Blurb BookWright vs Megal Publisher
Blurb BookWright
store.blurb.com
Megal Publisher
megalpublisher.comSide by side
| Figure | Blurb BookWright | Megal Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 10 | 3 |
| Spec score · Desktop Publishing Software | 9.4 (#1) | 7.8 (#17) |
| Integrations | BookWright supports importing photos from Adobe Lightroom, SmugMug, and Dropbox through Photo Manager. | An optional administrator OneDrive pilot uses delegated access to the selected Microsoft account; the maker also says AI prompts are sent through its server to OpenAI. |
| Templates | The application includes professionally designed templates, layouts and one-click auto-layout suggestions. | The app advertises a library of over 9,000 templates, and its about page says Free users can create layouts and view a watermarked Print Preview. |
Plans
Blurb BookWright
- BookWright softwarePrice not published
- Softcover photo book$12 a month
- ImageWrap Hardcover photo book$32 a month
- Linen Hardcover with Dust Jacket photo book$32 a month
- Layflat photo book$60 a month
- BookWrightFree
- BookWrightFree
- Paperback book, Economy Color, 5×8 in$3.99, paid once
- Paperback book, Standard B&W, 5×8 in$4.99, paid once
- Premium Magazine$7, paid once
Megal Publisher
- FreeFree
- Professional Monthly$5.99 a month
- Professional Yearly$59.99 a year
In their own words
Blurb BookWright
Blurb BookWright is desktop software for designing custom books, including photo books, paperbacks, hardcovers, magazines, notebooks, and wall art. It provides customizable templates, freestyle grids, typography and cover tools, bleed lines, and trim guides. Image tools support scaling, cropping, enhancement, and auto-retouching powered by Perfectly Clear by EyeQ. Text Flow fits text into frames and accepts Rich Text Format imports, while Photo Manager imports photos from Adobe Lightroom, SmugMug, and Dropbox. Users can work offline in the desktop software, but publishing requires an internet connection and a free Blurb account is needed for features and publishing options. Finished projects can be printed on demand, ordered in bulk, or purchased as PDFs. BookWright is free to use; users pay for a book when they send it to print. Listed requirements include Windows 7, 8, or 10, or macOS 10.13 or later, with 2GB RAM and 500MB storage. Books can be up to 440 pages.
Megal Publisher
Megal Publisher is a browser-based desktop-publishing app for creating page layouts online and saving editable projects in.mpub format. Its editor supports multiple pages, text, images, shapes, tables, master pages, text wrapping and precise object arrangement. Supported Microsoft Publisher.pub files can be rebuilt as editable Megal objects, though fonts and complex effects may need correction. It also imports macro-free Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, with a listed maximum file size of 25 MB. The app advertises more than 9,000 templates. Mail Merge accepts Excel, CSV or TSV recipient lists; the maker says recipient values remain in the browser session rather than being uploaded or embedded in the MPUB. Output options include print, PDF, SVG and images in PNG, JPEG, WebP, TIFF, BMP or GIF. Free users can create and edit publications, open supported.pub files and save.mpub projects, but printing, PDF creation, export and download require Professional. Professional costs $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year. The maker says publication files are stored locally unless account autosave is used.