Blurb
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you need small-run photo books, portfolios, or personal self-publishing with real print quality.
New check
Comparison
Blurb vs Lulu
Blurb and Lulu both land on Depends.
Lulu
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy Lulu if you are an author or store owner who wants free print-on-demand publishing with direct Shopify or WooCommerce selling.
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Photographers making portfolios | Self-publishing authors printing paperbacks |
| Who it's not for | Trade authors publishing to profit | Ebook-first authors . Amazon KDP is the default |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.⁷ | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | Misprint and service complaints surfaced | Recurring complaints documented for years |
| Public sentiment | Users praise print quality and design flexibility; complaints center on costs, thin author margins, and service when misprints happen.¹ | Self-publishers report print-on-demand wins but frustration with recent pricing changes and long-running support complaints.11 |
| Biggest gotcha | Misprint complaints reported; check return policy before large print runs | Complaint compilations about Lulu Press support span years; support is ticket-based14 |
Pick Blurb when
- Photographers making portfolios
- Small-run self-publishers
- Universities and creative class projects
- Personal photo books and gifts
When Blurb is not a fit
- Trade authors publishing to profit
- Anyone needing bookstore distribution as core channel
- Bulk corporate merch/swag printing
- Teams expecting software, not physical prints
Pick Lulu when
- Self-publishing authors printing paperbacks
- Authors selling print books direct
- Shopify/WooCommerce stores selling books
- Developers needing a print API
When Lulu is not a fit
- Ebook-first authors . Amazon KDP is the default
- Anyone expecting fast, hands-on customer support
- Buyers wanting fixed, predictable pricing . structure changed recently
Sources
- Blurb Review 2026 . Beautiful Books, Brutal Marginsblog.chapter.pubreview
- Blurb Photo Book review . Tom's Guidetomsguide.comreview
- Blurb Trustpilot reviews (4,650 reviewers)ca.trustpilot.comreview
- Blurb Software Reviews, Demo & Pricingsoftwareadvice.comreview
- Blurb pricing and formatsblurb.comofficial
- How much do Blurb books cost? . Help Centersupport.blurb.comofficial
- Blurb security pageblurb.comsecurity
- Blurb Funding & Company Profiletheventurecodex.comnews
- New Self-Publishing Options from Blurb and Ingramthebookdesigner.comnews
- Lulu Publishing Review . Reedsyreedsy.comreview
review
- Trustpilot reviews of www.lulu.comtrustpilot.comreview
- Complaints About Lulu Press . WritersWeeklywritersweekly.comnews
- Lulu vs Books.by comparisonbooks.byreview
- Lulu vs Other Self-Publishing Platformsprintingcenterusa.comreview