1. Lower royalties than expected<\/h3>\n
When selling ebooks on Amazon KDP, you might decide to look for an Amazon KDP alternative because Amazon takes a large chunk of the sale. While you don\u2019t pay any upfront fees to be listed on Amazon\u2019s marketplace, you only get paid 35% or 70% of the sale of your book, depending on the price you sell your book at. There are other platforms that offer more generous commissions for selling ebooks online.<\/p>\n
2. KDP requires exclusivity<\/h3>\n
To be listed on Amazon\u2019s KDP, you offer Amazon exclusive rights to carry your book. That means you won\u2019t be able to sell your ebooks on any other Amazon KDP alternatives while you\u2019re in the KDP program. Keep in mind that book sales typically generate more sales than book royalties. The reader who finishes your ebook on Amazon KDP won\u2019t be giving you more money than the one who buys your book outright. You\u2019re giving up exclusivity for royalties rather than sales. Plus, by being exclusive to Amazon, you miss out on sales at dozens of book platforms where you can sell your book to a much larger audience online.<\/p>\n
3. Risk of account suspension<\/h3>\n
Amazon KDP is known for sudden account bans with limited explanations. You might not know why your account was banned, so you can’t resolve the issue and make it right. If your account is terminated, you lose all your income just like that. The lack of stability and security in your books staying on the platform can make people look for Amazon KDP alternatives. Sometimes, something as simple as using a trademarked phrase in a book can be enough to get a book banned from the platform. However, it\u2019s possible you didn\u2019t know the phrase was trademarked when you used it<\/p>\n
4. Lack of customer data<\/h3>\n
On Amazon KDP, you\u2019re unable to access customer data to grow your sales. You won\u2019t have direct access to buyers. You won\u2019t get any customer emails. Plus, you don\u2019t get the opportunity to remarket to customers via retargeting ads since you don\u2019t own the website. On Amazon KDP, all you get is the opportunity to get followers to your Amazon listing page, where customers can choose to follow you. When you release a book, the customers who follow you will get an email about your new release. This can help you get some sales directly from email, but you won\u2019t have much control over when they’re sent or whether they’re sent at all. Thus, some people start looking for Amazon KDP alternatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
5. Price restrictions cap earning potential<\/h3>\n
To get the 70% royalty on Amazon KDP, you need to price your book between $2.99 and $9.99. Unfortunately, this is actually much lower than what the average book sells for on most websites. For instance, many authors price ebooks between $19 and $47 when selling directly to consumers. If you create a unique book with valuable content, you can charge higher fees for it. However, Amazon\u2019s walled garden shrinks your earning potential by offering its best royalties under a specified price bracket.<\/p>\n
6. High marketplace competition<\/h3>\n
Another reason you might look for Amazon KDP alternatives is that Amazon is the world’s largest marketplace. The competition is stiff. You\u2019ll be struggling to get sales when competing with dozens of books around the same topics. Some books might have the same titles. Plus, some authors may even have the same name, creating even more stiff competition for yourself. Overall, the marketplace is highly competitive, so it\u2019s hard to stand out. Being on other platforms can give you more visibility.<\/p>\n
![\"best](\"https:\/\/staticblog.payhip.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/09192412\/Screenshot-2026-04-09-at-3.22.28-PM-scaled.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n