PDF vs EPUB: Which Ebook Format Should You Use?
PDF vs EPUB explained. Fixed vs reflowable layout, which stores accept each, and when to sell a PDF directly or an EPUB through stores.
By Philip GhezelbashUse EPUB when you sell through ebook stores like Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play, because it reflows to fit any screen. Use PDF when you sell or give away the file yourself, on your website, Gumroad or Etsy, because it looks exactly the same everywhere. Many authors end up with both.
Here's what each format is, how they differ, and how to choose. If you're new to the terms, start with what an ebook is.
What a PDF is
A PDF is a fixed page. Every line, image and margin stays exactly where you put it, whether someone opens it on a laptop, a tablet or a printer. Think of it as a digital printout.
That's its strength and its weakness. Your design is preserved perfectly. But on a phone, a 6 × 9 inch page shrinks to fit a small screen, so readers have to zoom and scroll. Font size can't be changed without zooming the whole page.
PDFs are good for:
- Workbooks, worksheets and checklists people print and fill in.
- Design-heavy guides where the layout is part of the value.
- Lead magnets and downloads you deliver yourself.
- Print. A print interior PDF is what KDP and IngramSpark expect for paperbacks.
What an EPUB is
EPUB is the open standard format for ebooks. Inside, it's a bundle of web-style pages, styles and images. Most EPUBs are reflowable: there are no fixed pages. Text flows to fit whatever screen it's on, and the reader chooses the font, size, line spacing and background color.
That's why EPUB feels natural on a phone or e-reader. It's also why the stores want it. One file works on every device they sell to.
EPUBs are good for:
- Selling on ebook stores.
- Text-first books: guides, how-tos, nonfiction, fiction.
- Readers who read on phones or e-readers, or who need larger text.
Reflowable vs fixed layout
You'll see these two terms often.
Reflowable content adapts to the screen. Amazon's KDP help describes it as letting readers resize text so the book fits any screen. This is the default for most ebooks, and it's what you want for anything that's mostly text.
Fixed layout keeps each page as designed, like a PDF, but inside an EPUB or Kindle file. It's meant for books where the layout carries meaning: children's picture books, comics, cookbooks with full-page photos, art books. Text size can't be adjusted in the usual way. Apple Books accepts fixed-layout EPUBs, and KDP supports them through EPUB, DOCX or KPF files.
If your book is mostly words, stick with reflowable. Fixed layout is harder to read on small screens and harder to get right.
PDF vs EPUB at a glance
| EPUB | ||
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Fixed pages | Reflows to fit the screen (fixed layout possible) |
| Looks identical everywhere | Yes | No, the reader controls fonts and size |
| Reading on a phone | Needs zooming and scrolling | Comfortable |
| Reader can change font size | Only by zooming | Yes |
| Printable | Yes, as designed | Not really |
| Good for workbooks and worksheets | Yes | Not usually |
| Accepted by ebook stores | Google Play; limited elsewhere | Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play |
| Sell directly (own site, Gumroad, Etsy) | Yes, the most common choice | Yes, but buyers may need an app |
| Accessibility | Depends heavily on how it's made | Generally better for screen readers and large text |
Which stores take which format
Rules change, so check each store's help pages before you upload. As of October 2026:
| Store | What it accepts |
|---|---|
| Amazon KDP (Kindle) | Recommends EPUB, DOCX or KPF. Also takes some other formats, including PDF in a limited set of languages, but PDFs often convert poorly. |
| Apple Books | EPUB, which must pass EPUBCheck validation. |
| Kobo Writing Life | EPUB is recommended; Kobo converts other accepted formats, such as Word files, to EPUB. |
| Google Play Books | EPUB and PDF. Google recommends uploading both. |
| Gumroad, Etsy, your own site | Any file you like. PDF is the usual choice; you can include an EPUB too. |
The short version: every major ebook store takes EPUB. Only Google Play is really set up for PDF. Our step-by-step guides cover publishing on Apple Books and Google Play Books.
When to sell a PDF directly
Selling a PDF on your own site or a platform like Gumroad or Etsy makes sense when:
- You already have an audience. Followers, clients or an email list who will buy from you without browsing a store.
- You want to keep the customer's email. Stores keep the buyer relationship. Direct sales let you follow up.
- You want to set any price. Store royalty bands don't apply. A $27 workbook or a $49 guide bundle is fine.
- The layout matters. Worksheets, planners and templates belong in a PDF.
- You want to bundle. PDF plus templates, spreadsheets or a bonus EPUB.
Each platform has its own fees and limits. Gumroad takes a percentage of each sale, plus payment processing, and charges more for sales that come through its own marketplace; check its current fees. Etsy charges its own seller fees, and its digital listings allow up to five files of up to 20 MB each, so keep image-heavy PDFs compressed.
Want to compare what you keep per sale across stores and direct platforms? The calculator below does the math.
One thing to watch: if your Kindle ebook is enrolled in KDP Select, you can't sell the same ebook in digital form anywhere else, including as a PDF on your site. A different product, like a separate workbook, is fine.
When to use EPUB on stores
Publish an EPUB through the stores when:
- You want to reach new readers who search Amazon, Apple Books or Kobo rather than your website.
- Your book is mostly text and will be read on phones and e-readers.
- You'd rather not handle delivery, refunds and file hosting yourself.
- You plan a series and want readers to find book two from book one's page.
Our step-by-step guide on publishing on Amazon KDP covers the upload, pricing and royalty choices.
Do you need both?
Often, yes. A common setup:
- EPUB on Kindle and other stores, for discovery.
- Digital PDF with the cover, sold directly or given to clients and email subscribers.
- Print interior PDF if you want a paperback on KDP or IngramSpark.
Making them separately is where formatting time goes. Every fix has to be made twice, and they drift apart.
What Koobe exports
Koobe builds all of these from the same book, in your browser:
- EPUB 3 for Kindle (KDP accepts EPUB), Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play Books.
- Digital PDF with the cover, for reading on any screen or selling as a download.
- Print interior PDF for KDP and IngramSpark paperbacks: no cover, chapters opening on right-hand pages, mirrored gutters.
- Cover image as a 1,600 × 2,400 px JPEG for store listings.
Koobe doesn't export DOCX, and it doesn't publish to stores for you. You upload the files yourself, so you stay in control of each listing. If you change a chapter, export again and every format picks up the change.
Describe your book in a sentence. Koobe plans the chapters, writes them, designs the cover and exports a PDF and EPUB. Your first book is free.
“Files were ready for KDP, which is what I actually needed. First book I’ve finished.”
Quick decision guide
- Selling on Amazon, Apple, Kobo or Google Play? EPUB.
- Selling from your own site, Gumroad or Etsy? PDF, optionally with an EPUB.
- Workbook, planner or anything printable? PDF.
- Giving it away for email sign-ups? PDF.
- Picture book or comic for stores? Fixed-layout EPUB.
- Paperback? A print interior PDF plus a separate print cover.
Pick the format that fits how your reader will actually read. Then check the file on a real phone before anyone pays for it.