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Publishing · head to head

IngramSpark vs Kotobee

IngramSpark logo

IngramSpark

Publishing

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kotobee logo

Kotobee

Publishing

Interactive EPUB authoring that also exports native mobile apps and hosted libraries

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Kotobee has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Kotobee interactive EPUB 3 features degrade or disappear in mainstream retail readers, Kindle in particular, so a book built around widgets and quizzes cannot simply be resold through ordinary retail channels later.
  • They diverge on capability: IngramSpark covers Ingram catalogue distribution, Kotobee covers Interactive EPUB 3.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IngramSpark and Kotobee actually diverge.

Attributes where IngramSpark and Kotobee differ
AttributeIngramSparkKotobee
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelFree title setup, then per-unit print cost and revision feesPer licence per year
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android

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 IngramSpark

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

Only in Kotobee

  • Interactive EPUB 3
  • Quizzes and question banks
  • Native app export
  • Kotobee Cloud
  • DRM and access control
  • Kotobee Reader

What people use each for

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

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 Kotobee
  • A small press that needs hardback and colour formats printed on demand without holding stocknot Kotobee
  • A non-fiction author selling at conferences and events who wants author copies at print cost and trade distribution from the same title recordnot Kotobee
  • A publisher printing for international readers who needs local manufacturing in the UK or Australia to avoid shipping costs killing the marginnot Kotobee

Kotobee

  • An education publisher whose distribution channel is a branded app installed by schools rather than a retail ebook storenot IngramSpark
  • A training department delivering interactive course material with embedded assessment to a known set of employeesnot IngramSpark
  • A publisher in a market where regional retail ebook channels are weak and direct institutional sales dominatenot IngramSpark
  • An organisation that needs access control and device limits on material it cannot distribute openlynot IngramSpark

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Kotobee

  • Interactive EPUB 3 features degrade or disappear in mainstream retail readers, Kindle in particular, so a book built around widgets and quizzes cannot simply be resold through ordinary retail channels later.
  • Exporting a native app does not remove the app store obligations: you need Apple and Google developer accounts, you handle review submissions, and you own every rejection and update cycle.
  • There is no print workflow at all, so a title that also needs a paperback edition requires a separate layout tool and a duplicated production process.
  • It is a small vendor with a limited partner and integration ecosystem, which is a genuine concern for an institution embedding it in a multi-year curriculum programme.
  • Cloud hosting, DRM and user management are priced separately from the authoring licence, so the recurring cost of delivery, rather than the software purchase, is what the budget has to carry.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Kotobee

Free
  • Kotobee Author$undefined/year
    • A free tier with limited export options
    • Paid licence tiers unlock app export and advanced widgets
    • Kotobee Cloud hosting and DRM billed separately

Which should you pick?

Choose IngramSpark if

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

Choose Kotobee if

  • You need interactive epub 3.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want quizzes and question banks.
Kotobee review

Questions people ask

Is IngramSpark or Kotobee better?
Neither clearly leads. IngramSpark starts at On request and Kotobee at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IngramSpark or Kotobee?
Kotobee has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for IngramSpark and Free for Kotobee.
Does IngramSpark or Kotobee run on more platforms?
IngramSpark runs on Web. Kotobee runs on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Kotobee for free?
Yes. Kotobee has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. IngramSpark starts at On request.
What is IngramSpark best used for?
IngramSpark is most often used for an author who wants independent bookshops and libraries to be able to order the book on normal trade terms rather than only through amazon, a small press that needs hardback and colour formats printed on demand without holding stock, a non-fiction author selling at conferences and events who wants author copies at print cost and trade distribution from the same title record, a publisher printing for international readers who needs local manufacturing in the uk or australia to avoid shipping costs killing the margin. Of those, an author who wants independent bookshops and libraries to be able to order the book on normal trade terms rather than only through amazon and a small press that needs hardback and colour formats printed on demand without holding stock are not what Kotobee is typically brought in for.
What can IngramSpark do that Kotobee cannot?
IngramSpark covers Ingram catalogue distribution, Global print on demand, Discount and returns settings, Hardback and colour printing. Kotobee covers Interactive EPUB 3, Quizzes and question banks, Native app export, Kotobee Cloud.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Kotobee: Can I sell a Kotobee book on Amazon?

You can sell a stripped-down EPUB, but the interactive content that justified the tool will not render. Treat retail as a separate, simpler edition.

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.

Kotobee: Does Kotobee publish the app to the stores for me?

No. It generates the application; you supply the developer accounts and go through Apple and Google review yourself, including every subsequent update.

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.

Kotobee: Is it suitable for a trade fiction publisher?

No. It is built for education, training and reference material where interactivity and controlled access are the point.

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