Lulu vs Smashwords:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Smashwords had more branded searches than Lulu among self publishing platforms worldwide. Smashwords was estimated to have 27.1K branded searches compared to Lulu’s 9.9K, and held a 1.6% Share of Search versus Lulu’s 0.6%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Lulu or Smashwords?
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.
Share of Search by month for Smashwords, Lulu. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Amazon KDP | IngramSpark | Draft2Digital | Smashwords | Lulu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 89.2% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 0.59% |
| Nov 2025 | 87.1% | 6.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.71% |
| Dec 2025 | 89.2% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 0.59% |
| Jan 2026 | 88.2% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.59% |
| Feb 2026 | 87.7% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 0.58% |
| Mar 2026 | 89.2% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 0.59% |
| Apr 2026 | 89.1% | 5.4% | 3% | 2% | 0.59% |
| May 2026 | 89.6% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 0.59% |
| Jun 2026 | 90% | 5.5% | 2% | 2% | 0.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 89.2% | 5.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 0.59% |
| Aug 2026 | 90.3% | 5.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Lulu and Smashwords comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Smashwords was ahead of Lulu in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Lulu’s estimated Share of Search among self publishing platforms worldwide moved from 0.59% to 0.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 9.9K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Smashwords’ estimated Share of Search among self publishing platforms worldwide moved from 2.4% to 1.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 27.1K.
How did search popularity change for self publishing platforms worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, Smashwords lost estimated Share of Search among self publishing platforms worldwide, from 2.4% to 1.6%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Lulu worldwide rose 22.2% over 11 measured months, from 8.1K to 9.9K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Lulu’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.
Lulu
1 branded search term
- lulu publishing
Smashwords
1 branded search term
- smashwords
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.