Independent publishers using Issuu were charged up to 475% more at renewal in 2024 and 2025, some without warning. Here is what Issuu actually costs compared with Publishrs, what each platform actually gives you, and what only becomes clear once your magazine is already on Issuu.
£990 per year · 30-day free trial
~£1,670 per year, billed annually ¹
Issuu Starter is listed at about £195 a year. Every restriction below is confirmed by Issuu's own help centre, but you meet most of them after your magazine is already uploaded.
"Unlimited publications"
Unlimited in number, but each document is capped at 500 pages and 100MB. A print-quality magazine PDF routinely exceeds 100MB. Go over, and readers see the cover and nothing else.
Issuu Help Centre, "What happens to my publications when I downgrade to Issuu's Starter (paid) plan?""I'm paying, so no adverts"
On Starter, your publications appear on a page that may display third-party adverts, on a paid subscription. Removing them requires Unlimited.
Issuu Help Centre, downgrade documentation"Links in my magazine work"
Automatic link detection is an Unlimited-only feature. On Starter, publishers reported having to place every hyperlink by hand.
Issuu Help Centre plan comparison; trade press, February 2025"Share drafts privately"
Starter allows five unlisted publications in total. Beyond that, everything you publish is public.
Issuu Help Centre, "Understanding Issuu's subscription plans""I'll stop paying and keep my archive"
Publications over the limit stay hosted but show only the cover page. Every link you've ever printed, emailed or sold to an advertiser stops working.
Issuu Help Centre, downgrade documentation"My back issues are safe"
Issuu retains content for 12 months from the start of inactivity, after which it may be deleted. An account counts as inactive after a year without interaction, so an archived title can be at risk.
Issuu policy update emailed to users, 19 March 2025"Last year, our annual cost was £350. The new plan will cost around £1,670 per year, a staggering 475% increase. We are deeply disappointed that Issuu seems to believe it can hold its customers' publications hostage."
The Magazine Production Company, September 2025 ²
Every entry below is documented, either by Issuu itself or by the independent trade press.
Per-upload limits reduced from 500 pages and 100MB to 50 pages and 50MB. Enforced from February 2023, making existing publications inaccessible to readers.
Ownership passes to the Italian technology group.
Issuu's own help centre confirms the restructure "may have resulted in an automatic upgrade to the Unlimited plan and a corresponding price increase at the time of your renewal."
Trade press documents one publisher moving from £350 to roughly £1,670 a year. Users describe charges arriving with little or no warning, and a discount offer presented with a three-minute window to accept or decline permanently.
Content retained for 12 months from the start of inactivity, after which it may be deleted.
Reduced to five published documents, ten pages each, 50MB. Anything beyond that stays hosted but becomes inaccessible to readers.
Publishrs launched in 2024. Our prices have not changed since launch, and these commitments form part of our terms.
Comparison prepared August 2026. All competitor information is taken from each provider's own published documentation or from independent trade press, and was accurate at the time of writing. Providers change their plans — please check current pricing pages before making a decision. Publishrs is not affiliated with any platform named on this page.