Amazon KDP vs Merch by Amazon (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Amazon KDP grades higher than Merch by Amazon: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Amazon KDP grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Amazon KDP
Amazon's free self-publishing for ebooks and print-on-demand books
Merch by Amazon
Amazon program for uploading designs and earning royalties
Which one is for you
Pick Amazon KDP if
- Fits if you want to publish on Amazon with no upfront cost
- Makes sense if you sell mainly ebooks and want a 70% royalty option
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: Expanded Distribution pays 40% of list price minus printing cost, and royalties arrive about 30 days after the month ends
- Tight if you price low: a minimum list price applies so the royalty covers printing
- Not for you if you want per-page-read income without KDP Select, as Kindle+ needs ebook enrolment
- Skip it if you also use IngramSpark, as the two should not both distribute the same title
Pick Merch by Amazon if
- Fits if you want your designs sold on Amazon with Amazon handling customer service
- Makes sense if you can wait for an approval decision before selling
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: accounts are reviewed and approved, so you may not get in
- Watch out: Amazon can remove designs or suspend accounts that break its content policy
- Skip it if you need to know your earnings in advance, since the royalty formula is on a separate page
- Tight if you want your own storefront, as your products live on Amazon
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAAmazon KDPFair | 2.2GPAMerch by AmazonFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo fee, but Amazon's cut is the price: up to 70% on ebooks and 60% on print, with the printing cost taken off. Its own example is $5.00 for a 333-page black-and-white paperback. | CNo upfront costs, but the royalty rate is on a page we did not read, so it can't be set against the category. |
| Free plan and trial | BJoining and publishing are free, with no trial needed, and one author could live on that. The costs come out of each sale. | BFree to join and no trial needed, though a request goes through approval and Amazon replies by email. |
| Features | BEbooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, a royalty calculator, KDP Select and Expanded Distribution. The listing shows no gap in the core job of publishing a book. | CUpload art, pick a product and colour, Amazon makes and ships it, with Prime shipping and sales analytics. The listing names t-shirt artwork rules, 300 dpi PNG, and nothing on royalties. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You still format the manuscript and cover and set prices that clear the minimum. | CNo store rating on record. You prepare artwork to a 15 by 18 inch print area and wait for approval. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no API or integrations on the listing. | CWeb only, with no API or integrations on the listing. |
| Best for | publishing ebooks and paperbacks on Amazon | selling t-shirt designs on Amazon with no upfront cost |
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: Amazon KDP and Merch by Amazon. How we grade
Price against what you get
Amazon KDP has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Merch by Amazon has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Amazon KDP scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services on the chart, none scores higher than Amazon KDP for less, and none scores higher than Merch by Amazon 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
- Amazon KDP also covers digital downloads.
At a glance
| Amazon KDP | Merch by Amazon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to join and publish. Amazon pays a royalty on each sale: up to 70% on ebooks and up to 60% on print books, with printing cost deducted on print. | No upfront costs: the page says Amazon prints and ships each sale and pays the creator a monthly royalty. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Amazon | Amazon.com, Inc. |
| Price read from | kdp.amazon.com | merch.amazon.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Amazon KDP
- Printing cost comes off each print sale: KDP's own example is $5.00 for a 333-page black-ink paperback sold on the US marketplace.
- Sales through Expanded Distribution pay a lower 40% rate, and those royalties appear about 30 days after the month ends.
- A minimum list price applies so that the royalty always covers printing cost.
- Per-page-read royalties through Kindle+ require enrolling the ebook in KDP Select.
Merch by Amazon
- Accounts are reviewed and approved; the page says Amazon will send a decision by email after a request.
- Amazon can remove designs or suspend accounts that violate its content policy.
- T-shirt artwork should be a 300 dpi PNG with a 15 by 18 inch printable area.
- The royalty formula is on a separate page not read here, so rates are not stated.
Key features
Amazon KDP
- Ebooks and print books
- One account publishes Kindle ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers, and KDP says books appear on Amazon stores in more than 10 countries within 72 hours.
- Printed when ordered
- Paperbacks and hardcovers are printed when a customer orders them and shipped by Amazon, so there is no inventory to hold.
- Royalty options
- Ebooks offer a 70% or 35% royalty depending on content and country. Paperbacks pay 50% or 60% of list price, set by price and marketplace, less printing cost.
- Printing cost and royalty calculator
- KDP provides a calculator for estimating printing cost and royalty. Printing cost depends on the marketplace, page count and ink type, not on trim size or cover finish.
- KDP Select
- Enrolling an ebook in KDP Select makes it eligible for Kindle+ and earns royalties for pages read.
- Expanded Distribution
- Paperbacks can be offered through other channels, with a royalty of 40% of the list price in that channel minus printing cost. Japanese-language paperbacks cannot join.
Merch by Amazon
- No upfront costs
- Upload artwork, choose a product type and color and add a description; Amazon builds the product page and prints after each sale.
- Royalties on each sale
- Amazon pays a royalty per product sold; the landing page points to a separate Royalty Calculation page for the formula.
- Prime shipping
- The page says all products are eligible for Prime shipping, with the same shipping options as other Amazon items.
- Non-exclusive
- The FAQ says the program is non-exclusive, so the same design can be offered on other sites.
- Sales analytics
- Creators get analysis tools showing their best-selling designs and revenue.
Plans
Amazon KDP
KDP (royalty-based)$0
No fee to publish. Ebooks earn a 70% or 35% royalty; paperbacks earn 50% or 60% of the list price minus printing cost, and 40% minus printing cost through Expanded Distribution.
Merch by Amazon
Content creator$0
Sign up with an Amazon account and wait for approval; Amazon pays a royalty on every product sold.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Amazon KDP or Merch by Amazon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Amazon KDP and Merch by Amazon are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Amazon KDP or Merch by Amazon?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Amazon KDP and Merch by Amazon have a free plan.
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.