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Publishing · head to head

IngramSpark vs Sigil

IngramSpark logo

IngramSpark

Publishing

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

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sigil logo

Sigil

Publishing

Open source EPUB editor for working directly on the file, not generating it

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sigil 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.; Sigil it produces no print output whatever, so any book that needs a paperback interior requires a completely separate tool and a second workflow.
  • They diverge on capability: IngramSpark covers Ingram catalogue distribution, Sigil covers Direct EPUB editing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IngramSpark and Sigil actually diverge.

Attributes where IngramSpark and Sigil differ
AttributeIngramSparkSigil
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelFree title setup, then per-unit print cost and revision feesOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux

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 Sigil

  • Direct EPUB editing
  • Code and preview views
  • EPUB 2 and EPUB 3
  • Regex across files
  • Validation
  • Python plugins

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

Sigil

  • Fixing an EPUB that a retailer validator has rejected, without re-exporting from the tool that generated itnot IngramSpark
  • Correcting the table of contents, reading order or metadata in a file supplied by a conversion servicenot IngramSpark
  • Preparing a back-catalogue title where the only surviving source is the EPUB itselfnot IngramSpark
  • Applying a consistent stylesheet or a bulk text correction across every chapter of a book at oncenot 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.

Sigil

  • It produces no print output whatever, so any book that needs a paperback interior requires a completely separate tool and a second workflow.
  • Meaningful use requires reading and writing HTML and CSS, which puts it out of reach of most authors who simply want a finished file.
  • There is no cloud storage, sync or collaboration, so the book exists as a file on one machine and version control is whatever you set up yourself.
  • Development depends on a small number of volunteer maintainers, so release timing and platform builds follow their availability rather than a roadmap, and a lapse in maintenance would leave no obvious successor.
  • It provides no distribution, no retailer connection and no Kindle-native output, so it sits in the middle of a workflow that other tools have to complete on both sides.

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

Sigil

Free
  • SigilFree
    • GPL licensed with no cost or account required
    • Full functionality with no feature gating
    • Community support through forums and the issue tracker

Which should you pick?

Choose IngramSpark if

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

Choose Sigil if

  • You need direct epub editing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want code and preview views.
Sigil review

Questions people ask

Is IngramSpark or Sigil better?
Neither clearly leads. IngramSpark starts at On request and Sigil at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IngramSpark or Sigil?
Sigil has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for IngramSpark and Free for Sigil.
Does IngramSpark or Sigil run on more platforms?
IngramSpark runs on Web. Sigil runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Sigil for free?
Yes. Sigil 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 Sigil is typically brought in for.
What can IngramSpark do that Sigil cannot?
IngramSpark covers Ingram catalogue distribution, Global print on demand, Discount and returns settings, Hardback and colour printing. Sigil covers Direct EPUB editing, Code and preview views, EPUB 2 and EPUB 3, Regex across files.

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.

Sigil: Can I write my book in Sigil?

You can, but you should not. It is an EPUB editor, not a word processor, and writing long-form prose in it is unpleasant. Write elsewhere, import, then finish in Sigil.

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.

Sigil: Does it make Kindle files?

Not natively. Produce a valid EPUB in Sigil and let Amazon convert it, or use a separate conversion tool for other Kindle formats.

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.

Sigil: Is it safe to rely on a volunteer project for commercial work?

The files it produces are standard EPUB, so nothing is locked in. The risk is that maintenance stops, not that your books become unreadable.

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