The Pressbooks Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Pressbooks 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.
Pressbooks
The Insider’s Guide
Book publishing platform that exports EPUB, PDF and web books
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from Pressbooks’s own pages.
Made by Pressbooks · 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 Pressbooks’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Pressbooks’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
2.2
GPA, above 23 of the 100 other writing tools we grade
Pressbooks is a book-publishing system built on WordPress Multisite. Authors write or import content, organize it into parts and chapters, and export to EPUB, PDF and XML or publish on the web. It is sold as hosted monthly plans per book, as enterprise networks for institutions, or as free open-source software to host yourself.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Pressbooks, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It has no sales tools, and we could not read its pricing page.
- 1
Best for writing and publishing a book on the web
Pressbooks is a web tool for writing and publishing books, with export formats and web publishing.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per book / month ($120 billed yearly).
- 3
You can try it first
Free 7-day trial for each new book
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Write, import and clone
Write original content, import from sources such as Google Docs, or clone and adapt openly licensed books.
- 6
Export formats
Produces digital and print-ready PDFs, EPUB, XML, XHTML and Common Cartridge files.
- 7
Web publishing
Make all or part of a book public on the web and list it in the Pressbooks Directory.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 23 of 100
That is against the other writing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type.
Pressbooks at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $12 per book / month ($120 billed yearly)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free 7-day trial for each new book
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Pressbooks
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for writing and publishing a book on the web
Pressbooks is a web tool for writing and publishing books, with export formats and web publishing. It charges per book, $12 a month for Single Author, and each book needs its own subscription. It has no sales tools, and we could not read its pricing page.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $12 a book a month, or $120 yearly, near the dearer quarter of writing tools. Collaboration is $40 a book a month. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A free 7-day trial for each new book. No free plan, and the listing doesn't say if a card is needed. |
| Features | C | Writing, import, cloning, exports, web publishing, accessibility, H5P and themes. There are no sales tools, and storage is 250 MB on Single Author. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You set up a book, a theme and exports. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web platform with Google Docs, Hypothes.is and H5P. No desktop or 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 Pressbooks is for
- Fits if you publish a book or textbook online and export files
- Works for one author who accepts paying per book
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you write several books, since each needs its own subscription
- Watch out: editing stops if the subscription lapses
- Watch out: there are no sales tools, and ISBNs are on you
- Tight if you add video, as media storage is 250 MB on Single Author
- Not for you if you want to run it yourself without managing a server
Good to know
Good for
- Authors who want print-ready PDFs and EPUBs from one source
- Teachers and teams building open textbooks
- Institutions that want to run their own publishing network
Worth knowing
- Each book needs its own subscription, and editing stops if the subscription lapses, though openly licensed books stay hosted.
- Media storage is 250 MB on Single Author and 1 GB on Collaboration, with large video expected to be embedded from elsewhere.
- There are no sales or monetization tools: you export files and sell them yourself, and ISBNs are your responsibility.
- Whole-organization use is sold separately as Enterprise Networks; hosting the open-source software yourself means managing a server and its updates.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12
A month to start
Pressbooks is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $12 per book / month ($120 billed yearly).
No free plan, and the listing doesn't say if a card is needed.
Single Author
$12
per book / month, or $120 per year
One author, 250 MB of media storage, EPUB and PDF exports without watermarks, 20+ themes and custom CSS.
Collaboration
$40
per book / month, or $400 per year
Unlimited collaborators, 1 GB of media storage, plus H5P quizzes and interactive activities.
Trying it first
Free 7-day trial for each new book
Read from dev.pressbooks.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Yearly billing: $120 or $400 a year
The plans page lists Single Author at $12 a month or $120 a year, and Collaboration at $40 a month or $400 a year.
Stated on dev.pressbooks.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Book publishing platform that exports EPUB, PDF and web books. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, real-time collaboration, long-form writing.
- Write, import and clone
- Write original content, import from sources such as Google Docs, or clone and adapt openly licensed books.
- Export formats
- Produces digital and print-ready PDFs, EPUB, XML, XHTML and Common Cartridge files.
- Web publishing
- Make all or part of a book public on the web and list it in the Pressbooks Directory.
- Accessibility
- The vendor says books can be published as fully accessible (WCAG 2.2 compliant) digital books.
- H5P and annotation
- Embed H5P quizzes and interactive activities on the Collaboration plan, and allow social annotation through Hypothes.is.
- Themes and custom CSS
- Choose from 20+ themes and add custom CSS to change how the web book, EPUB and PDF look.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Docs
- Hypothes.is
- H5P
Pressbooks is made by Pressbooks.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
23/100
Other writing tools it is graded above
Pressbooks's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 23 of the 100 other writing tools we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 51 of 100) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 42 of the 62 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 26 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 101 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Pressbooks’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 17 of 100
- CFree plan and trialAbove 12 of 100
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 100
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 100
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 51 of 100
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 79 writing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Pressbooks 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.
Your call
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type.
You could make the core of Pressbooks for yourself: long-form writing. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $144 a year. Pressbooks is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could make
- Long-form writing: an app builder makes this well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
What this rests on. Pressbooks’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
Atticus, Vellum, Reedsy Studio, Sigil and Scrivener
The 5 tools Pressbooks is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.8GPA
Atticus
From $147 one-time
Book writing and formatting app for ebooks and print.
- Only Atticus lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Pressbooks is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Atticus can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 1.8GPA
Vellum
Free trial · from $199.99 one-time
Mac app for formatting ebooks and print books.
- Only Pressbooks lists a web app.
- Only Vellum lists a macOS app.
- Pressbooks is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Reedsy Studio
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Browser-based book writing app with free EPUB and PDF typesetting.
- Reedsy Studio has a free plan. Pressbooks does not, though it has a free trial.
- Pressbooks is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Reedsy Studio also covers templates.
- 2.8GPA
Sigil
Free
Free open-source EPUB ebook editor for Windows, Mac and Linux.
- Sigil has a free plan. Pressbooks does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Pressbooks lists a web app.
- Only Sigil lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- 2.8GPA
Scrivener
Free trial · from $23.99 one-time
Manuscript writing app with a binder, corkboard and outliner.
- Only Pressbooks lists a web app.
- Only Scrivener lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- Pressbooks is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Pressbooks free?
No, Pressbooks is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free 7-day trial for each new book.
How much does Pressbooks cost?
Pressbooks lists 2 plans. Single Author: $12 per book / month, or $120 per year.
What platforms does Pressbooks work on?
Pressbooks is available on Web.
Does Pressbooks offer any discounts?
Pressbooks publicly lists the following: Yearly billing: $120 or $400 a year.
Does Pressbooks have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Pressbooks is listed for Web.
Does Pressbooks have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Pressbooks is listed for Web.
Is Pressbooks open source?
Yes. Pressbooks is open source, according to its own site.
What does Pressbooks integrate with?
Pressbooks's listing names Google Docs, Hypothes.is and H5P. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Pressbooks?
Pressbooks is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Pressbooks?
The closest alternatives to Pressbooks in our directory are Atticus, Vellum, Reedsy Studio, Sigil and Scrivener.
How does Pressbooks compare with other writing tools?
Pressbooks's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 23 of the 100 other writing tools we grade, and level with 15.
Is Pressbooks good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Pressbooks C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 42 of the 62 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Pressbooks?
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type. You could make the core of Pressbooks for yourself: long-form writing.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Pressbooks’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 Pressbooks's own pages on 12 November 2026. Its pricing page would not load when we re-checked it. 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 Pressbooks. Prices change, so check pressbooks.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
- Pressbooks, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/pressbooks
- 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, "Pressbooks: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/pressbooks
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/pressbooks/guide
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See our other guides
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Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Pressbooks’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. Pressbooks is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Pressbooks. Prices and plans change: check pressbooks.com before you buy.