Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing vs Smashwords:Which is searched more?

Name: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing vs Smashwords: Which is searched more?
Creator: Brandwave
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In September 2026, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing had more branded searches than Smashwords among self publishing platforms worldwide. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing had about 1.8 million branded searches, while Smashwords had 27,100. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing made up 47.5% of all self publishing platform searches we track, and Smashwords accounted for 0.7%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of searches among self publishing platforms worldwide in September 2026Is Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or Smashwords more popular in search?

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Is Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or Smashwords more popular in search?

Compare the platforms authors publish books through. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords among self publishing platforms worldwide, by month

Month	Amazon KDP	Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing	IngramSpark	Draft2Digital	Smashwords	Barnes & Noble Press	Kobo Writing Life	Lulu
Oct 2025	46.6%	46.6%	2.8%	1.3%	1.3%	0.69%	0.46%	0.31%
Nov 2025	45.9%	45.9%	3.4%	1.5%	1.5%	0.83%	0.45%	0.37%
Dec 2025	46.6%	46.6%	2.8%	1.3%	1.3%	0.69%	0.38%	0.31%
Jan 2026	46.4%	46.4%	2.8%	1.5%	1.5%	0.69%	0.38%	0.31%
Feb 2026	46.1%	46.1%	3.4%	1.5%	1.2%	0.83%	0.46%	0.3%
Mar 2026	46.6%	46.6%	2.8%	1.3%	1.3%	0.69%	0.38%	0.31%
Apr 2026	46.6%	46.6%	2.8%	1.5%	1%	0.69%	0.46%	0.31%
May 2026	46.7%	46.7%	2.8%	1.3%	1%	0.69%	0.46%	0.31%
Jun 2026	46.8%	46.8%	2.8%	1%	1%	0.69%	0.46%	0.31%
Jul 2026	46.6%	46.6%	2.8%	1.3%	1.3%	0.69%	0.46%	0.31%
Aug 2026	46.9%	46.9%	2.8%	1%	0.85%	0.69%	0.46%	0.31%
Sep 2026	47.5%	47.5%	2.3%	0.7%	0.7%	0.58%	0.38%	0.26%

How has the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing was ahead of Smashwords in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing’s share of searches among self publishing platforms worldwide moved from 46.6% to 47.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.2M to 1.8M.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smashwords’ share of searches among self publishing platforms worldwide moved from 1.3% to 0.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 27.1K.

How did search popularity change for self publishing platforms worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

In September 2026, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing gained share of searches among self publishing platforms worldwide, from 46.9% to 47.5%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Smashwords worldwide fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 33.1K to 27.1K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing’s and Smashwords’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.