The Blurb Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Blurb in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Blurb
The Insider’s Guide
Print-on-demand photo books, books, magazines and wall art
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among print-on-demand and dropshipping services, read from Blurb’s own pages.
Made by Blurb · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Blurb’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Blurb’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 11 of the 30 other print-on-demand and dropshipping services we grade
Blurb prints custom photo books, paperbacks, hardcovers, magazines, notebooks and wall art, one copy at a time or in bulk. Creators design with Blurb's own tools or upload a PDF, then buy copies or sell them through an Instant Store, the Blurb Bookstore, retail distribution to Amazon and Ingram, or Blurb's print API. There is no subscription; you pay per printed product.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Blurb, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Retail listing does not cover every format.
- 1
Best for printing your own photo books and paperbacks
Blurb prints photo books, paperbacks, hardcovers and magazines on demand, with design tools in a browser, BookWright and Adobe plug-ins.
- 2
It is free
Blurb has no paid plan at all. 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.
- 3
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, macOS and Windows.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 11 of 30
That is against the other print-on-demand and dropshipping services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Blurb is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Blurb at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows
- Made by
- Blurb
- Category
- Print on Demand & Dropshipping
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for printing your own photo books and paperbacks
Blurb prints photo books, paperbacks, hardcovers and magazines on demand, with design tools in a browser, BookWright and Adobe plug-ins. There is no subscription, but every copy is paid for: books start at $8.99, and a 12 by 12 inch hardcover photo book starts at $67. Retail listing does not cover every format.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No 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. |
| Free plan and trial | B | No setup fee or subscription, and the design tools cost nothing. But every printed copy is paid, so nothing leaves the building free. |
| Features | C | Design 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You design the book yourself, in a browser, BookWright or an Adobe app. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Mac and Windows, with Amazon, Ingram and Adobe links, plus a print API. No phone app is listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Blurb is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Photographers and artists making photo books and wall art
- Authors who want a book on Amazon and Ingram without paying a subscription
- Teams or clients that need a run of 10 or more copies
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Blurb is free to use.
No setup fee or subscription, and the design tools cost nothing.
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.
The 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.
Read from blurb.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on blurb.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, macOS and Windows
Print-on-demand photo books, books, magazines and wall art. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, online store, print on demand.
Design tools, many formats, an Instant Store, retail distribution, bulk printing and a print API.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
What it works with
- Amazon
- Ingram
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Lightroom Classic
- Adobe Photoshop
Blurb is made by Blurb.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/30
Other print-on-demand and dropshipping services it is graded above
Blurb's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 30 other print-on-demand and dropshipping services we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 10 of 30) and worst on value for money (C, above 0).
Blurb has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 31 print-on-demand and dropshipping services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Blurb’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 0 of 30
- BFree plan and trialAbove 10 of 30
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 30
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 30
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 30
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 31 print-on-demand and dropshipping services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Blurb is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Blurb is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could not
- Printers that make and ship each order.
- Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
- A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Amazon, Ingram and Adobe InDesign among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Blurb’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Lulu Direct, Amazon KDP, IngramSpark and Fine Art America
The 4 tools Blurb is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Lulu Direct
Free
Print API that prints and ships books to your customers.
- Only Blurb lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Lulu Direct also covers shipping labels.
- 2.4GPA
Amazon KDP
Free
Amazon's free self-publishing for ebooks and print-on-demand books.
- Only Blurb lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Blurb also covers online store.
- Amazon KDP also covers digital downloads and amazon selling.
- 2.2GPA
IngramSpark
Free
Print-on-demand and wholesale distribution for self-published books.
- Only Blurb lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Blurb also covers online store.
- IngramSpark also covers digital downloads.
- 2.8GPA
Fine Art America
Free plan · from $30/yr
Art marketplace where artists sell prints and products made on demand.
- Only Blurb lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Fine Art America lists iOS and Android apps.
- Fine Art America also covers digital downloads.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Blurb free?
Yes. Blurb is free to use.
How much does Blurb cost?
Blurb lists one plan. Pay per product: $0.
What platforms does Blurb work on?
Blurb is available on Web, macOS and Windows.
Does Blurb offer any discounts?
Blurb publicly lists the following: Volume discounts from 10 copies.
Does Blurb have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Blurb is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Does Blurb have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Blurb is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Is Blurb open source?
Blurb is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Blurb have an API?
Yes. Blurb offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Blurb integrate with?
Blurb's listing names Amazon, Ingram, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop.
Who makes Blurb?
Blurb is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Blurb?
The closest alternatives to Blurb in our directory are Lulu Direct, Amazon KDP, IngramSpark and Fine Art America.
How does Blurb compare with other print-on-demand and dropshipping services?
Blurb's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 30 other print-on-demand and dropshipping services we grade, and level with 5.
Is Blurb good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Blurb C for value for money. Blurb has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Blurb?
Blurb is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Blurb’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Blurb's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Blurb. Prices change, so check blurb.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Blurb, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/blurb
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Blurb: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/blurb
Know someone choosing between print-on-demand and dropshipping services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/blurb/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded print-on-demand and dropshipping services after Blurb, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Print on Demand & Dropshipping Insider's GuideEvery one of the 31 print-on-demand and dropshipping services we grade, compared
- Printify Insider's GuidePrint-on-demand marketplace with 2,000+ products and 70+ printers3.4 GPA
- CJdropshipping Insider's GuideDropshipping supplier and sourcing agent with factory-price products3.2 GPA
- Printful Insider's GuidePrint-on-demand company that makes and ships orders in-house3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Blurb’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Blurb is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Blurb. Prices and plans change: check blurb.com before you buy.