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Publishing · head to head

IngramSpark vs Reedsy

IngramSpark logo

IngramSpark

Publishing

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Reedsy logo

Reedsy

Publishing

Vetted marketplace of publishing freelancers with free writing and formatting tools attached

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Reedsy 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.; Reedsy it is a marketplace, so the outcome depends entirely on the individual you hire, and Reedsy vets credentials rather than guaranteeing the quality of any specific engagement.
  • They diverge on capability: IngramSpark covers Ingram catalogue distribution, Reedsy covers Vetted marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IngramSpark and Reedsy actually diverge.

Attributes where IngramSpark and Reedsy differ
AttributeIngramSparkReedsy
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelFree title setup, then per-unit print cost and revision feesFree tools; freelancers quote per project
Free tierNoYes

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 IngramSpark

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

Only in Reedsy

  • Vetted marketplace
  • Quote and compare
  • Reedsy Studio
  • Typeset export
  • Reedsy Discovery
  • Free courses

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

Reedsy

  • A first-time author who can afford professional editing but has no way to judge whether a freelancer has genuine publishing experiencenot IngramSpark
  • A writer who wants a print-ready interior and EPUB without buying formatting software or learning typesettingnot IngramSpark
  • An author needing a specialist such as a translator or a genre-specific cover designer that a general marketplace would burynot IngramSpark
  • A small press wanting overflow editorial capacity from screened professionals without running its own recruitmentnot 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.

Reedsy

  • It is a marketplace, so the outcome depends entirely on the individual you hire, and Reedsy vets credentials rather than guaranteeing the quality of any specific engagement.
  • The terms require you to keep communication and payment on the platform, so a professional you want to work with repeatedly stays inside a system that takes a commission on every project.
  • Vetting narrows the pool and raises prices, so authors on a small budget will find the same categories of work available for far less on open marketplaces.
  • The free editor offers only a handful of interior templates with little typographic control, so anyone who wants a specific look still needs a designer or a page layout application.
  • There is no distribution, no ISBN and no sales channel, so Reedsy solves the production half of publishing and leaves the entire commercial half to you.

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

Reedsy

Free
  • ReedsyFree
    • Manuscript editor, collaboration and typeset export at no cost
    • Freelance work quoted individually by each professional
    • Reedsy commission built into the quoted price

Which should you pick?

Choose IngramSpark if

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

Choose Reedsy if

  • You need vetted marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want quote and compare.
Reedsy review

Questions people ask

Is IngramSpark or Reedsy better?
Neither clearly leads. IngramSpark starts at On request and Reedsy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IngramSpark or Reedsy?
Reedsy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for IngramSpark and Free for Reedsy.
Does IngramSpark or Reedsy run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Reedsy for free?
Yes. Reedsy 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 Reedsy is typically brought in for.
What can IngramSpark do that Reedsy cannot?
IngramSpark covers Ingram catalogue distribution, Global print on demand, Discount and returns settings, Hardback and colour printing. Reedsy covers Vetted marketplace, Quote and compare, Reedsy Studio, Typeset export.

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.

Reedsy: What does Reedsy charge me?

Nothing directly for the tools. The commission on freelance work is included in the quote you are given, so the price you see is the price you pay.

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.

Reedsy: Can I hire someone I found on Reedsy and pay them privately?

It is against the terms while the relationship originated on the platform, and you lose the payment protection and dispute process. Professionals risk removal from the marketplace for agreeing to it.

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.

Reedsy: Is the free formatting tool good enough to publish with?

For standard prose fiction and most non-fiction, yes. For anything with complex layout, images, tables or a distinctive typographic identity, it is not.

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