If you’re looking for a Pubby alternative, you’re probably in one of two camps. Either you’ve used Pubby and you’re tired of reading other people’s books to earn credits (or like me and you’re just not getting value for money anymore since AI books have flooded the market), or you’ve heard mixed things and want to know your options before you sign up. Either way, this comparison is for you.

I’m Jenny. I’ve published over 50 nonfiction books since 2012, mostly fact books for kids, and I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit trying to get honest early reviews for them. I also run AuthorWing ARC Readers, a free ARC service just for nonfiction. So this is a “Pubby vs AuthorWing” post written by one side of it. I’ll be as fair as I can, I’ll link my sources, and I’ll tell you when Pubby is the better fit.

Pubby vs AuthorWing at a glance

	Pubby	AuthorWing ARC Readers
Who reviews your book	Other authors in the Pubby community	Readers who chose your book’s topic
How you “pay” for reviews	Snaps, earned mainly by reviewing other authors’ books	Nothing. Authors never review in return
Cost	Monthly or yearly subscription	Free for authors during the beta
Genres	All genres, mostly fiction	Nonfiction only
Review types	Free copy, Kindle Unlimited, or Verified Purchase	Free review copy (ebook)
File protection	Copies delivered through Pubby	Every copy stamped with the reader’s email and a tracking code, 3 downloads max
Size	Large, established community	New and small

How Pubby works

Pubby describes itself as a large group of authors working together. You add your book and request reviews, which costs you “Snaps”, Pubby’s own currency. New members get some Snaps to start with, and after that the main way to earn them is by reviewing other members’ books.

When you request a review, your book goes into Pubby’s library, and members pick it up. There are three types of review:

• Standard: the reader downloads a copy you’ve provided.
• Kindle Unlimited: the reader borrows it through KU, so your book needs to be in KDP Select.
• Verified Purchase: the reader buys the ebook on Amazon, either free during a promotion or at up to $4.99.

The reader posts their review on Amazon and submits it on Pubby, and Pubby checks Amazon several times a day to find it and add it to your dashboard. If a review never appears, the assignment can be cancelled and your book goes back into the library.

Pubby is also strict about quality on its side. According to its suspension rules, members can be removed for AI-written reviews, false or careless reviews, running several accounts, or asking for specific content like five-star reviews. That’s a good sign. It shows they take Amazon’s review policies seriously.

How much does Pubby cost?

Pubby is a paid subscription, and the price has changed over time, so check their site before you sign up. One 2026 review puts plans at roughly $20 to $50 a month depending on the tier (Ghostwriting LLC), and a competitor’s comparison page lists $29.99 a month for the standard plan (iWrity). Bear in mind that second figure comes from a rival, so take it as a guide.

The bigger cost, though, is time. To earn Snaps you need to read and review other authors’ books. One review estimates 10 to 15 hours a week for authors who use it heavily, and another says you’d need to read several books just to earn a few reviews a month (Secure Single). If your Verified Purchase reviews are on paid books, you’re also buying books along the way.

What authors like about Pubby

It would be unfair to skip this bit, because Pubby has plenty of happy users (I was one for many years).

• It can be fast. When it works well, books get picked up within days.
• You control the timing. You choose when to request reviews, so you can line them up with a launch or a promotion.
• Verified Purchase reviews. These show the “Verified Purchase” badge on Amazon, which many authors value.
• It’s a community. Some authors genuinely enjoy reading each other’s work, and that has value of its own.

Where Pubby falls short (especially for nonfiction)

Here’s where my nonfiction hat goes on.

Your reviewers are other authors, not your readers. Pubby members pick books partly to earn Snaps, not only because they love the subject. For a novel in a busy genre, that may not matter much. For nonfiction, it matters a lot. A review of your beekeeping guide from someone who’s never kept bees, and picked your book because it was short, doesn’t help a shopper decide much.

Reviews can feel generic. One detailed review of Pubby found many reviews read like summaries of the book, with no way to tell whether the reader finished it (Secure Single).

Mixed recent experiences. On Trustpilot, Pubby has a score of 1.5 out of 5 from 193 reviews (Trustpilot). Unhappy people are always more likely to post, so don’t treat that as the full picture. But the common complaints are worth knowing: books waiting weeks or months for a reviewer, slow support, unexpected yearly renewals, and reviews that later vanished from Amazon. Several users who were happy at first said things changed later.

Is Pubby against Amazon’s rules?

This is the question everyone asks, and there isn’t a simple yes or no.

Amazon allows authors to give free or discounted copies to readers, as long as they don’t demand a review or try to influence it. It doesn’t allow reviews from close friends or people in your household, and it doesn’t allow rewards for reviews (summary of Amazon’s wording). Pubby says it works to stay in line with Amazon’s policies. Critics argue that earning credits by reviewing, then spending them on your own reviews, looks a lot like a review swap, and one 2026 review rates the risk as moderate to high (Ghostwriting LLC). Some authors report Amazon removing reviews that came through exchanges.

My honest take: nobody outside Amazon knows exactly where the line is, and Amazon doesn’t explain review removals. If your books are your income, it’s worth asking how much risk you’re comfortable with. I’m an author, not a lawyer, so please read Amazon’s Community Guidelines yourself and make your own call.

How AuthorWing works differently

I built AuthorWing ARC Readers because I wanted something for my own books that avoided the whole swapping question. It’s a simple, old-fashioned ARC model, just built for nonfiction:

1. Readers join for free and pick their topics, from history and science to animals, business and children’s nonfiction.
2. I approve every reader personally before they can claim anything.
3. Authors list a book, and readers who chose that topic can claim a free copy.
4. Readers have 21 days to read it and post an honest review, and they add the link in their dashboard.

The important differences from Pubby:

• Authors never review anyone’s book in return. No credits, no queue, no reading time.
• Readers choose by topic, so the person reviewing your history book actually reads history.
• Reviews are never required, and readers are reminded to say they got a free copy, as Amazon expects.
• Every copy is personally stamped with the reader’s email and a tracking code, and readers can only download it three times. If a copy leaks, we know whose it was.
• Readers can have two books open at most, and can’t claim more while a review is overdue, so copies go to people who finish them.

And the honest downside, again: AuthorWing is brand new. Our reader list is a fraction of Pubby’s community, we don’t offer Verified Purchase or Kindle Unlimited reviews, and I can’t promise you a number of reviews. If speed and volume are what you need most, Pubby is set up for that and we’re not, yet.

So which should you choose?

• Choose Pubby if you write in a popular fiction genre, you enjoy reading other indie books, you have time to earn Snaps, and you’re comfortable with the Amazon debate.
• Choose AuthorWing if you write nonfiction, you’d rather reviews came from readers of your subject, you don’t have 10 hours a week to read other people’s books, or you want to stay well clear of anything that looks like a swap.
• Choose something else if you need library and school reviewers (NetGalley), or you write memoir or true crime, which do well on BookSirens. I’ve written about whether BookSirens is good for nonfiction too.

Can you use Pubby and AuthorWing together?

You can. Nothing stops you listing a book on AuthorWing while you use Pubby. I’d just be careful about stacking lots of review sources onto one launch week, because a sudden wave of reviews from several places can look unnatural. Spreading them out is better for you and looks more like real reader interest, because it is. It also prevents them getting removed by Amazon and all your work going to waste.

Other Pubby alternatives worth knowing

If you’re leaving Pubby, there are other options too. I compared them all, with 2026 prices, in my guide to the best ARC sites for nonfiction books. In short: BookSirens has vetted readers and costs from $2 per reader, Booksprout helps you build a review team across a series, NetGalley reaches librarians and booksellers (but costs about $575 for six months in the US), and StoryOrigin is a great free tool for sending files to your own readers.

Pubby questions authors ask

Is Pubby legit?

Yes, Pubby is a real, established service with a large author community and clear rules for reviewers. Whether it’s right for you depends on how you feel about review exchanges and how much time you have to earn credits.

Is Pubby against Amazon’s terms of service?

Pubby says it aligns with Amazon’s review policies, and it suspends members who break them. Some authors and reviewers still see the credit system as a risk. Amazon hasn’t publicly ruled on it, so read Amazon’s guidelines and decide for yourself.

How much does Pubby cost?

Pubby is a paid monthly or yearly subscription. Recent reviews put it at roughly $20 to $50 a month depending on the plan, but check Pubby’s own site for current prices.

What’s the best Pubby alternative for nonfiction?

For most nonfiction, I’d look for a service where readers choose topics rather than genres, and where reviewers are readers rather than other authors. That’s what AuthorWing ARC Readers is built for. For memoir and true crime, BookSirens is also a strong option.

Do I have to review other books on AuthorWing?

No. Authors never review in return. You list your book, and readers who chose your topic claim it.