Overview

Authors can write in a browser or on a computer, preview or publish with one click, or upload an existing ebook. Leanpub Flavoured Markdown and Markua are writing options; Bring Your Own Book accepts PDF, EPUB, and MOBI. The combination of authoring tools and a sales storefront is useful for creators who want one service for producing and selling their work, rather than an editor alone.

Authors choose minimum and suggested prices, and readers can pay more than the suggestion. Royalties are 80% on purchases of $7.99 and up, and 80% minus $0.50 below $7.99. That gives authors room to let readers choose their price, though the fixed deduction makes low-priced sales less favorable.

Key features

Leanpub supports EPUB and PDF export, reflowable layouts, ebook validation, and accessibility tools. It can import PDF, EPUB, and DOCX; Bring Your Own Book also accepts MOBI. This breadth helps authors start from different source files, while the choice of browser or computer-based writing accommodates different workflows.

The Leanpub API lets authors programmatically preview, publish, and manage books and courses, subject to per-key rate limits. Pro Author adds API access alongside GitHub and Dropbox sync, Google Analytics, InDesign export, and AI Support. These integrations make that plan more relevant to authors with an established production workflow; the rate limits remain a consideration for automated publishing.

Leanpub identifies Ruboss Technology Corporation as its service operator and EU GDPR data controller. It says it takes reasonable steps to minimize personal information and keep it only as needed, but retains information associated with book and course purchases indefinitely unless users request deletion. Authors handling privacy questions should account for that retention policy.

Pricing

Leanpub is freemium. Free Author costs 0.00 USD per free and includes 3 books and 1 course, with up to 5 previews or publishes per month. It preserves the stated royalty terms, making it a workable starting point for a small catalog, but the publishing cap can constrain active revision.

Mini Author costs 8.99 USD per month, billed $26.97 billed every 3 months. It allows up to 100 books and courses and 20 previews or publishes per month. The higher catalog allowance and quota fit authors outgrowing the free tier, though the quarterly billing cadence matters for budgeting.

Light Author costs 13.99 USD per month, billed $41.97 billed every 3 months. It raises the preview and publishing allowance to unlimited and adds custom themes and print-ready PDF export, suiting authors who publish often or need print-ready output. Pro Author costs 18.99 USD per month, billed $56.97 billed every 3 months; its GitHub and Dropbox sync, Google Analytics, InDesign export, Leanpub API, and AI Support target authors who need integrations beyond the core publishing workflow.

Free Author members can get support through the Author Forum or by email to hello@leanpub.com. The free tier therefore offers a support route as well as a way to begin without a subscription, but authors should weigh its five-publication monthly cap against their editing pace.

Platforms

Leanpub is available on the web and through an API. Authors who need a programmatic workflow can use the API on Pro Author, subject to per-key rate limits.

Who it's for

Leanpub is strongest for independent authors and small publishing teams that want to write, publish, and sell ebooks or courses in one place, with reader-selected prices and clear royalty terms. It is less compelling for authors who need unlimited publishing on a free plan, since Free Author allows only five previews or publishes each month.

Pros and cons

Pros: A storefront accompanies writing and publishing tools, so authors can manage creation and sales within one service.
Pros: Readers can choose their payment, and the royalty schedule makes the effect of purchases below $7.99 explicit.
Pros: EPUB and PDF export, ebook validation, accessibility tools, and a programmatic API support varied publishing workflows.
Cons: The free plan's five monthly previews or publishes may be restrictive for frequent revision.
Cons: Purchase-associated information is retained indefinitely unless users request deletion.
Cons: API use is subject to per-key rate limits, and Pro Author is needed for API access.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison of authoring tools, see the eBook Creation Software list.

Choose FlowPaper if you need its cross-platform availability, including self-hosted options, or a free plan with cloud hosting, FlowPaper branding, and no traffic or file-size limits; its free publishing lasts 90 days. Bookalope is another option for conversion-based use, with a free test version and website tools; its Basic plan is billed per conversion and does not expire.

Pressbooks may fit institutional publishing: its Institutional Network plan is 5999.00 USD per year for one institution and up to 10 books, while its free trial lasts 7 days for one author with 100MB of media storage. AnyFlip is worth considering when daily opens and upload volume matter: its free tier allows 30,000 daily opens and 5 uploads per day, with 100G storage and a watermark.

Bloom offers a free basic tier for small projects without outside support, while its Enterprise plan adds custom branding, analytics, and pricing. Book Creator may suit classroom-style creation: its free Starter plan includes one library with up to 40 books, unlimited students, and core creativity features.

Plumati is an alternative for authors seeking AI-assisted tools: its free plan includes 20k AI tokens/month, 200 MB storage, one book, one author seat, EPUB and Web exports, and community support. Sigil is a completely free download for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Verdict

Choose Leanpub if you want ebook and course publishing tied to a sales storefront, flexible reader-set prices, and a path from a free catalog to API-backed workflows. Its main trade-offs are the free tier's tight monthly publishing cap and the higher plan required for integrations; authors who need a different publishing model or broader free publishing allowance should compare alternatives.

	Leanpub	Reedsy Studio
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	$8.99/mo	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Web	Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
EPUB export	Yes	—
PDF export	Yes	—
Reflowable layout	Yes	—
Ebook validation	Yes	—
Accessibility tools	Yes	—
Import formats	PDF, EPUB, DOCX	—
Paid from	—	4.99 /mo

Leanpub vs Reedsy Studio

Leanpub

Reedsy Studio