Blurb vs Lulu Direct (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Blurb grades higher than Lulu Direct: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Blurb grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Blurb if
- Fits if you want a few printed copies of a book with no setup fee
- Works for authors who sell through Amazon or Ingram retail distribution
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want large formats: a 12 by 12 inch hardcover photo book starts at $67
- Skip it if you want every format in retail, as not all can go to distribution and retail fees vary
- Watch out: BookWright runs on Mac and Windows only
- Watch out: retail distribution lists the book on the retailer's page, with no Blurb storefront on that route
Pick Lulu Direct if
- Fits if you run a store or app that needs books printed and sent to buyers
- Works for authors who want Lulu's retail distribution beside print on demand
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: no book prices are published, so you can't know your cost until you run the calculator
- Tight if you want retail distribution: a one-time fee applies and review can take up to 12 weeks
- Not for you if you sell apparel or other merchandise, as the pages describe books, magazines, calendars and notebooks
- Too light for no-code use if you have no developer, since the API needs your own build
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABlurbFair | 2.2GPALulu DirectFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo subscription. Books start at US $8.99 and photo books at US $12.00, rising with size and pages, and the pricing page shows a 12 by 12 inch hardcover at US $67.00. | CNo subscription, and no price on the pages: you use a calculator for each size, paper and binding. Nothing to compare against the category. |
| Free plan and trial | BNo setup fee or subscription, and the design tools cost nothing. But every printed copy is paid, so nothing leaves the building free. | CNo fee to start, but every print job is paid, and there is no trial. |
| Features | CDesign tools, many formats, an Instant Store, retail distribution, bulk printing and a print API. Not every format can go to retail, and there is no hosted storefront on that route. | CPrint API, PDF printing, six countries, store buttons and retail distribution. The gaps: distribution adds a one-off fee with review of up to 12 weeks, and not every option qualifies. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You design the book yourself, in a browser, BookWright or an Adobe app. | CNo store rating on record. Using the API means sending print-ready interior and cover PDFs from your own code. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Mac and Windows, with Amazon, Ingram and Adobe links, plus a print API. No phone app is listed. | BWeb only, but with Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, Amazon, Ingram, Zapier and Ghost links, and a public API. |
| Best for | printing your own photo books and paperbacks | a print API that ships books to your buyers |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Blurb and Lulu Direct. How we grade
Price against what you get
Blurb has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lulu Direct has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, none scores higher than Blurb for less, and none scores higher than Lulu Direct for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Lulu Direct also covers shipping labels.
In commonFree planWebPublic APIOnline storePrint on demand
At a glance
| Blurb | Lulu Direct | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | No subscription. Blurb says there are no upfront costs; you pay per printed product, with books from US $8.99 and photo books from US $12.00. | No subscription: you pay the printing and shipping cost of each order, which Lulu's book cost calculator estimates. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Blurb | Lulu Press, Inc. |
| Price read from | blurb.com | lulu.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Blurb
- Prices are per product and rise with size and page count: a 12 x 12 inch hardcover photo book with an image wrap starts at US $67.00 on the pricing page.
- Not every format can go to retail distribution, and retail fees vary by retailer.
- Retail Distribution lists the book on the retailer's own page; there is no hosted storefront from Blurb on that path.
- BookWright runs on Mac and Windows only; the other design tools run in a browser or inside Adobe apps.
Lulu Direct
- Lulu publishes no subscription or per-book price on its pages; the book cost calculator on the pricing page is the way to get a figure for a given size, paper and binding.
- Print and ebook titles sent for retail distribution carry a one-time distribution fee, and Lulu says review can take up to 12 weeks.
- Not every product option is eligible for retail distribution; Lulu publishes an eligible products guide.
- Books are printed from PDFs you supply; Lulu's pages describe printing books, magazines, calendars and notebooks rather than apparel or other merchandise.
Key features
Blurb
- Book design tools
- BookWright is a desktop app for Mac and Windows, and there is an online editor, a PDF uploader, and plugins for Adobe InDesign, Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.
- Wide range of formats
- Photo books in six sizes, paperback and hardcover books, magazines, notebooks and journals, and wall art, each with its own paper options.
- Instant Store
- A hosted product page for selling a book directly, which Blurb says has no subscription or extra fees. Blurb prints and ships each order.
- Retail distribution
- Books can be listed on Amazon, through Ingram's network to bookstores and libraries, or on the Blurb Bookstore, with ISBN support included.
- Bulk printing
- Volume discounts start at 10 copies on printing, and bulk services with custom quotes and dropshipping to several addresses are offered for 100 or more copies.
- Print API
- Blurb says its RPI Print API has no fees or minimums and white-label packaging, for developers who want to connect a store or app.
Lulu Direct
- Print API
- A RESTful API with JSON and XML support and webhooks accepts an order, shipping details and print specifications, then returns order status and tracking.
- Print from PDFs
- Books are printed from an interior PDF and a cover PDF supplied with each order, so a store can send a different file for every buyer.
- Large product range
- Lulu lists more than 3,000 combinations of size, paper and binding, covering paperbacks, hardcovers, coil-bound books, magazines, children's books, calendars and notebooks.
- Printing in six countries
- Lulu says it prints in Australia, Canada, France, India, the United Kingdom and the United States, and ships to more than 200 countries and territories.
- Store integrations and buy button
- Direct integrations are listed for Shopify, Wix and WooCommerce, plus an order import tool and a Direct Buy Button for selling from a newsletter or social profile.
- Bookstore and retail distribution
- Authors can list a book on the Lulu Bookstore, where Lulu says the author earns 80% of the revenue, or apply for distribution to retailers such as Amazon and the Ingram network.
Plans
Blurb
Pay per product$0
No subscription or setup fee. The pricing page lists starting prices per product: paperback and hardcover books from US $8.99, photo books from US $12.00, magazines from US $7.00.
Lulu Direct
Pay per order$0
No monthly fee is listed. Each print job is charged at the printing and shipping cost for the chosen size, paper, binding and destination.
Ways to pay less
Blurb
- Other savings
Volume discounts from 10 copies
Blurb says volume discounts on printing start at 10 copies, and bulk printing services cover 100 or more copies with custom quotes.
Lulu Direct
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Blurb or Lulu Direct?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Blurb and Lulu Direct are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Blurb or Lulu Direct?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Blurb and Lulu Direct have a free plan.
Which platforms do Blurb and Lulu Direct run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Blurb lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.