Are Smashwords and Draft2Digital the same thing now?

Yes, since the 2022 merger. Smashwords.com (the consumer-facing store) is still branded separately, but the publishing platform behind it is Draft2Digital's. New uploads typically go through D2D, not the legacy Smashwords portal. The Meatgrinder converter is still in use for some legacy workflows.

Can I have my book on Smashwords AND Chiify at the same time?

Yes — same book, same ISBN, both platforms. Many authors do this because Smashwords' direct-store has a reader audience while Chiify gets you the Lifetime 0% commission on retail. The only thing to avoid is duplicate ISBNs of the same edition.

What about the Smashwords Style Guide?

It's a real thing — a 100+ page guide on how to format your Word doc so the Meatgrinder produces a clean EPUB. Chiify doesn't require equivalent prep. Use proper Word styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Body) and our pipeline handles the rest.

Chiify vs Smashwords

Chiify or Smashwords? Where each one fits.

Smashwords is the original indie aggregator — merged with Draft2Digital in 2022 and now operates as part of D2D. Chiify is the newer alternative that ships European Accessibility Act compliance by default and offers 0% commission Lifetime.

Switch to Chiify free See Chiify pricing

Mark Coker founded Smashwords in 2008 and quietly built one of the largest indie distribution networks in the world. In 2022 Smashwords merged with Draft2Digital; titles uploaded today flow through the D2D system. The Smashwords brand is still used for the consumer-facing store at smashwords.com.

Chiify is younger and built around two ideas Smashwords didn’t: pay-once-or-per-sale (no subscription), and accessibility-by-default. Here’s a clear comparison.

At a glance

Feature	Chiify	Smashwords
Pricing model	Free or one-time $300 Lifetime	Free, no subscription
Commission on sales	0% (Lifetime/Pro), 10% (Free)	10–15% depending on channel
Free EPUB conversion	Yes, our pipeline	"Meatgrinder" converter (controversial output quality)
Lifetime EPUB warranty
Free ISBN-13 (Bowker-registered)
Amazon KDP
Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, B&N
Library lending (OverDrive, Hoopla)
Audiobook distribution		Limited (D2D Audio still maturing)
Human review before retailer delivery
WCAG 2.2 / EAA 2025 accessibility	Auto on every plan	Not built-in
Pre-orders & price scheduling
Royalty splits with co-authors
Direct-to-reader store integration	Yes (chiify.com/store)	Yes (smashwords.com store)
Best for	Authors who want 0% commission long-term	Authors who want no upfront cost ever

The Meatgrinder

Conversion: the famous Smashwords vs. clean EPUB question

Smashwords’ famous “Meatgrinder” converter has been simultaneously praised (it’s free, it works, it’s fast) and criticized (it produces conservative EPUB output that loses formatting nuances, breaks complex layouts, and routinely fails Apple iBooks validation). Smashwords requires very specific Word formatting (the famous Smashwords Style Guide) for the Meatgrinder to produce a clean EPUB.

Chiify uses a modern conversion pipeline built on Pandoc + custom XML post-processing. We accept Word, Google Doc, PDF, and Markdown with looser source-formatting requirements, and produce EPUB 3.3 output that passes EPUBCheck 5 and the Apple iBooks Asset Guide tests without you needing to memorize a style guide.

Both produce a usable file. Chiify produces a cleaner one with less manuscript prep on your end.

Commission

Math on a $4.99 ebook

Amazon takes 30% of $4.99, leaving $3.49 to the aggregator:

Chiify Lifetime/Pro — author keeps $3.49 (100%)
Chiify Free — author keeps $3.14 (90%)
Smashwords/D2D — author keeps $3.14 (90%, the standard 10% aggregator cut)

On the Free plan, the math is identical. On Lifetime, after the $300 one-time fee Chiify pays for itself in roughly 86 sales at $4.99 vs. Smashwords’ 10% commission.

What Smashwords does well

Honest comparison

Smashwords / D2D advantages

17 years of operating history. They were doing this when most aggregators were not yet companies.
Smashwords store — they run a direct-to-reader store at smashwords.com with strong reader-side discovery, particularly for romance and erotica genres.
Universal Book Link (Books2Read) — their universal-link tool predates and is more polished than anything Chiify built.
Author marketing community — long-running author community with regular newsletters, promotion opportunities, and merchandising.

Chiify advantages

0% commission on Lifetime — after the $300 one-time fee, you keep everything.
Modern conversion — works with looser source formatting; no Meatgrinder Style Guide to memorize.
WCAG 2.2 by default — your books are EU Accessibility Act ready without you knowing what the EAA is.
Human review — every submission read by a person before retailer delivery, not just an automated Meatgrinder pass.
Lifetime warranty — we re-do your EPUB free if retailer validation rules change.

Frequently asked

Are Smashwords and Draft2Digital the same thing now?: Yes, since the 2022 merger. Smashwords.com (the consumer-facing store) is still branded separately, but the publishing platform behind it is Draft2Digital's. New uploads typically go through D2D, not the legacy Smashwords portal. The Meatgrinder converter is still in use for some legacy workflows.
Can I have my book on Smashwords AND Chiify at the same time?: Yes — same book, same ISBN, both platforms. Many authors do this because Smashwords' direct-store has a reader audience while Chiify gets you the Lifetime 0% commission on retail. The only thing to avoid is duplicate ISBNs of the same edition.
What about the Smashwords Style Guide?: It's a real thing — a 100+ page guide on how to format your Word doc so the Meatgrinder produces a clean EPUB. Chiify doesn't require equivalent prep. Use proper Word styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Body) and our pipeline handles the rest.

Switch from Smashwords in 5 minutes.

Free to start. Free EPUB conversion. Free ISBN. Human review in 24 hours. No exclusivity.

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