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Amazon KDP Review: Price, Features and Score

Amazon KDP at a glance: No upfront fee, on web. Below are its plans, what its own site says it does for an author, its score and the products to compare it with. We did not test it ourselves; the data was checked on October 7, 2026.

Prices and data checked October 7, 2026 · Author Score computed by a published formula, not paid for

Amazon KDP on the BookBird Author Score

Author Score · publishing platforms · #1 of 12 ·

Best for: Authors selling mainly on Amazon, including Kindle Unlimited readers

BookBird Author Score9.9/10 #1 of 12 publishing platforms. Worked out from Amazon KDP’s own pages, its price and US searches for its name, not typed in. Author jobs50 pts50/50Each of the 9 author jobs on the publishing platforms list is worth an equal share of 50 points, and counts only when Amazon KDP’s own pages confirm it. 9 of 9 confirmed = 50 points. A job the vendor does not mention earns nothing.Cost25 pts25/25A free plan, or a platform that takes no upfront fee, earns all 25 points.Adoption25 pts24.1/25Searches, 20 points: 246,000 a month for “amazon kdp”, the most searched in this category, so the full 20. Trend, 5 points: up 32% (last three months against the first three of the year) = 4.1; a fall of half or more earns 0, no change 2.5, a rise of half or more 5. 99.1 of 100 points= 9.9 out of 10 The full method, with every product’s points →

Author jobs, from Amazon KDP’s own pages

  • Yes: Ebooks
  • Yes: Paperbacks
  • Yes: Hardcovers
  • Yes: Free to publish
  • Yes: Royalty rate stated
  • Yes: Non-exclusive
  • Yes: Distribution to other stores
  • Yes: Library distribution
  • Yes: Free ISBN

Amazon KDP pricing

The platform takes a share of sales. There is a free plan. The plans as Amazon KDP’s own site listed them on October 7, 2026, in US dollars:

  • Publishing account: Free

Free to publish. Ebooks: 35% or 70% royalty (70% for list prices $2.99-$12.99 since 7 July 2026, minus delivery costs, in qualifying stores); paperbacks: 60% (50% under $9.99 on Amazon.com) of list price minus printing; Expanded Distribution: 40% minus printing.

What Amazon KDP offers

From Amazon KDP’s own pages, checked on October 7, 2026:

  • Publishes Kindle ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers from one account
  • Two ebook royalty options, 35% or 70%; 70% band widened to $12.99 in July 2026
  • Print royalty of 60% of list price minus printing above the $9.99 threshold on Amazon.com
  • Optional KDP Select: 90-day ebook exclusivity in exchange for Kindle Unlimited page-read pay and promotions
  • Expanded Distribution sends paperbacks to US/UK distributors for bookstores and libraries, free to enrol, at 40% royalty
  • Free KDP ISBN for paperbacks and hardcovers; ebooks need no ISBN
  • Books appear on Amazon stores in more than ten countries within about 72 hours
  • Hardcover not supported on the Japanese KDP site; hardcovers excluded from Expanded Distribution

Runs on: web. Needs an internet connection. Launched: 2007.

Who Amazon KDP suits, and what its pages do not say

Best for: Authors selling mainly on Amazon, including Kindle Unlimited readers.

Amazon KDP’s pages confirm every author job we check in its category.

About 246,000 people a month search Google in the US for “amazon kdp”, up 32% over the past year (Google Ads data via DataForSEO).

Amazon KDP alternatives

SoftwareScorePrice fromBest for
IngramSpark9.6No upfront feeAuthors wanting print books in bookstores and libraries beyond Amazon
Lulu9.2No upfront feeAuthors selling print books direct to readers as well as on Amazon
Draft2Digital7.9$12 a yearAuthors going wide with ebooks who accept a small activation fee
Blurb7.8No upfront feeIllustrated and photo-heavy books sold in print
Barnes & Noble Press7.7No upfront feeAuthors adding a direct Barnes & Noble listing alongside other stores

Compare: All publishing platforms · All software for authors

Amazon KDP questions

How much does Amazon KDP cost?

No upfront fee.

What does Amazon KDP run on?

web, according to its own site.

How the score is computed: the formula, step by step. Prices and features were read from Amazon KDP’s own site on October 7, 2026; nobody pays to be listed.