Best KDP alternatives in 2026 (for authors who want more)
Amazon KDP's reach is unmatched, but its 70% royalty ceiling, delivery fees, and the pull toward exclusivity send many authors looking for alternatives — or for a fairer second home. Here's how to evaluate the options in 2026, and an honest look at where Ebokio is a strong fit.
What to compare
Don't compare platforms on royalty percentage alone. The factors that decide your real outcome are: the royalty rate AND what it's applied to, any delivery or file fees, whether the platform demands exclusivity, payout currency and schedule, the quality of discovery and tools, and raw audience reach.
- Royalty rate and the price it's calculated on
- Delivery / file-size fees (often hidden)
- Exclusivity requirements
- Payout currency, schedule, and minimums
- Tools (covers, metadata, analytics) and human support
Where Ebokio fits
Ebokio is built around the author's cut: up to 90% royalties paid in GBP, no delivery fee, always non-exclusive, a human review of every title, and built-in AI cover and metadata tools. It's a focused, curated bookstore rather than a giant marketplace — so many authors use it as a higher-royalty home base alongside the reach platforms, not instead of them.
The honest trade-off
No alternative matches Amazon's audience or its mature print-on-demand today, and that's worth being clear about. Because Ebokio is non-exclusive, the smart play for most authors isn't "either/or" — it's publishing where the economics are best and still reaching readers wherever they are.