Pubby alternative: readers who are not other authors
Pubby vs ReadRipple: an author-to-author review community run on Snaps, versus independent readers who are paid for reading, with every review verified before anyone is paid.
What Pubby is
Pubby is a review community where the reviewers are other authors. Members earn an internal currency, Snaps, mainly by reviewing other members' books, and spend Snaps to request reviews of their own. It offers standard, Kindle Unlimited and verified-purchase review types and checks Amazon for posted reviews.
How Pubby charges
- A monthly membership (Pubby publishes the current price on pubby.co) plus your time: Snaps are earned chiefly by reading and reviewing other members' books.
- A sign-up bonus of Snaps covers the first requests.
As published on Pubby's own pages, last checked November 2026. Prices change; confirm on their site before you buy.
| What matters | ReadRipple | Pubby |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per verified review, from $4, price set by you | Monthly membership, plus Snaps earned by reviewing other members' books |
| Who reviews | Readers who opted in to your genre, paid for reading, never for a rating | Other authors in the Pubby community |
| Reciprocity | None: readers never need anything from you | Built in: you earn review credit by reviewing others |
| Review verified on Amazon | Yes: each review link is checked on your book's Amazon page before money moves | Yes: Pubby checks Amazon for the reviewer's posted review |
| Refund when a review is not live | Automatic: anything not live within 3 days goes back to your wallet | The assignment is cancelled and the request returns to the library |
| Star rating | Any star rating, none promised | Any star rating, none promised |
| Your time per review | None | Reading and reviewing other books to earn Snaps |
| Smallest possible spend | $4 | One month of membership |
Pubby is a good fit if
- Authors with time to read and review several books a month and who enjoy the community.
- Authors who want Kindle Unlimited borrows alongside reviews.
ReadRipple is the better fit if
- Authors who do not want their reviews to come from other authors in a reciprocal pool.
- Anyone who has had reviews removed before, or who is cautious about reciprocal patterns: ReadRipple readers are not authors reviewing each other.
- Authors with more budget than time: $4 to $8 per review and no reading obligation.
Worked example: Ten reviews in launch month
Pubby: One month of membership plus the Snaps for ten requests, most of which you earn by reading and reviewing other members' books during that month.
ReadRipple: Prepay ten reviews at $5: $50, no reading obligation, each review checked on your Amazon page before it counts.
Questions authors ask
- Is Pubby a review swap?
- Pubby describes itself as a community of authors reviewing each other's books, with Snaps as the medium rather than a direct one-for-one trade. Amazon's guidelines prohibit reviewing in exchange for a review; whether an indirect pool is treated the same way is for you to judge, and our guide on review swaps covers what Amazon has enforced.
- Why does it matter who the reviewer is?
- Shoppers can tell when a review reads like a blurb from another writer. Reviews from readers who chose the book by interest read like reviews, and that is what sells the next copy.
- Can I do both?
- You can. If you do, keep the two separate and never ask a ReadRipple reader for anything in return.
Try it
One review for $4. See it verified, then decide.
No subscription, no listing fee. Readers who chose your genre, honest reviews, each one checked on your Amazon page.
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