KDP vs Apple Books vs Google Play: how author royalties compare
A clear comparison of how royalties work on Amazon KDP, Apple Books, and Google Play — rates, payment timing, and reporting — plus how to track all three in one place.
If you publish the same book on Amazon KDP, Apple Books, and Google Play, you quickly notice the money doesn’t work the same way on each store. Here’s a plain comparison of how author royalties differ across the big three — and how to keep track of all of them without three separate logins.
This is a general guide, not financial advice. Each store sets its own terms and updates them over time — always confirm current rates in your own dashboards.
Royalty rates at a glance
| Amazon KDP | Apple Books | Google Play Books | |
|---|---|---|---|
| eBook royalty | 70% or 35% (price/territory rules apply) | ~70% of list | ~70% of list |
| Print (POD) | List minus printing minus Amazon’s cut | Print via partners | Print via partners |
| Subscription reads | KENP page reads (KDP Select / KU) | — | — |
| Reporting cadence | Near real-time estimates | Monthly sales reports | Near real-time + monthly |
Illustrative summary of publicly described models as of June 2026. Exact rates, thresholds, and territory rules are set by each store — verify in your accounts.
The three big differences authors feel
- Kindle Unlimited / KENP. Amazon’s subscription pool pays per page read (KENP), which can be a large share of income — and has no equivalent on Apple or Google. It’s easy to under-count if you only look at unit sales.
- Payment timing. Each store pays on its own schedule and minimum-threshold rules, so money lands at different times of the month — which makes “how much did I actually earn” hard to answer across stores.
- Currency and territory. The same sale can carry different rates and currencies by marketplace, so raw reports rarely add up cleanly by hand.
How to track all three in one place
Instead of reconciling three dashboards, a consolidated tracker pulls every store’s numbers together. TrackingInk connects Amazon KDP, Apple Books, and Google Play and shows:
- Net royalties per store and combined
- KENP / pages read alongside paid sales
- Ratings and reviews as they land
- Demand by country, so you see where readers are
- An AI Analyst that flags what changed and why
See all your royalties in one place →
Frequently asked questions
Which store pays authors the most — KDP, Apple, or Google? It depends on price, territory, and format. KDP can pay 70% within set price bands (plus KENP for Kindle Unlimited); Apple Books and Google Play also center on roughly 70% of list. The practical answer comes from tracking your actual net royalties per store — which is exactly what a consolidated tracker like TrackingInk shows.
Does Apple Books or Google Play have anything like KENP? No. Page-read income (KENP) is specific to Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited / KDP Select. On Apple and Google you earn per sale.
How do I see KDP, Apple, and Google royalties together? Connect all three to TrackingInk and it consolidates royalties, KENP, and reviews into one dashboard, so you don’t reconcile separate reports by hand.
Stop guessing what you earned. Track KDP, Apple, and Google royalties together →