Skip to content
Publishing Map

Self-publishing · ISBN

How to get a free ISBN

A free ISBN is real only where that country's ISBN agency, or the platform assigning the number, says there is no charge. On 22 October 2026, Library and Archives Canada and India's Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency say an eligible publisher pays nothing. Bowker lists a US price, and the Nielsen ISBN Store lists a UK and Ireland price. A free number from KDP, Draft2Digital, or IngramSpark comes with that platform's rule about where it can be used and who is named as publisher. Any other country's price stays unknown until that agency's own page states it.

Publishing Map's take

Use a free ISBN only where that agency or platform says the number is free, and read who is listed as publisher. Library and Archives Canada and India's ISBN agency state no charge for an eligible publisher, Bowker lists 125 USD for one US ISBN, and a free KDP ISBN can be used only on KDP.

Open the rights stage Read the reference

Free · cited · no signup required

Saveable summary

The short answer

  1. Library and Archives Canada says eligible Canadian publishers may request free ISBNs. India's ISBN agency FAQ says the fee is currently free. Bowker lists 125 USD for one US ISBN. Nielsen lists 93 GBP for one ISBN, including UK VAT.[578][579][580][581]
  2. A free KDP ISBN is for paperback and hardcover only, works only on KDP, and the imprint is Independently published. Low-content books are not eligible.[582]
  3. Draft2Digital assigns a free ISBN and is the vendor of record. Its FAQ says that free ISBN cannot be used anywhere outside Draft2Digital's services. A free IngramSpark ISBN, for a US publisher, is owned by IngramSpark and is non-transferable. An ISBN you own in that account is listed at 85 USD.[584][585][621]
  4. An ISBN is the 13-digit identifier. A barcode is a scannable graphic of that number. The International ISBN Agency says a 13-digit ISBN can be shown as a bar code. It does not use the words EAN-13 on the bar-coding page checked.[587]
  5. KDP says an ebook does not need an ISBN. Draft2Digital assigns an ISBN to any book it publishes. IngramSpark requires an ISBN for each format you distribute.[582][584][585]

01

Which national agencies issue a free ISBN, and which charge?

The International ISBN Agency says you apply where you operate as the publisher, not where the book is printed or sold. Some agencies are funded and free. Where an agency charges, the price should relate to the local living standard. It publishes no price list, so the table includes a country only when that agency's own page states a fee. Library and Archives Canada, checked 22 October 2026, offers free ISBNs to eligible Canadian publishers for printed books, ebooks, audio books, and educational or instructional DVDs. A self-publishing author must be physically located in Canada. A company must have its main place of business in Canada, with at least 75 percent of employees physically based there. You may not sell, transfer, or share the numbers. French-only publishers must use Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. Government of Canada departments must use Government of Canada Publications. Those two fees are not stated. India's FAQ says the fee is currently free for a publisher with an address in India. Bowker and Nielsen block prices are in the table. Nielsen is for a publisher in the UK, Ireland, or a British Overseas Territory, and an ISBN is not a legal requirement there. IngramSpark names Thorpe-Bowker for Australia and states no Australian price.[578][579][580][581][585][586]

ISBN charges stated on the agency page checked 22 October 2026
Where the publisher operatesAgency pageWhat that page says
Canada, except French-only publishersLibrary and Archives CanadaFree for an eligible publisher
IndiaRaja Rammohun Roy National AgencyCurrently free
United States and listed territoriesBowker125 USD for one, 295 for ten, 575 for 100, 1,500 for 1,000
UK, Ireland, British Overseas TerritoriesNielsen ISBN Store93 GBP for one, 174 for ten, 387 for 100, 994 for 1,000, UK VAT included
  • A US price is not a quote for a publisher based somewhere else.
  • The International ISBN Agency directory is a finder, not a price table.

02

What do KDP, Draft2Digital, and IngramSpark say about a free platform ISBN?

KDP, checked 22 October 2026, offers a free ISBN for paperback and hardcover only. It works only on KDP. KDP registers it with Bowker as Independently published, and the detail page shows that imprint. Low-content books are not eligible. Hardcover is not supported on kdp.amazon.co.jp. Your own ISBN can be used outside KDP. The imprint field allows 100 characters and must match the agency record. KDP says Bowker offers KDP authors a discount and does not state the amount. Draft2Digital assigns an ISBN free of charge to any book it publishes. The agency lists Draft2Digital as the vendor of record. That label is not public and gives no rights. Stores show the publisher name you enter, or your author name if blank. Draft2Digital's FAQ, checked 23 October 2026, says: "No, you can not use a Draft2Digital provided ISBN anywhere outside of Draft2Digital's services." You may share the free number for advertising, including Goodreads, and you may not use it at KDP to set up direct sales for a Kindle version. A US publisher on IngramSpark can buy from Bowker, buy an ISBN they own in the account for 85 USD, or take a free ISBN that IngramSpark owns and cannot transfer. The FAQ does not state that free number's imprint, or tax on the 85 USD. Outside the United States, own your ISBN. The FAQ spells the UK agency Neilsen and the Indian agency Raja Rammohan Roy. Those agencies' pages use Nielsen and Raja Rammohun Roy.[582][584][585][621]

  • A free KDP ISBN cannot be entered at another service as your ISBN.
  • Read the cart before you choose the 85 USD IngramSpark number.

03

What is the difference between an ISBN and a barcode?

An ISBN is the 13-digit identifier. A barcode is a scannable graphic of that number. The International ISBN Agency says a 13-digit ISBN can be a bar code, that the national agency can advise on suppliers, and that it should sit on the lower right of the outside back cover. That page does not say EAN-13 and does not describe a price add-on. Library and Archives Canada calls the first three digits an EAN product code and does not provide barcodes. India's FAQ says the agency is not authorized to provide barcodes. With no barcode, print the ISBN on the back cover, preferably at the lower right. Bowker's barcode page did not load, so no Bowker barcode price is stated. Nielsen's ISBN page states no separate barcode price. KDP places a barcode at no additional cost if the file has none. A barcode you supply must match the ISBN exactly. A price code, if included, must match the list price. The suggested size is 2 by 1.2 inches. The minimum is 1.4 by 0.8 inches, at least 0.25 inch from the spine and the trim, on white, in black. Draft2Digital places the barcode on a print wraparound cover you upload.[578][579][581][583][584][587]

  • A barcode is not a second ISBN.
  • KDP can add the barcode. The barcode page does not tell you to buy one from KDP.

04

Does an ebook need an ISBN?

Only as each platform states. KDP says you do not need an ISBN for an ebook on KDP, and its free ISBN is not offered for the ebook. Low-content books are not eligible for a free KDP ISBN. Draft2Digital assigns an ISBN to any book published through its system and does not describe publishing there with no ISBN. IngramSpark says that if you intend to distribute, you need an ISBN for each format, and that a book you will not distribute can use a non-distributable SKU. It does not split that sentence into ebook and print. The ISBN answer covers the agency ebook rules.[582][584][585]

  • Paperback, hardcover, and ebook are different products when a platform asks for an ISBN per format.
  • KDP's free ISBN is not offered for the ebook.

05

Who is the publisher of record?

Bowker says an ISBN identifies the format, the edition, and the publisher, and that a number from outside the official agency or its channel partners might not identify the publisher accurately. India's FAQ says the publisher is the person or group responsible for initiating production. Normally that publisher also bears the cost, and it can be the self-publishing author. A free KDP ISBN is Independently published. An ISBN you bought shows the imprint you registered, if the record matches. On a free Draft2Digital ISBN, Draft2Digital is the vendor of record and the stores show the name you chose or your author name. A free IngramSpark ISBN is owned by IngramSpark, and the FAQ does not state its imprint. An ISBN is not copyright. India says it conveys no copyright protection. Library and Archives Canada points copyright questions to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.[578][579][580][582][584][585]

  • The imprint is the publisher name stored with the number.
  • A free platform ISBN names the platform, or Independently published, under the rules above.

Use the guided answer

Apply this to your book

The guide preserves your exact choice in the URL, so you can return to it or send it to someone else.

Open the rights stage