One-time vs. recurring
You pay Chiify Lifetime once and you're done. You pay PublishDrive every month for as long as you want your books live.
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Chiify vs PublishDrive
PublishDrive pioneered the subscription model for ebook distribution. Chiify went the opposite direction with a one-time Lifetime plan and 0% commission. Here's where each one fits.
PublishDrive is a respected name in indie distribution — Hungarian-founded, ~10 years operating, distributes to ~400 retailer endpoints. Their pricing is a subscription that scales with how many books and audiobooks you have, plus features gated behind the higher tiers.
Chiify is built on the opposite philosophy: pay once or per sale, all features on every plan, no subscription. Below is an honest comparison of where each fits.
Chiify vs PublishDrive, side by side
| Feature | Chiify | PublishDrive | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free or one-time $300 Lifetime | Subscription $7–$129/mo | ✓ |
| Commission on sales (paid plan) | 0% | 10% on Free tier, 0% on Pro+ | ✓ |
| Free EPUB conversion | Yes | No | ✓ |
| Free ISBN-13 (Bowker-registered) | Yes | No | ✓ |
| Amazon Kindle (KDP) | Yes | Yes | – |
| Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, B&N | Yes | Yes | – |
| Library lending (OverDrive, Hoopla) | Yes | Yes | – |
| Audiobook distribution (Audible/ACX) | Yes | Yes | – |
| Human review within 24 hours | Yes | — | ✓ |
| WCAG 2.2 / EAA 2025 accessibility | Auto on every plan | Not specified | ✓ |
| Lifetime EPUB warranty | Yes | No | ✓ |
| Pre-orders & price scheduling | Yes | Yes | – |
| Affiliate / referral program | 3% lifetime | — | – |
| Royalty splits with co-authors | Yes | Yes | – |
| Best for | Authors who want one-time cost | Mid-size publishers comfortable with subscription | – |
Competitor details are based on publicly available information and can change — check PublishDrive's site for current pricing and terms.
Pricing math
What you actually pay over 3 years
A subscription that looks cheap monthly can be expensive over 3 years.
PublishDrive — typical solo author
Plus plan at $19/month × 36 months = $684 over 3 years. Premium plan at $39/month = $1,404 over 3 years. The Premium plan is required for some features like advanced reporting and royalty splits in some configurations.
Chiify — same author, Lifetime plan
One-time $300, never again. $300 total across 3, 5, 10 years.
Break-even point
Chiify Lifetime pays for itself against PublishDrive's Plus plan in roughly 16 months. After that, every month is pure savings.
Commission
Who takes what from each sale
On a $4.99 ebook sold on Amazon (Amazon takes 30%, leaving $3.49 to the aggregator):
- Chiify Lifetime/Pro — author keeps $3.49 (100%)
- Chiify Free — author keeps $3.14 (90%)
- PublishDrive Plus/Premium — author keeps $3.49 (100% — subscription replaces commission)
- PublishDrive Free tier — author keeps $3.14 (90%)
On commission alone, paid plans tie. The difference is what the subscription costs vs. the one-time Lifetime fee.
Why authors choose Chiify
European Accessibility Act 2025
Chiify's pipeline automatically validates and fixes accessibility defects in every EPUB. PublishDrive does not publicly document automatic accessibility compliance.
Lifetime EPUB warranty
If your EPUB needs re-conversion because a retailer's validation rules tightened, Chiify does it free, forever.
Free conversion & ISBN
EPUB conversion and Bowker ISBNs are included on every Chiify plan — not add-ons behind a paywall.
When PublishDrive might be the better choice
No tool is right for everyone. Here's where PublishDrive can be the smarter pick:
- Track record — operating since 2015 with a longer list of niche European retailers and more public case studies.
- Marketing tools — bundled ads and price-promotion scheduling across 14+ stores that Chiify does not bundle.
- Big-publisher track — mid-size presses with hundreds of titles and complex enterprise ONIX workflows.
Try the numbers yourself with our free royalty calculator and print cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move my books from PublishDrive to Chiify?
Yes. You publish a notice of takedown at PublishDrive (typical 30-day wind-down), then upload to Chiify with the same ISBN. Library lending platforms preserve circulation history across migrations as long as the ISBN stays the same.
Is the Chiify Lifetime plan really lifetime?
Yes. One payment of $300, all premium features active for as long as Chiify exists. No recurring charges, no renewal fees, no feature downgrades.
Does PublishDrive offer audiobook distribution?
Yes, both do. PublishDrive distributes audiobooks to Audible (via ACX), Apple, Google, Storytel, and library platforms. Chiify covers the same set plus Spotify Audiobooks.
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