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Publishing · head to head

Lulu vs PublishDrive

Lulu logo

Lulu

Publishing

Quality book printing at a reasonable price

From
On request
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

  • Only PublishDrive has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lulu no fixed pricing published; vendor requires pricing calculator for quotes; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lulu and PublishDrive actually diverge.

Attributes where Lulu and PublishDrive differ
AttributeLuluPublishDrive
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelusage-basedFlat-fee subscription, no commission on paid plans
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 Lulu

Nothing recorded that PublishDrive does not also cover.

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.

Lulu

  • Self-publishing novels without traditional publishingnot PublishDrive
  • Producing print-on-demand photo books without inventorynot PublishDrive
  • Creating photo books for preserving memoriesnot PublishDrive
  • Accessing 40,000+ global book retailersnot PublishDrive

PublishDrive

  • An author wanting one upload to reach 400+ retail and library channels rather than managing each retailer account separatelynot Lulu
  • 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 Lulu
  • A publisher distributing to library and subscription services like Scribd alongside standard retail channels from one dashboardnot Lulu
  • An author testing distribution on the free tier with one book before committing to a paid plan for a larger cataloguenot Lulu

Where each one falls short

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

Lulu

  • No fixed pricing published; vendor requires pricing calculator for quotes
  • Costs vary significantly based on trim size, binding type, page count, and shipping
  • Author royalties and distribution fees not disclosed on website

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

Lulu

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Lulu 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 Lulu if

Nothing in the data separates Lulu from PublishDrive on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Lulu 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 Lulu or PublishDrive better?
Neither clearly leads. Lulu starts at On request and PublishDrive at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lulu or PublishDrive?
PublishDrive has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Lulu and Free for PublishDrive.
Does Lulu or PublishDrive run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use PublishDrive for free?
Yes. PublishDrive has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lulu starts at On request.
What is Lulu best used for?
Lulu is most often used for self-publishing novels without traditional publishing, producing print-on-demand photo books without inventory, creating photo books for preserving memories, accessing 40,000+ global book retailers. Of those, self-publishing novels without traditional publishing and producing print-on-demand photo books without inventory are not what PublishDrive is typically brought in for.
What can Lulu do that PublishDrive cannot?
PublishDrive covers Wide distribution, 0% commission on paid plans, Ebook converter, Sales analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lulu: How much does Lulu self-publishing cost?

Lulu does not publish fixed pricing. Costs depend on specific book specifications including trim size, binding type, page count, and distribution format. Users must access Lulu's pricing calculator to receive personalized quotes for their book project.

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.

Lulu: How does Lulu's pricing calculator work?

Users input their book specifications such as trim size, binding type, and page count into Lulu's pricing calculator tool to receive customized pricing quotes and view production timelines.

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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