flexibility for image transformation are not what PublishDrive is typically brought in for.
What can GIMP do that PublishDrive cannot?
GIMP covers Photo editing, Digital painting, Image processing, Batch editing. PublishDrive covers Wide distribution, 0% commission on paid plans, Ebook converter, Sales analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GIMP: How much does GIMP cost?

GIMP is completely free to use and distribute. The software is released under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3), an open-source license that guarantees freedom to use, modify, and distribute.

Source
PublishDrive: Does PublishDrive take a cut of royalties?

No, not on paid plans. It moved from a royalty-share model to flat-fee subscription pricing, so authors keep 100% of what each retailer or subscription service pays.

GIMP: Can I modify and distribute GIMP?

Yes, GIMP's source code is available for modification and redistribution according to the terms of the GPLv3 license.

Source
PublishDrive: Is the free plan worth using to test the platform?

It gives access to only 29 of the roughly 49 total channels for one book, so it is a limited preview rather than the full paid-plan experience.

PublishDrive: How does it compare to Draft2Digital?

Both are wide-distribution aggregators; the key difference to check is Draft2Digital retains a small percentage-based fee model in most cases, while PublishDrive is flat-fee subscription-only on paid plans.

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