TL;DR: Pubby is a subscription book review marketplace where authors earn credits called snaps by reviewing other authors' books, then spend them to get Amazon reviews. It is a real company, founded in 2019, but prices rose to $29.99/month and 2026 users report stalled queues and disappearing reviews. Try the free trial on one book, or start with an ARC team instead.
You published your book. You told your friends. And your Amazon page still says "Be the first to review this item."
That empty review section costs you sales every day. Readers skip books with zero reviews, and most promo sites won't even list you until you have a handful. So you start searching for shortcuts, and Pubby shows up everywhere.
This Pubby review gives you the full picture: how Pubby works, what it really costs in 2026 (including your time), what Amazon's rules mean for you, what current users report, and the alternatives we recommend after helping authors publish over 7,000 books.
What is Pubby?
Pubby is a subscription platform where self-published authors review each other's Amazon books using a credit system, so each author earns reviews by giving them.
Pubby launched in 2019. According to its FAQ, it's a family-owned American business run by a brother-and-sister team with fewer than 10 employees. Its homepage says it's trusted by 77,000+ authors.
The key thing to understand: Pubby doesn't have a separate pool of readers. Your reviewers are other authors on the platform, and they're unpaid. That shapes everything about how well it works for you.
How Pubby works
You review other members' books to earn snaps, then spend snaps to list your book so other members can claim and review it.
- Add your book. Paste your Amazon link. Pubby scans the listing and verifies it.
- Earn snaps. Read and review other members' books. New accounts start with 2,500 free snaps.
- Create an assignment. Spend snaps to list your book, then choose a review type and turnaround time.
- A member claims it. Readers browse the library and pick books that interest them. You can't choose your reviewer.
- They post on Amazon. If a reader doesn't leave a review, your assignment goes back to the library at no extra snap cost.
A few rules matter more than they look. Pubby blocks direct swaps, so if you review an author's book, that author can't review yours. It encourages reviewers to use pseudonyms. It limits how many reviews each member can write per week, and it removes members who post generic or AI-written reviews.
Pubby review types
Pubby offers 4 review types: Standard, Verified Purchase, Kindle Unlimited, and Free Promotion. Your format and price determine which ones you can use.
| Review type | How the reader gets your book | Requirements |
| Standard | Downloads an encrypted PDF you upload | Any format, including paperback-only books |
| Verified Purchase | Buys your ebook on Amazon | Ebook priced $4.99 or under |
| Kindle Unlimited | Reads through their KU subscription | Book enrolled in Kindle Unlimited |
| Free Promotion | Downloads during your free promo, earning a Verified Purchase tag | An active free promotion on Amazon |
Important: Pubby doesn't offer advance reviews. Your book must already be live on Amazon. If you want reviews waiting on launch day, you need an ARC strategy instead (covered below).
How much does Pubby cost in 2026?
Pubby costs $29.99/month or $240/year after a 10-day free trial. A $250/month Pro plan adds 10,000 bonus snaps monthly for authors with multiple books.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
| Monthly | $29.99/month | Unlimited books, unlimited reviews (limited by your snaps), snaps never expire |
| Annual | $240/year (about $20/month) | Same as monthly |
| Pubby Pro | $250/month | Same as monthly, plus 10,000 bonus snaps each month |
When we first reviewed Pubby in 2023, it was a single $20/month plan. The monthly price is now 50% higher.
The real cost is your time
The subscription is the smaller expense. The larger one is the reading. Every review you receive depends on reviews you give, and each one means reading a full book and writing a thoughtful review.
Recent user reports on Trustpilot show how lopsided that can get. One author wrote 8 reviews in 2 months and received 2. Another reviewed 40+ books in 2026 and received 3. Your ratio depends on your genre, your cover, and how active you are, but budget several hours per week if you want steady results.
Refunds, cancellation, and billing
- Refunds: Pubby's FAQ lists a 30-day refund window on your most recent payment.
- Cancellation: Cancel from your dashboard anytime. You keep your reviews and your snaps.
- Watch your renewal date: Several 2026 Trustpilot reviewers report unexpected $240 annual charges. Check which plan you selected before the trial ends.
Is Pubby legit? What Amazon’s rules mean for you
Pubby is a real company, not a scam. But Amazon doesn't endorse it, and any review system tied to earning credits carries some policy risk.
Here's what Amazon says. Its Community Guidelines allow readers to review free copies from authors, as long as the author doesn't require a review or try to influence it. The same guidelines prohibit reviews written as promotion, reviews from anyone with a financial interest or conflict of interest, and reviews of products from people you have a personal connection with.
Pubby is built to stay on the right side of that line. It blocks direct one-to-one swaps, never requires a positive review, lets readers skip reviewing, and anonymizes reviewers. Even so, Pubby's own FAQ states that Amazon doesn't officially approve it, and warns that authors who chase reviews aggressively across multiple platforms may attract Amazon's scrutiny.
Our take: Pubby isn't a scam, but it isn't risk-free. The risk isn't losing your account overnight. It's losing reviews you worked hard for when Amazon's filters remove them.
That matches what users report. Removed and missing reviews are one of the most common complaints in 2026, and one reviewer noted Pubby showed 243 reviews while Amazon displayed only 181.
What real Pubby users say in 2026
User sentiment has dropped sharply. Pubby holds a 1.8 out of 5 TrustScore on Trustpilot from 209 reviews, with 76% of them rated 1 star.
We read the most recent reviews on Trustpilot. The pattern is consistent: many authors say Pubby worked well for them in 2023 and 2024, then slowed down badly in late 2025 and 2026.
The most common complaints
- Books stuck in the queue. Multiple authors report books sitting at "looking for readers" for weeks or months. One reported zero movement for 82 days.
- Reviews that vanish. Reviews marked complete on Pubby never appear on Amazon, or get removed later.
- Low-effort reviews. Some authors say reviewers skim, paraphrase the book description, or borrow from existing reviews.
- Billing surprises. Unexpected annual renewals and difficulty getting refunds.
- Slow or automated support. Several reviewers describe canned replies that point to Amazon policy changes.
What satisfied users say
- Long-time members with several books report hundreds of reviews over 2+ years.
- Some authors praise individual support staff for fast, personal help.
- Readers enjoy discovering indie books and connecting with other authors.
The takeaway: Pubby rewards heavy, long-term participation. New authors with 1 book are the group reporting the worst results right now.
What happened to Pubby?
Pubby still operates in 2026. It raised prices, redesigned its platform, and faces widespread complaints about slow queues, often blamed on Amazon policy changes.
The biggest changes since 2023:
- Monthly price rose from $20 to $29.99, with new annual and $250 Pro plans.
- Sign-up bonus increased from 1,500 to 2,500 snaps.
- The refund window moved from 72 hours to 30 days on your most recent payment.
- More books on the platform means more competition for each reader's attention, especially in crowded genres.
Pubby pros and cons
Pubby's strengths are flat pricing and compliance-minded rules. Its weaknesses are the heavy time cost, unreliable 2026 results, and no pre-launch reviews.
Pros
- No per-review fees
- Unlimited books on one account
- Snaps never expire, even if you cancel
- 4 review types, including Verified Purchase
- No direct swaps, no guaranteed positive reviews
- 10-day free trial
Cons
- You must read and review to earn reviews
- Price up 50% since 2023
- No advance reviews before launch
- Verified Purchase limited to ebooks $4.99 and under
- Frequent 2026 reports of stalled queues and missing reviews
- Not endorsed by Amazon
Who should (and shouldn’t) use Pubby
Pubby fits published authors in popular fiction genres with low-priced ebooks and weekly reading time. It's a poor fit for nonfiction authors planning a launch.
Pubby can work for you if
- Your book is already live, priced at $4.99 or less as an ebook, and in Kindle Unlimited
- You write in a popular genre, like romance, thriller, or fantasy
- You genuinely enjoy reading indie books and have 3 to 5 hours a week to spare
Skip Pubby if
- You want reviews on launch day (Pubby can't do advance reviews)
- You're writing nonfiction to build authority for your business, where a few credible reviews from your target reader beat volume
- Your book is paperback-only or priced above $4.99
- You're already using other review platforms at the same time
Here's what we see coaching authors: most people searching for Pubby don't have a review problem. They have a launch problem. They published with no readers lined up, and now they're trying to buy back momentum after the fact.
Best Pubby alternatives in 2026
The best Pubby alternatives are ARC platforms like BookSirens, Booksprout, and Hidden Gems, plus your own ARC team, which is free and the most reliable option.
| Option | Cost | Pre-launch reviews? | Best for |
| Your own ARC team | Free | Yes | Every author, especially nonfiction |
| BookSirens | $10 setup + $2 per reader, or $100/year | Yes | Budget-friendly fiction reviews |
| Booksprout | $9 to $59/month | Yes | Series and high-volume genre authors |
| Hidden Gems | $20 deposit for 10 readers, then $3 per reader | Yes | Genre-matched Amazon reviews |
| NetGalley | About $575 for a 6-month solo listing | Yes | Librarian, bookseller, and trade reviews |
The big difference: every option above is an advance reader copy (ARC) model. Readers get your book free in exchange for an honest review, with no author-to-author trading. That's the model Amazon's guidelines explicitly describe as allowed.
Why your own ARC team wins
A private ARC team is a list of 20 to 100 readers who get your book 2 to 4 weeks before launch and agree to post an honest review in launch week. They come from your email list, social followers, writing community, and people who asked about your book while you were writing it.
It's free, it works before launch, and your reviewers are your actual target readers. That last part matters most. A review from someone who wanted your book is worth more than 10 from people who picked it to earn credits.
For a full playbook, read our guide on how to get Amazon book reviews for free, then pair it with a BookBub or free promotion strategy for post-launch momentum.
How to test Pubby safely
If you try Pubby, test it on 1 published ebook during the free trial, set a cancellation reminder, and track which reviews actually stick on Amazon.
- Start the trial on day 1 of a clear 10-day window. Set a reminder for day 8 to decide.
- Choose monthly, not annual. Don't commit $240 until you've seen results.
- Test 1 book. Pick your best-performing ebook with a strong cover and description.
- Use Verified Purchase or KU if you qualify. These review types carry the most weight with readers.
- Don't stack platforms. Pubby itself warns that chasing reviews across multiple services can draw Amazon's attention.
- Track what sticks. Compare Pubby's review count to what Amazon actually displays each week. If the gap grows, stop.
- Confirm the charge. Check the price at checkout and your first bank statement.
Pubby review: our final verdict
Pubby is legitimate but declining in 2026. It can help published ebook authors with time to read, but it can't replace a real launch plan.
We gave Pubby a higher rating in 2023. The concept hasn't changed, and its compliance rules are better than most review trading groups. But the price is up 50%, user results have fallen sharply, and it still can't help you before launch.
Our recommendation: build your ARC team first. If your book is live and you want a supplemental source of reviews, test Pubby on a monthly plan for 1 book and let the results on Amazon decide.
Want reviews waiting for you on launch day?
Our coaches have helped authors publish over 7,000 books, and review strategy is built into every launch plan. Talk with our team about building a launch team that posts honest reviews the week your book goes live. Book a free call to get started.
Frequently asked questions about Pubby
Is Pubby legit?
Yes. Pubby is a real US company founded in 2019 that's still operating in 2026. It isn't endorsed by Amazon, though, and many 2026 users report slow queues and reviews that don't stick. Treat it as a supplemental tool, not your main review strategy.
Is Pubby free?
No. Pubby offers a 10-day free trial with 2,500 bonus snaps. After that, it costs $29.99/month, $240/year, or $250/month for Pubby Pro.
Does Amazon allow Pubby reviews?
Amazon doesn't officially approve Pubby. Pubby is designed around Amazon's guidelines by blocking direct swaps, never requiring positive reviews, and keeping reviews optional. Amazon can still remove reviews its systems flag, which is a common complaint from Pubby users.
What happened to Pubby?
Pubby is still active. Since 2023 it raised its monthly price from $20 to $29.99, added annual and Pro plans, and redesigned its platform. Many users now report books stuck waiting for readers, which support often attributes to Amazon policy changes.
Can I use Pubby before my book launches?
No. Pubby doesn't offer advance reviews, so your book must already be live on Amazon. For launch-day reviews, use an ARC team or an ARC platform like BookSirens or Booksprout.
How many reviews can I get from Pubby?
Pubby doesn't guarantee any number. It says active members often see 1 or more reviews per week, but 2026 user reports range from hundreds of reviews for long-time members to 2 or 3 reviews after months of participation
What are the best alternatives to Pubby?
The best alternatives are your own ARC team (free), BookSirens, Booksprout, Hidden Gems, and NetGalley. All use an advance reader copy model and can deliver reviews on launch day.
Can Pubby get my KDP account banned?
There's no verified public pattern of Amazon banning Pubby users. The more common risk is Amazon removing reviews it flags. Lower your risk by using one review service at a time and never paying or trading for positive reviews.
