For wide authors, "Kobo or KDP?" is rarely either-or. Amazon is the biggest ebook market; Kobo is one of the most important stores outside it. The real decisions are how to price for both, whether to enrol in KDP Select, and how much attention to give each store.
This guide compares them side by side, with numbers at every common price.
Kobo Writing Life vs KDP at a glance
| Kobo Writing Life | Amazon KDP | |
|---|---|---|
| Top ebook royalty | 70% | 70%, minus delivery |
| Price range for top rate (US) | $2.99 and up, no upper cap | $2.99 to $12.99 on Amazon.com |
| Extra condition | Ebook at least 20% below every print edition | Must meet list price requirements vs other editions and stores |
| Lower rate | 45% | 35% |
| Delivery costs | None | $0.15 per MB on Amazon.com (70% option) |
| Subscription | Kobo Plus, optional, non-exclusive | Kindle Unlimited, requires KDP Select exclusivity |
| No | Paperback and hardcover | |
| Payment | Monthly, within 45 days of month end | Monthly, about 60 days after month end |
| Upfront cost | None | None |
What you earn per sale
| Ebook price | Kobo | KDP (1 MB file) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.99 | $0.45 | $0.35 | Kobo +$0.10 |
| $1.99 | $0.90 | $0.70 | Kobo +$0.20 |
| $2.99 | $2.09 | $1.94 | Kobo +$0.15 |
| $4.99 | $3.49 | $3.34 | Kobo +$0.15 |
| $7.99 | $5.59 | $5.44 | Kobo +$0.15 |
| $9.99 | $6.99 | $6.84 | Kobo +$0.15 |
| $12.99 | $9.09 | $8.94 | Kobo +$0.15 |
| $14.99 | $10.49 | $5.25 | Kobo +$5.24 |
Example calculations. Kobo figures assume the ebook is at least 20% below print; KDP figures assume a 1 MB file on Amazon.com. Try other prices in the royalty calculator.
Per copy, Kobo edges ahead at every price because it has no delivery charge, and pulls far ahead above $12.99. But per-copy royalty isn't the whole story: Amazon usually sells many more copies, so total earnings often favour KDP.
Kobo's 20% print rule
This is the rule that catches authors out. To earn 70% on Kobo, your ebook must be priced at least 20% below every print edition. If your paperback is $14.99, the ebook must be $11.99 or less; at $12.99 it's only about 13% cheaper and earns 45%.
| Paperback | Highest ebook price for Kobo's 70% |
|---|---|
| $12.99 | $10.39 |
| $14.99 | $11.99 |
| $17.99 | $14.39 |
| $19.99 | $15.99 |
Amazon has its own list-price requirements for the 70% option, including pricing relative to physical editions, so check KDP's help pages too when you set prices.
KDP's delivery costs
On the 70% option, Amazon deducts a delivery charge based on the ebook's file size: $0.15 per megabyte on Amazon.com. For a typical novel of around 1 MB, that's about $0.15 a copy. For image-heavy books it can be much more, which is why illustrated ebooks sometimes do better on the 35% option, or on Kobo, which charges nothing for delivery.
Kindle Unlimited vs Kobo Plus
| Kindle Unlimited | Kobo Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| How you join | Enrol the ebook in KDP Select | Opt in per title |
| Exclusivity | Ebook exclusive to Amazon for 90-day terms | None |
| How you're paid | A share of the KDP Select Global Fund per page read | A share of the Kobo Plus pool based on minutes read |
| Can you also sell on Kobo? | No (ebook) | Yes, and everywhere else |
This is the biggest strategic difference. Kindle Unlimited can be very lucrative in genres whose readers binge, such as romance, thrillers and fantasy, but it locks your ebook to Amazon. Kobo Plus rewards you for subscription reads while leaving you free to sell anywhere. See KDP Select vs wide.
Reach and readers
Amazon is the largest ebook market by a wide margin, especially in the US and UK. Kobo's strength is outside the US and among readers who deliberately avoid Amazon, and it has a loyal base of e-reader owners. Results vary a lot by genre and country: some authors earn a meaningful share on Kobo, others very little. The only way to know for your books is to publish on both for several months and compare.
Promotions
KDP Select authors get Kindle Countdown Deals and free book promotions. Kobo Writing Life has a promotions area where direct authors can apply for merchandising opportunities, and Kobo's team curates deals and featured lists. Going direct with Kobo, rather than through an aggregator, is what gives you access to these.
KDP publishes paperbacks and hardcovers; Kobo Writing Life doesn't. On Amazon.com, KDP pays 60% of list price minus printing for paperbacks at $9.99 or more, 50% below, and 40% through Expanded Distribution. Wide authors typically use KDP Print for Amazon and IngramSpark or another print-on-demand service for bookstores.
Audiobooks
Kobo Writing Life accepts audiobooks directly: its agreement pays 45% on audiobooks sold individually and priced from $2.99 to under $28, with lower rates outside that range and for subscription listens. KDP doesn't publish audiobooks; Amazon's audiobook route is a separate service. If you produce audio, Kobo is one of the simpler places to sell it directly.
Leaving KDP Select to go wide
- Turn off auto-renew in KDP Select; your ebook stays enrolled until the current 90-day term ends.
- Prepare your Kobo listing in advance: description, keywords, categories and price.
- Publish on Kobo the day the term ends, not before, to stay within KDP's terms.
- Add other stores directly or through an aggregator.
- Give it time. Wide sales usually build over months, not weeks.
Common mistakes
- Pricing the ebook too close to print and dropping to 45% on Kobo.
- Pricing above $12.99 on Amazon without realising KDP drops to 35%.
- Heavy image files that make KDP delivery charges eat into the 70%.
- Publishing on Kobo while still in KDP Select, which breaks Amazon's exclusivity terms.
- Judging Kobo after a month. Give a new store at least a few months.
Payments
KDP pays monthly, about 60 days after the end of the month in which sales happened, separately for each marketplace. Kobo pays monthly, within 45 days after the end of the month. Both pay by bank transfer in most countries.
Pricing for both at once
- Stay between $2.99 and $12.99 for Amazon's 70% rate.
- Keep the ebook at least 20% below print for Kobo's 70% rate.
- Keep file sizes small to limit KDP delivery charges: compress images and avoid embedding unnecessary fonts.
- Use $0.99 only for short promotions: both stores pay a lower rate there.
- Price consistently across stores to avoid price-matching surprises.
More in how to price an ebook.
Tracking both stores
Keep a simple monthly record per book: copies sold and royalties on each store, plus Kindle Unlimited pages or Kobo Plus minutes if you use them. After three to six months, the split tells you where to spend promotion money and whether a store deserves more attention, such as applying for Kobo promotions or running Amazon ads on your best-selling titles.
Which should you choose?
| If you... | Consider |
|---|---|
| Write in a binge-read genre and want Kindle Unlimited income | KDP Select (Amazon only), and test wide later |
| Want to reach readers everywhere | Both, with KDP outside Select |
| Sell premium-priced ebooks above $12.99 | Kobo, Apple and B&N pay far more per copy than Amazon |
| Have readers outside the US | Kobo alongside KDP |
| Need print | KDP Print, plus another print option for bookstores |
Adding a third store
If you publish on both Kobo and KDP (outside Select), you can also list on BooksOasis, an independent bookstore for ebooks, paperbacks and hardcovers. Instead of a percentage, you pay a flat yearly plan and keep 100% of your ebook price on every sale there, with no processing cut.
| Ebook price | Kobo | KDP (1 MB) | BooksOasis |
|---|---|---|---|
| $4.99 | $3.49 | $3.34 | $4.99 |
| $9.99 | $6.99 | $6.84 | $9.99 |
| $14.99 | $10.49 | $5.25 | $14.99 |
BooksOasis plans start at $29.99 a year for 10 books. See flat plan break-even.
What BooksOasis does not do
- It doesn't distribute to Kobo, Amazon or other stores; it's one more store.
- It isn't compatible with KDP Select ebook exclusivity, like any other store.
- It has no subscription program.
Three authors, three setups
A romance author writing a book every two months keeps her series in KDP Select, because Kindle Unlimited page reads are most of her income, and uses Kobo only for a standalone novella she keeps wide.
A literary novelist in Canada sells more on Kobo than Amazon, stays wide, enrols in Kobo Plus, and prices her ebook at $11.99 against a $14.99 paperback to keep Kobo's 70%.
A business author pricing ebooks at $16.99 earns $11.89 a copy on Kobo against about $5.95 on Amazon, so he promotes his Kobo, Apple and direct-store links first.
Sources
Checked September 2026: Kobo Writing Life service agreement; KDP ebook royalties.
In short
Kobo and KDP pay almost the same from $2.99 to $12.99, Kobo pays much more above that, and Kobo's subscription doesn't demand exclusivity. Amazon sells far more copies for most authors. So unless Kindle Unlimited is central to your income, use both, price for both, and add a direct store where every ebook sale is 100% yours.
Questions
Does Kobo or KDP pay a higher royalty?
Between $2.99 and $12.99 they are close: both pay 70%, but KDP deducts a delivery cost. Above $12.99 Kobo pays far more, because KDP drops to 35% on Amazon.com while Kobo keeps paying 70% if the ebook is at least 20% below print. Below $2.99, Kobo pays 45% and KDP 35%.
What is Kobo's 20% rule?
Kobo's agreement requires an ebook to be priced at least 20% below every print edition to earn 70%. Otherwise it earns 45%.
What are KDP delivery costs?
On the 70% option, Amazon deducts a delivery charge based on file size: $0.15 per megabyte on Amazon.com.
Can I publish on both Kobo and KDP?
Yes, as long as your ebook isn't enrolled in KDP Select, which requires ebook exclusivity to Amazon for 90-day terms.
Is Kobo Plus exclusive like Kindle Unlimited?
No. Kobo Plus is optional and non-exclusive. Kindle Unlimited requires KDP Select exclusivity.
When do Kobo and KDP pay?
KDP pays monthly, about 60 days after the end of the sales month. Kobo pays monthly, within 45 days after the end of the month.
Which has more readers?
Amazon is the largest ebook market by far, especially in the US and UK. Kobo is stronger in some countries outside the US and among readers who prefer an alternative to Amazon.
Does Kobo sell print books for authors?
Kobo Writing Life focuses on ebooks and audiobooks. KDP also offers paperbacks and hardcovers.
Should a new author start with KDP or Kobo?
Most start with KDP for reach, then decide between KDP Select and going wide. If you go wide, Kobo is usually one of the first stores to add.
Where does BooksOasis fit?
BooksOasis is an extra store you can list on alongside Kobo and KDP (if you're not in KDP Select). You keep 100% of the ebook price there for a flat yearly plan.
Which pays more for a $14.99 ebook?
Kobo. At $14.99, Kobo pays about $10.49 if the ebook is at least 20% below print, while KDP pays 35% on Amazon.com, about $5.25.
Can I sell audiobooks on Kobo and KDP?
Kobo Writing Life accepts audiobooks directly, paying 45% on individually sold audiobooks priced from $2.99 to under $28. KDP handles ebooks and print; Amazon's audiobook publishing is a separate service.
How long does it take Kobo sales to build?
Usually months rather than weeks. Wide authors often give a new store at least three to six months, with some promotion, before judging it.
Add a store where you keep 100%
List on BooksOasis alongside Kobo and KDP, from $29.99 a year.