Kotobee Author

Kotobee Author is an interactive ebook editor for education, publishing, and training work. It is strongest when a book needs assessments, LMS connections, or custom interactive elements, rather than just a clean digital edition. Its broad export range is useful, but some outputs depend on an active subscription.

Overview

Authors can create books in Kotobee Author or import PDF, HTML, Word, and EPUB files, then export to more than 12 ebook formats, including mobile apps. Both fixed and reflowable layouts are supported, and EPUB projects can be opened in other EPUB editors. That combination gives publishing teams flexibility in how they build and distribute books, while the subscription requirement for some server-dependent formats is an important constraint for teams seeking a one-time export workflow.

Key features

Interactive authoring

Books can include video, audio, image click animations, widgets, and self-assessment questions. AI tools can generate text, images, questions, and voice narration, which may help teams produce varied learning content. Authors with bespoke requirements can add HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; that flexibility is valuable for custom functionality, though it calls for more technical capability than a basic ebook project.

Assessment and LMS integration

Auto-graded questions can be embedded in ebooks and learner scores tracked. SCORM, LTI, and Tin Can integrations connect the content to an organization’s LMS, making Kotobee Author a more natural fit for coursework and training than a tool limited to book layout. Teams that do not need learner assessment or LMS workflows may find this scope unnecessary.

Branding, ownership, and support

Users can apply their color scheme and logo to ebook apps and remove Kotobee mentions, which suits organizations publishing under their own identity. Kotobee says exported files belong to customers and do not collect data from their users, although some server-dependent formats need an active subscription. Account information is stored on secure servers in London, with daily database backups on Amazon-based servers; Kotobee also says it is committed to GDPR compliance and describes rights to access, correct, restrict, or delete personal data. Support options include live-agent chat, scheduled meetings, a help center, and Kotobee Academy.

Pricing

Kotobee Author uses a freemium model. The Free plan costs nothing, giving prospective authors a way to begin without an upfront charge. The paid starting price is $150, but plan-specific prices are not published for Premium, Basic, Mobile App Credits, or Institutional, so those options have custom pricing.

Premium and Basic are billed monthly or annually, with annual billing saving over 15%. Institutional is positioned for customized solutions and requires contacting Kotobee. Mobile App Credits are a separate plan, but its price is custom pricing. The plan names alone do not establish which features or quotas each includes, so teams should confirm the terms that apply to their intended exports and use. In particular, the active-subscription requirement for some server-dependent formats matters if ongoing access is part of the publishing plan.

Platforms

Kotobee Author supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. That wide platform coverage helps teams working across varied devices, while its exports span formats including EPUB, MOBI, PDF, and Word.

Who it's for

Kotobee Author suits educators, digital publishers, and training teams creating interactive books or course materials that need assessment, learner score tracking, LMS integration, or branded ebook apps. It is also a fit for authors who need multiple export formats or custom behavior. A team producing a simple text ebook, with no need for tracking or interactive content, should weigh whether this broader toolkit and its subscription-dependent outputs are worth adopting.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Imports common document formats and exports to more than 12 ebook formats, including mobile apps, giving teams several routes from source material to distribution.
• Pros: Combines auto-graded questions, score tracking, and SCORM, LTI, and Tin Can support for instructional use.
• Pros: Offers custom code and branded ebook apps for organizations with specific design or functionality needs.
• Cons: Some formats rely on Kotobee servers and require an active subscription, limiting the independence of those exports.
• Cons: Paid plan prices are custom pricing, so buyers cannot compare Premium, Basic, credits, and Institutional costs from the stated prices alone.
• Cons: Its assessment, integration, and coding breadth may be unnecessary for straightforward text-only publishing.

Alternatives

For a reading app rather than ebook-authoring software, VitalSource Bookshelf offers a free-to-install Bookshelf app; eTextbook content may require purchase or an active license, and its free plan allows up to two computers and two mobile devices.

ePathshala is a free service if you want no-cost access rather than an authoring tool. LibreTexts is another free-starting option, with textbook access, instructor ADAPT access, general-use textbooks, and H5P and ADAPT authoring included; its core platform allows up to five custom textbooks per institution.

CK-12 FlexBook 2.0 is worth considering for a free online customizable digital textbook, with content varying by subject and book. DIKSHA is a free option built using Sunbird, which is MIT-licensed open-source technology. The Interactive Textbooks Digital Library provides free digital schoolbooks and related learning materials for primary and secondary education.

OpenStax offers free online textbook access and PDF downloads, with low-cost print editions; OpenStax Assignable costs $15, paid once. Choose it when free textbook access matters more than building your own interactive ebook. Pearson Live Response is a web-based alternative with MyLab & Mastering included access at no additional charge to students, or a standalone option with custom pricing.

Verdict

Choose Kotobee Author if your organization needs to turn existing documents or new material into interactive ebooks, particularly when assessments, LMS integrations, branding, or varied exports matter. The main reason to choose it is the breadth of publishing and instructional features in one authoring workflow. Look elsewhere for simple access to existing textbooks or a basic reading experience, and confirm subscription terms before relying on server-dependent formats.