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Pressbooks
What Pressbooks is
Pressbooks is a book content management system for publishing books to the public web and exporting EPUB, PDF, XML, XHTML, and Common Cartridge files. Authors can import material from EPUB, DOCX, ODT, XML/WXR, HTML, a URL, or Google Docs, then arrange it into parts and chapters. Hosting choices include the Self-Publisher service, a Pressbooks-hosted Enterprise Network, or a network users host themselves. H5P quizzes and activities are available on Enterprise networks or the Collaboration plan. LTI 1.3 connects with Canvas, Moodle, D2L Brightspace, and Blackboard after institutional administrator configuration, while Pressbooks Results can send gradable H5P scores to an LMS gradebook. Paid plans can produce WCAG 2.2-compliant books and accessible EPUB and PDF exports. Enterprise includes managed hosting, security updates, premium support, and training; self-hosted users manage updates and security. The software is open source under GPL v3.0. Pressbooks has no free plan and offers a seven-day trial.
Who it suits
It suits educational institutions, academic presses, small publishers, and individual authors producing digital books. Teams needing LMS connections or hosted enterprise networks can select corresponding plans.
What it does well
- Exports EPUB, PDF, XML, XHTML, and Common Cartridge
- Imports EPUB, DOCX, ODT, HTML, and Google Docs
- Supports hosted or self-managed networks
- Offers WCAG 2.2 accessible book exports
- Provides H5P and LMS integrations on eligible plans
What to know first
- No free plan is available
- Media storage depends on the selected plan
- Self-hosted users handle updates and security
- Larger videos should use dedicated streaming services
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | 1 author · 100MB media · 7 days | Free |
| Single Author | or $120 / year · 1 author · 250MB media · EPUB/PDF exports | $12 a month |
| Shared Network | from · 2+ institutions · up to 45 books · unlimited user seats · up to 5 network managers | $15,999 a year |
| Collaboration | or $400 / year · Unlimited collaborators · 1GB media · interactive educational material | $40 a month |
| Institutional Network | from · 1 institution · up to 10 books · unlimited author seats · up to 3 network managers | $5,999 a year |
As pressbooks.org lists them, read 15 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Pressbooks combines book editing, web publication, file export, and optional educational integrations. Its hosting choices and accessibility output let organizations match management responsibilities to their publishing needs.
Facts from Pressbooks's own pages
- Accessibility
- The service advertises fully accessible digital books conforming to WCAG 2.2 and says its VPATs cover authoring and reading interfaces at A and AA levels. · pressbooks.org, 15 Oct 2026
- API documentation depth
- The API is self-describing through OPTIONS requests and a context=help schema query, with separate endpoints for books and the multisite root. · pressbooks.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Audience
- Pressbooks identifies educational institutions, academic presses, small publishers, and individual authors as users. · pressbooks.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Book organization
- Authors can structure books with front matter, back matter, parts and chapters. · pressbooks.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company
- Pressbooks says it began in Montreal and its team is now fully remote across Canada, the United States, and beyond. · pressbooks.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Company founding
- LinkedIn lists 2011 as the founding year, matching Pressbooks’ own account that Hugh McGuire founded it that year. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters
- LinkedIn lists Montreal, Quebec as Pressbooks’ headquarters. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists Pressbooks as a privately held book and periodical publishing company with 11–50 employees. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Developer resources
- Official developer guides cover local setup, PHPStorm configuration, branching, coding standards, unit testing, theme development and the REST API. · pressbooks.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Editing and exports
- Self-Publisher supports importing content, organizing books into parts and chapters, and exporting files including PDF, EPUB, XML, XHTML, and Common Cartridge. · pressbooks.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Export dependencies
- Self-hosted installations require tools such as Ghostscript, ImageMagick, Poppler utilities, PrinceXML or DocRaptor, EPUBCheck and xmllint for various export functions. · pressbooks.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Export limitation
- The open-source mPDF PDF-export plugin is no longer maintained, so the installation guide advises using it at the operator’s own risk. · pressbooks.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Founded
- Pressbooks says Hugh McGuire founded it in 2011. · pressbooks.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Grade passback
- Pressbooks Results can send scores from gradable H5P activities to an LMS gradebook. · pressbooks.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Hosting options
- Users can use the hosted Self-Publisher service, have Pressbooks host an Enterprise Network, or host and maintain their own network. · pressbooks.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Interactive content
- H5P can be used to create, copy or embed quizzes and other interactive activities. · pressbooks.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Legal founder
- Pressbooks identifies Hugh McGuire as its founder and says the team operates remotely across Canada, the United States and elsewhere. · pressbooks.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: customization
- An independent review says the template-based design is less flexible than bespoke design software such as Adobe InDesign. · toptenpublishers.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: distribution
- An independent review notes that Pressbooks does not distribute books to retailers, so authors must upload exported files themselves. · toptenpublishers.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limits
- Pressbooks says larger media such as videos should be hosted on a dedicated streaming service and embedded, and media storage is limited by plan. · pressbooks.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Limit: subscription cost
- An independent review says recurring subscriptions can become expensive for authors publishing only occasionally. · toptenpublishers.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: Trustpilot complaint
- The sole reviewer reported being unable to export without resubscribing, export errors, incomplete files and inadequate support. · trustpilot.com, 15 Oct 2026
- LMS integration
- Enterprise networks provide IMS Global-certified LTI integration and Pressbooks Results for connecting content with learning-management systems. · pressbooks.com, 15 Oct 2026
- LMS integrations
- The LTI 1.3 integration works with Canvas, Moodle, D2L Brightspace, and Blackboard after institutional LMS administrator configuration. · guide.pressbooks.com, 4 Oct 2026
Where Pressbooks stands on Freedom251
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