Kobo Writing Life vs Squibler Comparison 2026
Both cover self-publishing. Here is what separates them on price, billing, what you can take with you, and coverage.
Publish to Kobo and keep your rights
Draft a manuscript with AI on the first pass
At a glance
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Kobo Writing Life | Squibler | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | From $15.83 |
| Pricing model (they differ) | Free | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing (they differ) | Usage-based | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export | Not stated | Not stated |
| Their cut | Not stated | Not stated |
| Runs on | Web | Web |
| Covers | Self-Publishing | Self-Publishing, Writing & Scripts |
Shaded rows are where the two answers disagree and both listings have answered. A row where one side has not stated a fact is left plain, because silence is not a difference.
Kobo Writing Life
Publish to Kobo and keep your rights
Kobo Writing Life puts a book in front of Rakuten Kobo's readers, and through OverDrive into public libraries, without asking for exclusivity in return. Publishing costs nothing and the author sets the price. For anybody whose first shelf is Amazon this is the obvious second one, and the library route is the part Amazon has no answer to.
Our note
There is no reason not to be on it if you are already selling elsewhere, since it costs nothing and asks for nothing in return. Treat it as a second channel rather than a first: the reader numbers are Amazon's game, and the library route is where Kobo earns its place.
Squibler
Draft a manuscript with AI on the first pass
Squibler writes long-form drafts, holding characters, plot and structure steady across a whole manuscript rather than losing the thread every few thousand words. Credits meter how much gets generated and the free tier gives enough to see whether the output is worth editing. Projects export to PDF and DOCX for whatever comes next. Anybody who wants a quiet place to write their own words will find the AI here is the product rather than an accessory.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.