KDP vs IngramSpark vs Draft2Digital in 2026: The Complete Self-Publishing Platform Comparison

Short answer: most indie authors start on KDP, add IngramSpark for print copies that bookstores and libraries can order, and use Draft2Digital to send ebooks to every store that isn't Amazon. The three aren't really rivals. They cover different parts of the market, and many authors use two or all three for the same book. Below is what each one does, what it costs and when it makes sense.

Table of Contents

1. KDP: the Amazon storefront
2. IngramSpark: print for bookstores and libraries
3. Draft2Digital: ebooks everywhere else
4. Side-by-side table
5. The KDP Select question
6. Which setup fits which author
7. A worked example with real numbers

KDP: the Amazon storefront

Kindle Direct Publishing is Amazon's own platform for ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers. It is free to use, and a book usually goes live within 72 hours. Because Amazon sells most of the ebooks bought in the US, KDP is where nearly every self-published author starts.

Royalties

• Ebooks, 70% option: for list prices from $2.99 to $9.99 in most markets. Amazon subtracts a small delivery fee based on file size (about $0.15 per MB in the US), so image-heavy books earn a little less.
• Ebooks, 35% option: for prices outside that range, with no delivery fee.
• Paperbacks and hardcovers: 60% of list price minus the printing cost. Since mid-2025, paperbacks priced under $9.99 on Amazon.com earn 50% instead of 60%.

What KDP doesn't do well

KDP's "expanded distribution" for paperbacks exists, but bookstores rarely order from it, because the discount and return terms don't suit them. If you want a shop or a library to stock your print book, IngramSpark is the usual route.

IngramSpark: print for bookstores and libraries

IngramSpark is the self-publishing arm of Ingram, the largest book wholesaler in the US. When a bookstore or library orders a book from its catalog, the order very often goes through Ingram. Listing your print edition there puts it in that catalog.

• Cost: IngramSpark dropped its title setup fee in 2023, so uploading a new title is free. Check its current revision rules before you upload, because changing files after publication can still carry a charge.
• Your earnings: you set the wholesale discount, usually between 30% and 55%. Bookstores expect about 55% and the option to return unsold copies. Your royalty is the list price minus that discount minus the print cost, so a low discount pays more per copy but stores are less likely to stock the book.
• Formats: paperback and hardcover, including case laminate and dust jackets, with more trim sizes and paper choices than KDP.
• Ebooks: it also distributes ebooks, but most authors use Draft2Digital for that because its dashboard is simpler.

Draft2Digital: ebooks everywhere else

Draft2Digital (D2D) is a distributor. You upload once and it sends your ebook to Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, library services such as OverDrive, Hoopla and BorrowBox, and dozens of smaller stores.

• Cost: no upfront fee. D2D keeps about 10% of the list price on each sale, and you get the rest of what the store pays.
• Payment: monthly, by direct deposit or PayPal, with no minimum in many regions.
• Extras: free formatting that turns a Word file into a clean ebook and print interior, universal book links, automatic back matter, and payment splitting for co-authors.
• Print: D2D also offers print books, but its bookstore reach is smaller than IngramSpark's.

Side-by-side table

	KDP	IngramSpark	Draft2Digital
Best for	Amazon sales, ebook and print	Print copies for bookstores and libraries	Ebooks in every non-Amazon store
Upfront cost	Free	Free to upload (check revision rules)	Free
Ebook earnings	70% ($2.99 to $9.99) or 35%	About 40% of list	About 60% of list on most stores
Print earnings	60% (50% under $9.99) minus print cost	List minus your discount minus print cost	Varies
Bookstore ordering	Rare	Yes, with returns option	Limited
Library reach	Only through KDP Select lending	Print through Ingram's library catalog	OverDrive, Hoopla, BorrowBox and others

The KDP Select question

KDP Select puts your ebook in Kindle Unlimited, where you're paid per page read, and adds promotions like Countdown Deals and free days. The catch is that while you're enrolled, the ebook can't be sold anywhere else, including through Draft2Digital. Enrollment runs in 90-day terms, so you can try it and leave. Print editions aren't affected, so you can be in KDP Select and still sell paperbacks through IngramSpark.

Genres whose readers binge, such as romance, thrillers and LitRPG, often do well in Kindle Unlimited. Nonfiction, literary fiction and books aimed at libraries usually do better selling everywhere.

Which setup fits which author

1. Fiction series in a binge-read genre: KDP with KDP Select for the ebook, KDP print, and IngramSpark for print if you want local shops to carry it.
2. Nonfiction, memoir, or a book you'll sell at events: KDP for Amazon, Draft2Digital for every other ebook store and libraries, and IngramSpark for print.
3. Children's picture books or premium hardcovers: IngramSpark for print quality and formats, and KDP for the Amazon listing.

If you use both KDP and IngramSpark for print, use your own ISBN on both so the editions match, and turn off KDP's expanded distribution so the two don't compete for the same orders.

A worked example with real numbers

Take a 300-page novel with a $4.99 ebook and a $16.99 paperback.

• KDP ebook: 70% of $4.99 is $3.49, minus a few cents for delivery, so about $3.45 a copy.
• Draft2Digital ebook on Apple Books or Kobo: about 60% of $4.99, so roughly $3.00 a copy.
• KDP paperback: 60% of $16.99 is $10.19. With a print cost of about $4.75 for 300 black-and-white pages, the royalty is about $5.44.
• IngramSpark paperback at a 55% discount: $16.99 minus $9.34 is $7.65. Take off a similar print cost and you keep about $2.90, but a bookstore can now order and return it.

Print costs change, so check each platform's calculator with your exact page count and trim size before you set prices.

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