19 Issuu Alternatives that are really taking off!

Warning: This blog contains really helpful information on flipbook publishing for 2019 and beyond. I have found the best one out of the bunch for you. #1 made it the free Issuu alternative YUMPU Publishing.

Like all of the technology today, flip book publishing never stops evolving.

What I find crazy, however, is that the more people I speak to who create HTML5 flipbooks, how few of them have evolved their publication format to include apps or try different service providers.

We have all seen and experienced the boom in ePublishing, as the world continues to demand better and more engaging ways to consume content, but how many of you have continued to develop your products to be, responsive and fully optimized, how many of you create apps?

For all you out there stuck in an ‘e-rut’ and who want to explore where you can take your publications, here are my top 19 Issuu alternatives to launch you into 2019 and beyond.

The first 6 are my preferred alternatives though.

Table of contents

1. Award for the best Issuu alternative goes to... YUMPU Publishing!
2. Twixl
3. Presspad
4. Snapplify
5. Magzter
6. Bote
7. Mag+
8. iMag
9. RealView
10. FlipViewer
11. Baker Book Framework
12. Issuu (sometimes things are popular for a reason!)
13. iPaper
14. Publitas
15. Kvisoft
16. Lucidpress
17. Blurb
18. Zinepal
19. Buildanewspaper.com

1. Award for the best Issuu alternative goes to... YUMPU Publishing!

The team at YUMPU Publishing has really have gone to town with their services and features.
Covering not only free flipbook and magazine publishing but also web, desktop + mobile publishing and developed products to build even more complex and amazing publishing solutions.

Seriously, if you are looking for a free Issuu alternative, this is the right one to choose from.

Creating a flip book is as straightforward as it can possibly get.

You just have to upload your PDF files and let their software do the rest.

Now you are all set to share your magazine with your new readers and share it on your social media platforms.

Don't worry if you need some support.

They are here to help. So if any of this seems daunting or you got questions about the features, you can just pick up the phone and call them. Their support is on point and therefore earns the title of best Issuu alternative.

Imagine your very own app that can be used on over 400 million devices?! Now that really is taking flipbook publishing to the next level!

Therefore it is one of the best alternatives to Issuu.

Wait, let me correct that.

THE BEST alternative to Issuu.

2. Twixl

This is one of the alternatives to Issuu and they are all about the apps! This is the height of publishing solution and they really mean business.

Twixl is not for the faint-hearted, it is geared up to be used by agencies, large scale companies and publishers who only want to be mobile (unlike full providers like YUMPU Publishing) and can afford over $1000 per app (PS. but they do have a free trial download). Make sure to check out my Joomag Review, this one is for the big boys in digital!

3. Presspad

Presspad is perfect if you want to take an existing page flipping PDF magazine you have and transform it into an App (this process will, of course, come with a few complications if all your page flip books are on another site…).

Their MO is iOS and Android apps for digital magazines and they are really very good at it. Unlike others, they are also affordable and have a great deal of value, with a basic packaging coming in at $99. It is a 14 day turnaround time and then you can be on the app store at the click of a button.

The one huge downside is, you don’t get a kiosk and don't get a ton of viewers that read your magazine as you do with other apps and flip book companies (did I mention: the YUMPU Publishing users are in the Millions!).

4. Snapplify

Think of Snapplify as a marketplace (or a newsstand) where you can sell all your content around the world. Then think of it as somewhere you get all the benefits without any of the hard work. Snapplify sells and markets your content on your behalf, then gives you all the data to review and a certain amount of money to spend.

They are also working in the education sector, making dedicated clouds for education centers to promote digital learning.

The one problem I have with reviewing Snapplify however, is that I can’t find a price for their services anywhere and you can’t start using them without knowing how much you need to invest? In the top 17 Issuu alternatives I have tried to share the prices to make it fair, but with Snapplify I can’t. Sorry.

5. Magzter

One of the alternatives to Issuu dedicated to sleek, professional, and high-end publications Magzter is a tour de force in digital publishing. With a client list that reads like the who’s who in publishing, they really do have all the big names.
The one thing you need to be careful of is that unless you are a big publishing house the pricing model of revenue shares might chip away too much at your bottom line. The app and visibility they have can be found at other sites mentioned in this post, and you will always know how much it will cost to give you peace of mind when budgeting.

6. Bote

Bote is a web-based flipping book publishing service with a client list that includes some serious bit-hitters.

Perfect for businesses of any size, they offer a range of packages to suit any marketing budget.

The service automatically optimizes your content to help you to rank higher on Google and other internet search engines and it also includes Google Analytics to help you to analyze your target market and find out who is reading what.

There is a 14-day free trial with Bote so that you can have a play around with its features, but you do have to sign up for a monthly subscription to access this which may catch you out if you fail to cancel it. Bote uses ultra-fast uploads and an easy-to-use drag and drops system to make creating flipbook quick and easy.

7. Mag+

This publishing platform keeps it very easy. You can choose from two tools they offer in digital publishing. One is the entire ePublishing tool kit for catalogues, PDF brochures, and magazines that is a plugin for Indesign.

They include features such as interactivity, slide shows, audio and you do not need to know one thing about code. The other service they offer is for apps design, with a drag and drop design process similar to Keynote. Unlike the other 17 Issuu Alternatives in this article, this one is a brilliant software provider, not a publisher.

8. iMag

iMag has been designed with the business specifically in mind.

This web-based flipbook publishing platform is designed to increase sales and maximize your brand awareness and company growth.

iMag not only optimizes your content but also your images to increase your search engine ranking as well as comes with a complete Whitelabel solution so that you can use your company logo, design, colors, and fonts throughout the flipbook.

iMag makes it easy to generate leads within your flipping book with integrated lead generation and the option to share a sample of your publication and a call to action for the reader who wants more to subscribe.

There is no free trial with iMag however, and the examples on the website are basic. However, there are 3 different price options depending on your needs and budget.

9. RealView

This is a classic Issuu Alternative as you can compare services like for like. Realview offers a platform that delivers digital magazines, catalogs, and newspapers that can be viewed on multiple devices.
Like with Snapplify I, unfortunately, can’t tell you how much their lovely designs will cost you… which is a shame. Even though RealView seems to provide a lot, I’m not sure if it is the best provider for app publishing.

10. FlipViewer

One of the sites like Issuu is FlipViewer Xpress. It is a professional software to create and deliver content as digital publications. Simple and effective - ideal for all the experts out there. They are software providers so once you buy the kit you are responsible for the hard work.
This is super if you are experienced in using this kind of program, but, like me, you prefer a support team and the confidence you get from the larger ePublishing providers then stick with YUMPU Publishing.

11. Baker Book Framework

This digital publishing platform is a relatively new company that has published 70 books and magazines since 2010.
Small in comparison to YUMPU Publishing and Issuu, this group of developers are always working out ways to share our content in interesting and exciting ways on the iPad and iPhone.

You can design with them, choose a package that suits you, and then publish it on their framework. Still growing as a community and a product, these guys are for the adventurous publishers out there.

12. Issuu (sometimes things are popular for a reason!)

Even though this is a top 17 Issuu alternatives, sometimes you have to give credit where credit is due. This digital magazine software has been serving the online publishing market for years and is always evolving to keep up. You can even share your created online magazine on Social Media Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter & Co.
A lot of people wonder:

Q: Is Issuu free?

A: Yes, Issuu.com offers a free version (basic plan) next to 3 other paid plans (starter, premium, and optimum plan)

They might not be at the cutting edge of mobile and app publishing currently, but they are who they are, good at the basic page flippingbook creation but maybe today we need to think bigger and act mobile?

13. iPaper

Similar to Issuu is the site iPaper. When you first go to the iPaper site you will be balled over with the client list they have. This Danish flip book website oozes top quality and it has a high price tag to match. Because of their high standard, I have them in my 17 Issuu alternatives list.

Offering a dedicated section on lead generation is a really nice touch for those just starting out in ePublishing online and who want to increase reader numbers.

However, for those same people, you can’t have a personal branded publication unless you pay $135 a month, which is way more than the market average of about $50! I say a massive ‘Yes’ to using iPaper if you have the cash to spare, but really, who does have spare money?

You can get access to the same service they have with an Issuu alternative, believe me.

14. Publitas

The team of this software is here to help! They are warm, efficient, and always available. This level of support is often very comforting when you start out using a new software provider. The one thing I will say is that this site has a focus on catalogues.
If you want to publish eMagazines with them you can, but you can’t embed a video until you pay for the premium plan. The readers' numbers are by far not as high as the free Issuu alternative YUMPU Publishing's which means you might limit your publications reader audience before it has even been published.

15. Kvisoft

If you are new to Flipbooks and digital publications, I would suggest you don’t use Kvisoft. This is not because they have a bad product, it is just that they are a service provider. When you start out, you might need a little help along the way. There is email support you can get in touch with, but this email communication could slow you down.

If you are more experienced and confident in creating an interactive HTML5 flip book and are ready to do it alone, then Kvisoft has a wide range of software packages you can use. This desktop publishing software solution even gives you a 30-day free trial version so you can try it before you buy. But be aware that you first have to download their products, whereas others also have web-based solutions. Nevertheless, as software providers, they really deserve to be on the 17 Issuu alternatives list.

16. Lucidpress

I already mentioned a lot of the best alternatives to Issuu, but we are not finished yet. Lucidpress is positioned as a ‘tool’, and enabler if you will, that supports its users to create digital and printed visual content such as online magazines. I like that they are clear and open in the role they and their products play in ePublishing
They have a dedicated education page that talks to you through the features of visual learning and of using their products to help teach.

The downside of this is that you can’t access their ‘enterprise’ information as easily and you have to reach out to them, unlike most other HTML5 flipping book companies.

I think they are ideal for teachers, but if you want to have a ‘bells’ and whistles’ business account, then go for YUMPU Publishing.

17. Blurb

Blurb is one of the sites like Issuu. It is sugar-sweet and is the best site to go to if you want to create a keepsake photo album or a wedding memento.
It does offer you ePublising services, but they offer it as a bolt-on to print. If I wanted to share holiday snaps or create a recipe book, this is where’d I go.

If you want to compete in the online publishing space and maximize your efforts with a web Kiosk, optimization, responsive design, and embedded video to boost reader numbers, then this is not the place for that.

18. Zinepal

With Zinepal you don't really get a lot, there are no frills. This website is a no-fuss provider that gives you exactly what you pay for, which is not a lot. If you are starting out in ePublising, or want an alternative to Issuu, this is not the site for you.

It has a dated feel to it and the products available match this. They do offer to take content directly from a website to turn into a PDF page and then eBooks with flip pages. It might save you some time, but I think, in the long run, they are very limited and do not offer enough of what is available and possible in ePublishing nowadays compared to other sites like Issuu. So continue reading to learn about the last software I am talking about in this article.

19. Buildanewspaper.com

Websites like YUMPU Publishing and Issuu offer PDF to Flipbook conversion. To build a newspaper is a little different. There are newspaper template providers. It’s a great idea if you wish to generate a look-a-like news publication to share with friends and family.
It would also be suitable for small businesses or internal communications in larger firms. The system is easy to use and you pay per template, so there is no fuss with making accounts. If you wish to use your own templates and you have your own fixed design in existing PDF documents you wish to publish, you might be better off with another Issuu alternative. So you better stick to one of the pure flipbook publisher mentioned in here.

Like finding sites like Issuu with a free plan; that have Google Analytics; that is search engine optimized (SEO); allow you to link outside of your magazine; have social sharing buttons (Twitter, Facebook, Google & Co.); let you add your own logo, videos, links; work on all Android and iOS devices, and much more).

I have been using a few of these sites for a while now and I placed YUMPU Publishing at number 1 because, for me, it really offers the complete package.

Speaking from experience, you should take a little time to explore what is out there.

But I would suggest you try the best free software YUMPU Publishing first, as I think it is the ultimate one available online currently.

So go ahead and sign up for my favorite one now!

Happy Publishing!