ISSUU Review and this awesome and free alternative!
After publishing my Issuu review, a lot of people asked me about a free ISSUU alternative, with better features. If you're looking for a great cost-free alternative, I'd recommend YUMPU Publishing.
What Is Issuu? Issuu.com allows you to convert and publish all your PDF files online. PDF files have long been used by magazine publishers in order to send their articles to print, and bloggers are catching up. Basically, Issuu does what magazines have been doing for a while. As an individual, you can use the tools they offer and essentially build your own design. You can do this through Adobe InDesign, for instance. Have a look at the Issuu Review.
Table of contents
(+) My Issuu Review – what I Liked
Uploading a PDF file is really quick and easy. It is immediately converted into an online magazine or an HTML5 flipbook. HTML5 Flipbook the solution.
It comes with lots of handy features, such as page-turning animations and page zooming.
You can share your magazines on all the different social media platforms.
It is very quick to load, with every page loading up in advance.
You can view the pages in a variety of different ways.
(-) What I Didn’t Like about Issuu
If you don’t want any advertisements on your publications, you have to choose a Paid-Plan (starts at $29/month).
Although Issuu overall has great customer service, their support can be quite slow.
It is not possible to embed your magazine on your homepage or on social media
It is not possible to embed a video or audio in your magazine
You cannot upload a file larger than 500mb, and it cannot be longer than 500 pages long. However, this is much bigger and longer than the average magazine.
But let’s start with the basics. Perhaps you are reading this text on a smartphone or tablet, or perhaps you are using a desktop computer. And, although I am an online blogger, many texts are available in real print on top of that. Every publisher knows he has to join the digital revolution if he wants to continue shaping the world.
They can do this now through Issuu.com. So just what is Issuu? What are the types of things that they can offer you, and is it worth working with them at all?
Basically, you upload a compatible file via Issuu. Then fill out the corresponding form. The rest is done by the system for you. It formats your document to be compatible with the online Flash reader. It also offers a number of great features, including searchable text, scrolling animations, zooming, and more.
Issuu isn’t just about publishing either. You can also create a completely free account and read through the magazines that other people have published. The site offers anything from student projects to amateur fanzines, and from comic books to professional publications. You can use this to be inspired by what other people are doing, or use it simply for your own leisure. After all, even if you are a professional writer or blogger, there will be times when you are not on the job and just having some time for yourself as well.
Issuu Review, Pricing, and Plans
Issuu offers four different plans, and you can choose whether to pay for these monthly or annually. Annual payments do give a discount, so you may want to consider it. The plans are:
The Basic plan: which is completely free to use. It allows you to upload and share, read on both Android and iOS and embed everywhere. It also includes unlimited publishing
The Plus plan: at $312 for the full year or $29 per month. This gives the same functionality as the Basic plan, as well as allowing you to customize your reader. It comes with basic features, including an ad-free reader and a stand-alone reader. Furthermore, it provides you with basic analytics
The Premium Plan: at $420 per year or $39 per month, which gives you the Plus plan as well as allowing you to drive user engagement. It comes with a branded reader and advanced analytics and you have control over sharing and comments
The Custom plan: This allows you to create something that is just right for you. You must contact Issuu to build your own plan and find out what the pricing policy is.
Both the Plus and the Premium plans come with a 14-day free trial.
Features
Issuu is a fantastic program that allows you to access a variety of powerful tools perfect for any blogger or magazine publisher, even on the Basic plan. The tools that they offer include:
The embedded reader, which allows you to share your publication online anywhere you like. As a blogger, I only had to use a few simple lines of code for the reader to appear on my own website. Additionally, you can customize the reader if you have the Premium plan. Plus, as soon as you upgrade from the Basic plan, the reader will be free from ads so that your readers’ attention actually stays with you.
The Mobile HTML5 Flipbook Animation Software, which means your readers do not have to go through the trouble of installing separate apps on their devices in order to access your publication. This is a major step forward for Issuu, as they had previously developed both an Android and iOS app, but Apple rejected the app because they were working on something similar to themselves. However, they have now also developed the Native iOS and Android apps, which allows you to ensure readers can remain engaged regardless of where they are and what type of portable device they use.
Analytics, which are not available on the Basic plan. This allows you to monitor how engaged your audience is with each of your publications so that you can also identify areas that you should continue to focus on and areas you should move away from.
Social sharing, allowing you to make sure your posts are visible on Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and email. In doing so, your readers will become greatly more engaged. Since people spend a lot of time on social media nowadays, this is hugely important.
Unlimited publishing with all plans, meaning that you can publish as much as you want and as often as you want. There are limits to sizes of individual files, however.
During my review, I found that there are various other fantastic features to be found in Issuu. For instance, in my analysis, I found that links are automatically included in your upload, and you can add more as and when you see fit. It is also search optimized, and this is a feature that was particularly important to me personally, as it made my blog gain more authority as well.
You can also turn your digital magazine into a real magazine again, by printing and shipping as many copies as you like. Indeed, you don’t even have to pre-order them. Furthermore, you can create clips of your publication and share these across social media sites to engage more readers.
Finally, the website Issuu offers a safe and stable API that allows you to update automatically and for your custom integrations to work on your site. They also have a comprehensive customer support function. You can contact their international support team, or go through their database of knowledge that is available online and have your questions answered.
The Final Verdict
Issuu is not perfect, but it is close. If I reviewed ISSUU one year ago, my verdict would have been less favorable due to the fact that they did not offer the ability for people to read the magazines on iOS devices.
However, this was not actually an issue with Issuu itself, but rather with Apple which did not want to have competition for its own magazine publication functions. Now, however, you can download an app for both Android and iOS systems. To me, this also indicates that the company listens to what their customers want and address it as much as they can.
The important thing, however, is what Issuu actually offers. As a blogger, finding ways to build your authority by having a greater presence on the internet is hugely important. Issuu offers that. But it is more than that.
They allow you to join the digital age of publications, where you even have the choice to have whatever you have made to be physically published. Self-publishing is a great way to gain further authority, and this is exactly what the program offers you.
Indeed, even on their free Basic plan, you get enough functionality to make a real difference to how your readers engage with you. If you are still interested in an alternative, check out my article alternatives issuu.
I am working on a magazine with all my best old blogs. It is incredibly easy to do and looks truly amazing. Therefore, I can finally say that I am not just a blogger, but rather that I am a published, author.
Who knows, I may even end up as a magazine tycoon! I personally can’t recommend Issuu after this review enough. All the plans are either free to use or offer a two-week free trial, so you really have nothing to lose by at least giving them a try.
A massive thumbs up from me!
Robert Taylor
Visual artist, sometimes triathlete, holder of serious parking karma & drip coffee skills. Web developer, creative, music maker, cook. Yep, that's me!