So, you’ve written an ebook and now you’re ready to share it with the world, but you’re not sure where to sell your ebooks. You’re in the right place.
This guide will help you understand the best places to sell your ebook online in 2025. We’ll take a deep dive into each platform, showing you what makes it special, along with what’s good and what’s not-so-good about the platform.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear idea of where your ebook will shine brightest.
TL;DR
- Amazon KDP is the best site to sell ebooks if you want to reach the highest number of readers.
- If your ICP is Android users, then you can try Google Play Books. Or, if they use Apple products, then you can go with Apple Books.
- If you want to avail a wide network of distributors, then use Smashwords.
- For both digital and physical books, try IngramSpark.
- If you want to sell directly to customers and have more control over your website and product, then try Klasio.
- If you want to sell directly to customers, and no need for control over your sales pages, then you can go for marketplaces like Gumroad or Payhip.
Best Sites to Sell Ebooks: Quick Overview
Platform Name | Best For | Commission |
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) | Authors seeking wide reach and market dominance | 30% or 65% (authors keep 70% or 35% royalty) |
Smashwords | Authors seeking wide distribution to multiple retailers and promotional tools | 20% (direct sales) to 40% (retailer sales) |
Apple Books | Authors targeting Apple device users | 30% |
Google Play Books | Authors targeting Android users and a global reach | 30% |
Kobo | Authors targeting international markets | 30% (for books priced $2.99 USD or more), 55% (for books priced below $2.99 USD) |
Draft2Digital | Authors seeking simplified, wide distribution, and print-on-demand | 10% of retail price (D2D fee) + retailer’s commission |
IngramSpark | Authors seeking wide distribution, print-on-demand, and library sales | Varies based on wholesale discount (e.g., 40% wholesale discount means 60% commission) |
Payhip | Creators selling digital products directly with lower transaction fees | 5% (Free plan), lower on paid plans |
Gumroad | Creators selling digital products directly with a simple setup | 10% + $0.50 per transaction (for sales through profile/direct links) |
Klasio | Creators selling online courses and digital products directly | 0% (monthly plan), max 3%(LTD) |
Now, let’s get to know more about the top ebook selling platforms.
01. Amazon KDP
If you’ve ever thought about selling an ebook, you’ve likely heard of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, or KDP. It’s a popular choice for a reason, especially if you’re just starting out.
Amazon is one of the biggest online bookstores, so by using KDP, your ebook can be seen by millions of people all over the world.
The process is simple. You can upload your book, set your own price, and have it available for sale in just a few days. Amazon KDP will take 3-10 business days to approve your book.
The bright side is, there are no upfront fees to publish, which is a big plus when you’re beginning your journey as an author.
You also keep the rights to your work and have control over the content and design. For many new authors, KDP is a great starting point because it handles the complicated parts, like marketing. So, you can focus on writing and connecting with readers.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Amazon KDP
Pros:
- Huge Audience: Your book can reach millions of readers on Amazon’s global marketplace.
- No Upfront Costs: It’s free to upload and publish your book, making it low-risk to start.
- High Royalties: You can earn up to 70% in royalties on your ebook sales, which is much higher than traditional publishing.
- Full Control: You keep the rights to your book and have complete control over the content, design, and pricing.
- Fast to Market: Your book can be available for sale worldwide within about 72 hours of uploading.
Cons:
- High Competition: With millions of books available, it can be challenging to make your book stand out.
- Exclusivity for Some Perks: To use some of Amazon’s best promotional tools, you have to sell your ebook exclusively through Amazon for 90-day periods.
- Limited Support: While there are many resources, getting direct, personalized support from Amazon can sometimes be difficult.
02. Smashwords
Smashwords is another great option to consider, especially if you want your book to be available in more places than just Amazon.
Think of Smashwords as a distributor. You upload your book to their site once, and they send it out to a wide range of online stores and library services for you. This includes major retailers like Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, as well as library platforms.
This “publish once, distribute everywhere” approach can save you a lot of time and effort since you don’t have to create separate accounts and upload your book to each retailer individually. Like other platforms, it’s free to upload your book, and you keep control over your work.
Smashwords is known for being supportive of independent authors and offers helpful tools like the ability to create coupon codes for promotions. For authors who want to reach readers beyond the Amazon ecosystem, Smashwords provides a simple and effective way to do so.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Smashwords
Pros:
- Wide Distribution: Your book is sent to numerous retailers and libraries from one place.
- No Exclusivity: You can sell your book on other platforms, including Amazon, at the same time.
- Author Tools: Offers useful features like creating coupon codes for promotions.
- Higher Royalties on Direct Sales: You can earn up to 85% on ebooks sold directly through the Smashwords store.
- Set Your Book to Free: Unlike some other platforms, Smashwords allows you to make your ebook available for free, which can be a good promotional tool.
Cons:
- Strict Formatting Rules: Smashwords has very specific formatting requirements that can be frustrating for new users.
- Complex Platform: The website and uploading process can feel a bit clunky and not as user-friendly as some other options.
- Lower Royalty on Partner Sales: While direct sales earn a high royalty, sales through their partner stores are lower, typically around 60%.
03. Apple Books
Apple Books is a platform worth looking into. It comes pre-installed on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac, which means your book is instantly available to millions of people who are already part of the Apple ecosystem.
These readers are often used to paying for digital content, which can be a plus for new authors.
One of the best things about Apple Books is that you don’t have to sell your book exclusively on their platform. This gives you the freedom to sell your ebook in other stores at the same time, reaching an even wider audience.
Apple Books also offers a simple royalty rate of 70% on all sales, no matter what price you set for your book. This straightforward approach makes it easy to understand your earnings and gives you more flexibility with pricing. For authors looking to reach a global audience without being tied to one retailer, Apple Books is a strong choice.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Apple Books
Pros:
- No Exclusivity: You can sell your ebook on other platforms simultaneously.
- Global Reach: Your book will be available in over 50 countries.
- Simple Royalties: You receive a flat 70% royalty on all sales, regardless of the price.
- Access to Apple Users: Your book is available to a large, built-in audience of Apple device owners.
- Promotional Tools: Apple offers free tools to help you create promotional materials for your book.
Cons:
- Smaller Market Share: Apple has a smaller share of the ebook market compared to Amazon.
- Mac Required for Direct Publishing: To publish directly to Apple Books, you need a Mac computer, which can be a barrier for some authors.fictionwide.com
- Complex Formatting: The formatting requirements can be more difficult to learn compared to other platforms.
04. Google Play Book
When you’re thinking about where to sell your ebook, you can’t overlook Google Play Books. Because Google is the world’s biggest search engine, having your book on their platform can make it easier for readers to find you.
Google Play is available on all Android devices, which means your book can reach billions of potential readers in over 75 countries.
One of the best things for new authors is Google Play Book’s simple and fair payment system. You earn a 70% royalty on your sales in most countries, and unlike some other platforms, you get this rate no matter what price you set for your book. This gives you the freedom to price your book in a way that works for you.
You also don’t have to sell your book exclusively on Google Play, so you can offer it on other sites at the same time. For authors looking for a huge global audience and flexible terms, Google Play Books is a great choice.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Google Play Books
Pros:
- Massive Global Audience: Your book is available to billions of Android users in over 75 countries.shinywords.com
- High, Simple Royalties: You get a 70% royalty on most sales, without the pricing restrictions some other platforms have.
- No Exclusivity: You are free to sell your ebook on other stores at the same time.
- Good for Discovery: Being part of the Google ecosystem can help readers find your book through Google searches.
- Promotional Tools: You can create discounts and promo codes to help market your book.
Cons:
- Smaller Market Share: It has a smaller share of the ebook market compared to Amazon.
- Complex Interface: Some authors find the dashboard and uploading process to be less user-friendly than other platforms.
- Price Matching: Google may automatically lower the price of your book to match a lower price on another site, which can affect your earnings.
05. Kobo
If you want to sell your ebook to readers all over the world, Kobo is a platform you should definitely consider. While it might not be as well-known as Amazon in some countries, Kobo has a strong international presence, especially in places like Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe and Asia.
Kobo has partnerships with physical bookstores around the globe, which means your ebook can be sold through the websites of hundreds of different retailers.
This gives you a wide reach without having to upload your book to each store individually.
Kobo Writing Life, their publishing platform, is known for being very user-friendly and providing authors with detailed sales analytics. This helps you see where your book is selling and who your readers are.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Kobo
Pros:
- Strong Global Reach: Kobo has a large international audience and partners with bookstores worldwide.
- User-Friendly Platform: The Kobo Writing Life dashboard is easy to use and provides great sales data.
- No Exclusivity: You are free to sell your ebook on other platforms simultaneously.
- Promotional Opportunities: Kobo offers various tools and promotions to help you market your book.
- Library Distribution: Kobo has a partnership with OverDrive, making it easy to get your book into libraries.
Cons:
- Slower Sales Reporting: It can sometimes take longer for sales from partner retailers to show up in your account.
- Less Traffic: The Kobo store itself gets less direct traffic than larger competitors, so more marketing effort may be needed.
05. Draft2Digital
If the idea of uploading your ebook to multiple online stores sounds like a lot of work, then you’ll want to know about Draft2Digital.
Instead of creating accounts and formatting your book for each individual retailer, you just upload your manuscript to Draft2Digital once. They then handle the process of sending it out to major stores like Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, and even to library services.
What makes Draft2Digital so popular, especially with new authors, is how simple and supportive they are. Their platform is incredibly easy to use, and they offer free, professional-looking formatting. If you don’t have a book cover, they can even create a basic one for you.
Draft2Digital takes a small percentage (10%) of your sales, so you don’t pay anything up front.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Draft2Digital
Pros:
- Simple to Use: The platform is very user-friendly and designed for beginners.
- Wide Distribution: You can easily get your book into numerous online stores and libraries with one upload.
- Free Formatting: They provide free and professional ebook formatting, saving you time and effort.
- No Upfront Cost: There are no fees to publish; they simply take a small percentage of the royalties you earn.
- Consolidated Sales Data: You can track all your sales from different stores in one convenient place.
Cons:
- Lower Royalty: Because they act as a middleman, you earn slightly less than if you published directly to each store.
- Less Control: You have less direct control over your book’s listing and promotions on individual retail sites.
- Slower Updates: Changes you make to your book or its price can take longer to appear across all the different stores.
06. IngramSpark
If you’re thinking about selling your ebook and also want to offer a print version, IngramSpark is a platform you should know about. It’s a bit different from some of the others because it’s part of a huge book distribution network that physical bookstores and libraries all over the world use.
When you publish your ebook with IngramSpark, you’re not just putting it in online stores; you’re also making it available to a massive catalog that thousands of booksellers order from. This is especially helpful if you want your book to be taken seriously by traditional bookstores and libraries.
IngramSpark allows you to manage both your ebook and a print-on-demand version from the same place, which keeps things organized. While there is a small setup fee to upload your book, using IngramSpark can give your work a professional edge and open doors to sales channels that are harder to reach through other platforms.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on IngramSpark
Pros:
- Unmatched Distribution: Offers access to a vast global network of retailers, libraries, and bookstores.
- Print and Ebook Together: You can manage both your print-on-demand and ebook versions in one place.
- Professional Reputation: Being in the Ingram catalog is respected by many in the book industry.
- Wide Retailer Access: Your book can be ordered by major chains and independent bookstores.
- You Set the Terms: You have control over pricing and wholesale discounts.
Cons:
- Has Setup Fees: Unlike many other platforms, there is a cost to upload your book files.
- More Complex: The interface and process can be more complicated and less intuitive for beginners.
- Lower Ebook Royalties: The royalty rates for ebooks are generally lower than what you’d get from platforms like KDP or Google Play.
07. Payhip
If you want to sell your ebook directly to your readers and have full control over the process, Payhip is a fantastic option to look into. Unlike big marketplaces, Payhip gives you your own simple online storefront where you are in charge.
This is great for authors who are building a personal brand and want to connect directly with their audience through a blog, social media, or an email list.
The platform is very easy to use. You can quickly upload your ebook, set your price, and customize your sales page. Payhip handles the secure payment processing and automatically delivers the ebook file to your customer after they buy it.
One of the best parts is their pricing. They have a free plan where they only take a small transaction fee, so you don’t pay anything unless you make a sale. For authors who want to build their own business and keep more of their earnings, Payhip provides a simple and powerful way to sell directly to fans.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Payhip
Pros:
- Full Control: You have your own storefront and complete control over branding, pricing, and customer interactions.
- Sell Directly to Readers: It’s perfect for authors who have an existing audience on social media or a blog.
- Simple Pricing: The free plan has no monthly fees; it only takes a small percentage of each sale.
- Instant Payouts: You get paid directly to your PayPal or Stripe account almost immediately after a sale.
- Built-in Tools: Offers useful features like coupons, affiliate programs, and email marketing integrations.
Cons:
- No Built-in Audience: You are responsible for driving all the traffic to your store; there is no existing marketplace of buyers.
- More Marketing Effort: Since you’re on your own, you have to do all the marketing to find customers.
- Requires Some Tech Comfort: While easy, you still need to set up and manage your own sales pages.
09. Gumroad
If you’re looking for a very simple and direct way to sell your ebook, Gumroad is a platform you should definitely check out. It’s designed for creators of all kinds, including authors, who want to sell their work directly to their audience.
Think of it as setting up your own little online shop in just a few minutes. You don’t need any technical skills to get started. You just upload your ebook, write a short description, set a price, and Gumroad gives you a link to share with potential readers.
Gumroad is perfect if you already connect with people on social media, a blog, or through an email newsletter. You can just share the link, and your followers can buy your book with a single click.
Gumroad handles all the payment processing and delivers the ebook to your customer automatically. There are no monthly fees; they just take a small, flat percentage (10%) from each sale.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Gumroad
Pros:
- Extremely Simple: The platform is very easy to use, allowing you to start selling in minutes.
- Sell Directly to Your Audience: It’s built for creators who want to sell to their existing followers.
- No Monthly Fees: You only pay a small, transparent fee when you make a sale.
- Flexible Pricing: You can let customers pay what they want, offer different versions, or create discount codes.
- Clean and Simple Storefront: Your product pages are straightforward and focused on making a sale.
Cons:
- No Built-in Marketplace: You are responsible for bringing all of your own customers to your page.
- Higher Transaction Fees: The percentage they take per sale is higher than some other direct-selling platforms.
- Limited Customization: You don’t have a lot of options for changing the look and feel of your product pages.
10. Klasio
If you’re a course creator who is also looking for a platform that lets you sell your ebook, Klasio is the best option. While it’s mainly known for helping people create and sell online courses, it also makes it easy to upload and sell digital products like ebooks.
This means if you have a course and an ebook that go together, Klasio can be a good home for both.
Klasio is designed to be very user-friendly, so you don’t need to be tech-savvy to get your ebook up for sale. Klasio handles the technical side of things, letting you focus on creating your content and reaching your readers. It’s a solid choice for authors who are also educators or want to offer a broader range of digital products to their audience.
Pros and Cons of Selling Ebooks on Klasio
Pros:
- Easy to Use: The platform is designed to be beginner-friendly for creators.
- Sell Alongside Courses: Great if you also plan to offer online courses with your ebooks.
- Handles Digital Delivery: Klasio manages the secure delivery of your ebook to customers.
- Focus on Creators: Built to support individuals selling their digital products.
- Free to Start: You can begin selling without upfront costs.
Cons:
- No Built-in Audience: You’ll need to drive your own traffic to your Klasio store.
- Newer Platform: May not have the same established reputation or extensive features as older platforms.
How to Choose the Best Site for Selling Ebooks
Choosing the best place to sell your ebook can feel a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Think about what’s most important to you as a new author. Here are some things to consider:
- Where are your readers? If your audience mostly uses Amazon, then KDP is a strong choice. If they use Apple devices, then Apple Books might be better.
- Do you want to sell everywhere? If you want your book in as many stores as possible without a lot of extra work, a distributor like Smashwords or Draft2Digital can help.
- Do you want to sell directly? If you have your own website or social media following and want to connect directly with your readers, platforms like Payhip or Gumroad are great.
- Are you selling print books, too? If you plan to have both an ebook and a physical book, IngramSpark can handle both.
- Are you comfortable with technology? Klasio is simpler to use than most others, especially for selling your book.
- How much control do you want? Some platforms give you more freedom over pricing and promotions than others.
There’s no single “best” platform for everyone. The right choice depends on your goals, your audience, and what feels most comfortable for you as you start your ebook journey.

Sell Your Ebooks Easily With Klasio
Now that you have explored all the best sites to sell ebooks, you know that there’s no single best platform for ebooks. It actually depends on your needs, your audience, and a lot of other factors.
However, if you are looking for a platform that is easy to use, simply takes care of you and your product, then you need to go with Klasio.
Klasio removes the technical headaches so you can focus on writing and selling. Its intuitive dashboard puts everything: product pages, pricing, payments, and customer management in one place, so setup is fast and upkeep is minimal.
Secure delivery, DRM control, built-in email marketing, and analytics help you spot what’s selling and where to push promotion, while flexible pricing, coupons, and payout options let you match the business model you want.
FAQs
Is it profitable to sell eBooks?
Yes, selling eBooks can be profitable, especially if you target the right niche and market effectively. Since there are low production costs and high scalability, many authors and entrepreneurs generate a steady income from them.
Are ebooks still in demand?
Yes, eBooks are still in demand, as readers value the convenience of instant access and portability across devices. The rise of self-publishing platforms has also kept digital reading popular.
Can ChatGPT create ebooks?
Yes, ChatGPT can create eBooks by generating content, structuring chapters, and even helping with editing. However, human review and refinement are recommended to ensure quality and originality.
Which country buys the most ebooks?
The United States buys the most eBooks, holding the largest share of the global digital book market. Other big markets include the UK, China, and Germany.
How many pages should an eBook be?
An eBook should generally be between 20 to 100 pages, depending on its purpose and depth. Shorter guides work well for quick learning, while longer books suit in-depth topics.
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