September 30, 2026 · 6 minutes · Rafael Caldeira
Best Platforms to Sell Ebooks in 2026 | EbookGPT
Amazon KDP, Hotmart, Gumroad and Payhip compared with official fees and rules. Learn where to publish your ebook in 2026 by price, language and channel.
There is no single best platform to sell ebooks in 2026: there is the best one for your case. The choice depends on three things — who you sell to (Brazil or international markets), the price you plan to charge, and whether you accept exclusivity. The comparison below uses only fees and rules published by the platforms themselves, with no popularity ranking.
Before comparing fees, define the channel: a marketplace gathers readers and charges a commission or royalty; direct sales require you to bring the traffic and return a higher margin.
Where your reader already is matters more than the lowest fee in the table.
The platforms and their published rules
Amazon KDP — the largest global ebook storefront. A 70% royalty in eligible territories (35% elsewhere), with a per-MB delivery fee deducted under the 70% option; keeping the 70% requires following specific price bands. In Brazil, Japan, Mexico and India, the official royalty table states that the 70% requires enrolling in KDP Select — a digital exclusivity program: while it lasts, the ebook cannot be distributed digitally anywhere else, including your own website.
Apple Books for Authors — free publishing and a flat 70% royalty on every ebook regardless of price, with no file delivery fee and no exclusivity requirement. Payments arrive within 45 days after the end of each month.
Kobo Writing Life — 70% of the suggested retail price when the ebook meets a per-currency minimum and stays at least 20% below the print edition; outside those conditions, 45%. Kobo also requires that the price you give it is not higher than third parties'. Its differentiator: optional library distribution through OverDrive.
Gumroad — a ready-made checkout for direct sales. Its published pricing is 10% + $0.50 per direct sale and 30% when the sale comes from the Discover marketplace, with no monthly fee.
Payhip — three official plans: Free Forever ($0/month + 5% per sale), Plus ($29/month + 2%) and Pro ($99/month + 0%). Payment processing (Stripe/PayPal) is the seller's responsibility on every plan. One honest detail about the free plan: on a $10 ebook, the 5% plus standard processing consumes about $1.09 — an effective rate above 10% on low tickets.
Hotmart — a selling machine with checkout, affiliates and local-currency payments for Latin markets. For Brazilian-real transactions, its official help center lists 9.9% + R$1 per approved sale above R$20; microtransactions up to R$10 are charged 20%. Currency and thresholds vary by market, so confirm current fees on the official page before deciding.
The lowest fee is only the best choice if the channel brings buyers. A zero-commission platform with zero visitors earns less than an expensive marketplace with a queue of readers.
What is left from a $10 sale (simulation)
| Channel | Deduction | You receive |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon KDP 70% (before delivery) | ~$3.00 + delivery | ~$7.00 − delivery |
| Apple Books (70% royalty) | ~$3.00 | ~$7.00 |
| Gumroad (10% + $0.50 direct) | $1.50 + processing | ~$8.50 − processing |
| Payhip free (5% + processing) | ~$1.09¹ | ~$8.91¹ |
Illustrative USD simulation per $10 sale; not an earnings forecast. Payhip uses illustrative standard processing of 2.9% + $0.30 (about $1.09¹ total); actual fees vary by country and payment method. KDP deducts delivery under its 70% option. Check official pages before deciding.
Checklist: how to choose your ebook's platform
- Define the market first: a Brazilian audience puts Hotmart and KDP (with Select for the local 70%) on the table; an international audience opens Apple Books, Kobo and Gumroad.
- Decide exclusivity before price: joining KDP Select blocks digital distribution on every other channel, including your own site.
- Calculate the effective fee at your real ticket, including payment processing — on low tickets, the flat fee weighs more than the percentage.
- Prefer channels that hand over buyer data if you plan to launch the next title to your own list.
- Read each platform's pricing rules (KDP bands, Kobo parity) before setting your ebook's price.
- Combine channels: one marketplace for discovery plus direct sales for margin is the pattern most cited by independent authors.
The choice changes both margin and reach: selling direct concentrates a single title; distributing multiplies storefronts.
Notice the pattern across official rules: the wider the promised reach, the stricter the conditions — price bands, parity and, in KDP Select's case, exclusivity. The right question is not which platform charges less, but which conditions you accept to occupy the shelf.
The final math is portfolio math, not single-sale math
Compare platforms on 12-month outcomes — accumulated royalties, the buyer list you built and acquisition cost — not on the fee of one transaction.
Next step: validate before you migrate
Pick two channels compatible with your audience and run a test: one marketplace for discovery and one direct store for margin. Track visits, conversion and net revenue for 30 days, then keep what performs. After choosing, review your ebook's presentation in the visual quality guide and validate demand with the one-week niche test before spending on traffic.
After publishing
- A direct title with the main search phrase and the EbookGPT brand: "Best Platforms to Sell Ebooks in 2026 | EbookGPT".
- A 150–160 character description answering the reader's question without income promises.
- A direct answer in the first two paragraphs, citable by AI assistants.
- Accurate alt text on images and files with "ebookgpt" in the name.
- Internal links to existing posts in this language and official references for every platform cited.
Keep reading on the blog
- Is It Still Worth Making Ebooks? The Honest Answer for 2026
- How to Validate a Niche for Selling Ebooks Online