Issuu

Pros

Issuu offers a very simple, easy to use and easy to understand platform which is refreshing. I also appreciate the options to add extra content like articles/stories to increase engagement on different devices.

Cons

The only problem we have run into with Issuu is the limited update and replace options. Other programs we have used in the past offered the option to replace a single page in the total publication - rather then having to re-upload the entire publication. When we are putting together a 100+ page publication, having to re-upload and re-link the entire thing if we find an issue on a single page can be a bit frustrating.

Pros

Issuu has a widereach with diverse audience and I am able to tap into that

Cons

It has removed some basic features from its basic plans

Pros

Actually I liked everything about Issuu. The way it displays our newspapers and magazines. The way you can edit everything. Very easy to use.

Cons

The monthly costs were a little too high for us.

Pros

They know very well to get you on board. Until something goes wrong...

Cons

What did not go wrong? I had a subscription (Premium) for Issuu to share my publications. I had 100 unlisted slots as an extra fee. Suddenly, without noticing, they reduced this to 50 slots. Which means that, if I wanted to replace one of my unlisted slots, I removed one publication (having 99 unlisted slots) but I was not able to upload a new publication. In other words, Issuu changed the terms of my subscription without noticing me.

After contacting customer service and asking for a solution (just let me have the 100 unlisted slots), I get a lot of vague answers and explanations. But no solution. My proposal to end the subscription and the return the rest of the money for the rest of the subscription period is not granted. Every time I have a different customer service agent, who does not know the situation.

I just warn you: don't subscribe for their services. I would rather suggest to use FlipHTML5. Way cheaper, better service and saves a lot of frustration.

Pros

Great capabilities for linking and features for creating social media posts.

Cons

The regular $31/21 a month is great but can only do smaller files- the upgraded version isn’t worth it unless you have huge files and need full analytics for every page month to month.

Pros

In case you are (mostly) a business or freelancer with editorial publications you want the digital world to view: no doubt Issuu is the tool for you.The exact feel and sensation of how to flip through a book/magazine is probably its strongest point compared to all competitors: the animation and sound are perfect, so it is really satisfying to flip through, nothing like scrolling through pages on a pdf.

Cons

Issuu's big weak point is its interface. it is unattractive, fresh, and cool: it has remained too tied to its old versions, so it is nice to scroll through the pages of their published files but not nice to navigate.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Issuu

Pros

For the last ten or so years, we've been uploading our magazine designs to Issuu so other creatives can see how our templates look and can be displayed.

It's the only site we've found that allows users to flip through a publication like an actual magazine while allowing for clickable links. You can also choose to send over your publication digitally by sending clients your Issuu url, and you can hide your publication from the public, if needed.

Without Issuu, we wouldn't have sold thousands and thousands of our magazine templates. Their product was a GAME-CHANGER!

Cons

Without paying for a premium account, ads will be displayed below your publication. It definitely wasn't a deal-breaker, as we continue to use (and love) the free version of their software.

For larger businesses, I'd suggest upgrading so clients have a seamless branding experience across all platforms.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Issuu

Pros

We like the digital design and delivery aspects of ISSUU. It is simple and understated, but robust at the same time. The auto recognition of email addresses and web links is a big plus. AND, the fact that we can create stories for social media is a pretty nice advantage over other providers.

Cons

Sometimes the software could be easier to use. For instance, uploading single pages to replace former pages might be a nice addition. In our line of work, little things change all the time (available degrees, contact persons or numbers, etc). Being able to update those easier would be a game changer.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Issuu

Pros

We publish our literary magazine once a year with a print version, and we use Issuu for the online version. I love the way it allows for full-screen viewing and simulates page flipping. We simply export our InDesign files as a pdf and upload to Issuu. It's also a great place to find other literary magazines for inspiration!

Cons

No complaints. It would be nice to have the ad-free version, but in education the budget is tight, so we really appreciate the free version with ads.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to Issuu

Pros

Our company uses Issuu as a hub for all the digital catalogs we need to have on hand for our customers to purchase products from. We also use Issuu to embed our magazine onto our website. We've seen that the flipbook view is easily consumable and customers spend more time than on a PDF.

Cons

They can make some enhancements to the social sharing graphic creation. Not easy to manipulate. Also don't love how they hide the full-screen link.

Pros

With its ease of use and efficiency, I love the ability to repurpose and redistribute content with one asset across multiple channels. At the same time, it's entirely forgiving of human error with nearly realtime updates rendered for any and every edit.

Cons

Love to have customizable short links for the long URLS that are produced for the full screen experience. Also love to link visual stories to specific URLS. In addition, I'd love to be able to incorporate videos in article stories. :)

Pros

Right now I use the free account as I have not been able to go to a paid account. But I love the product and hope to upgrade in the future. The issuu.com book previews are made from PDF files and easy to upload. They look just like the print books I design and have great features, such as being able to enlarge the document while maintaining a clear representation of the text, which is very sharp. The same is true of cover images. The entire function of the flippable document is far greater than any e-book I've seen.

Cons

I was disappointed to lose the embedding option but links are just fine to put on a website or media post. There are some minor issue with the old embed interfering with editing a page in Wordpress but it is not difficult to re-do a page.

Pros

It allows me to easily and without much work publish marketing material for my clients to see. It makes it very easy to share the material and I don't have to worry much about the technical aspects of it all.

Cons

Embedding the publications is a bit technical, but nothing too hard. There aren't any other significant issues with Issuu.

Pros

Great campaign management and workflow management

Cons

The layout and design could be improved upon. The interface is definitely not the best

Pros

My business is a monthly print magazine and we have been using Issuu since 2013 and have seen the software evolve over the years and continue to add new features! I love being able to browse and find other publications. The interface is a beautiful way to display PDFs and allow users to feel like they are flipping through a publication. They have added be functions such as links and making text searchable. I also like how you can create smaller, select stories with certain pages only. The analytics are also very helpful

Cons

Issuu has helped us meet a business need as we use it to share our monthly magazine with our readers and then embed it to our website. I would say it is worth the basic subscription but for a small business, it is hard to afford the premium accounts that are actually quite pricey.

Pros

I love that ISSUU is easy to use. The platform helps me to upload a catalog for my customers, training materials for my team and it is all quick and easy!

Cons

I do not have any issues getting links I need to share.

Pros

It's a really easy way to get my portfolio up, along with any presentation. I've been using issuu since 2011 and I've been a fan ever since.

It's also really easy to get your booklets printed - at a way more affordable price than most places as well.

Cons

Over the years, it's become limited due to popularity and usage. There were a lot more tools and features available to free subscribers. I don't need to use it enough to have to pay for a subscription, however, for those that use it to post their portfolios when needed, some more features would be nice.

Pros

I’m so glad that my favorite periodicals are available online. This saves me from hoarding magazines and a clutter free lifestyle.

Cons

I wish there was an option to fill the entire screen with pages.

Pros

I like the ease of use and that the basic package is free. For a small shop, this is ideal because every dollar is stretched. Issuu gives us just what we need to stay competitive.

Cons

There's really nothing that I dislike. I do wish that there could be some sort of filters for where ads are placed. Sometimes ads and other publication suggestions that appear near my content is not appropriate for young viewers.

Pros

It allows us to put our print newspaper online our online news site

Cons

It used to be free and it was wonderful. Now it costs us money we do not have

Pros

I like that the software is easy-to-use. It's easy to integrate into my regular schedule and doesn't feel like an occasional "daunting" task. I really love the fact I can go into my account and see an archive of the association's magazines.

Cons

I can't say that it's a Con with the software, but I wish I had reason to use it more. Our association only publishes 2 magazines/year. In the future, we may enlist newsletters.

Pros

At first, I was really happy about starting up my new magazine about 11/2 years ago. It was somewhat easy.

Cons

The links do not convert. I am an ambassador for an airline company.

Pros

I love the ease of uploading my company's catalog; and how easy it is to share the URL for it with my customers.

Cons

For the free version, which I use, I can't think of any downsides. there are other features listed that might be useful, but I would have to pay for them.

Pros

I can send my catalog through social media to customers & prospects easily. I can even share on my platforms

Cons

None i love using it. Easy. Safe. Shareable

Pros

The ability to reach a wide global audience.

Cons

Creators should be able to monetize and make money off of views like YouTube. The fact that you have to pay to use it once you get so many views is strange and is why I stopped using the platform.

Pros

Works very reliably. Clean interface. Has become the standard.

Cons

Need a button on purchase page for nonprofit publications. (Live chat worked well, but could avoid getting to that.)

Pros

My new brochures were on FB and Instagram, and I started receiving calls from my friends and, eventually, a mum concerned about the WARNING LABEL about the content; I mean Friday night, email support they would be contacted on Monday. Meanwhile, I had to spend an entire evening. removing contact from my site and email. [sensitive content hidden]The brochure is an overview of GAP YEAR travel, I'm all ears if any can show me what on watch is explicit about that. I will now spend Sunday finding a provider, this would have been catastrophic if it happened while I was removed, so NO I do not recommend this brand. Im all for keeping the internet clean, but I will NOT stand for is this. NONE opened that brochure, it was scanned and I was. Im am shocked!

Cons

i have said enough...very discontinued in their approach to verifying if I had breached tge contract.I was not selling; I had simply used them for hosing, my brochure, mu business, and they jut swooped in and made a call that let me very unsettled.....

Pros

Issuu is easy to use. It’s professional and it is sleek. The design is very nice. The ease of access is good. Not to mention the actual final product is very very professional and of high quality.

Cons

The pay wall. You can only upload 50 pages for free and with a limit of 50MB. This is okay for small projects but for portfolios you have to be precise with the amount of pages and use compression software.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing Issuu

Switched From

Reasons for Switching to Issuu

Pros

Easy to use, my project is still visible after the free trial

Cons

Price, for a private user is non too accessible

Pros

The creation of the PDF format was a leap forward. Without ways to share and view PDF files, the move toward a "paperless society" was problematic at best. Issuu helped users solve that problem. With Issuu, we can upload files and share links with many users via email or social media. The interface is clean and easy to use with enough customizability to make it look clean almost anywhere.

Cons

The one feature I miss in the free version is the ability to embed my PDF files on my websites. This is a rather basic function. I know the company has to make money and this is a feature that is worth paying for. It just hurts that it was free.

Pros

The layout available is easy and interactive to use. Digital form of magazine and portfolio layouts are good to look at and gives a boost to creative portfolio.

Cons

The search engine within the software can get better. Profession based or interest base search results will be much appreciated.

Pros

It os available as an app and website, has several gentes for Reading and studying and ins free.

Cons

Not having much content in. The portuguese language

Pros

I like the design of the reader and the ease of creating custom embedded readers most

Cons

The major con with Issuu is that embeds and other small features that used to be free are now only available to paid users, and the cost is very high. Basic functions are bundled into packages with premium services that I do not need, so I have started using other embedded readers on our website that are free of charge.

Pros

Issuu has been the best way to share my zine and art books online. I love that people can read them as flip-through publications (and not just as a Pdf). I've had an account for about 8 years, and it has allowed my work to be seen around the world, which has greatly added to my confidence as a creator and zine maker.

Cons

I would love for the analytics to be more accessible to all users, and not just those on Premium. I had a free account for many years, until I recently purchased the Premium tier because of an end-of-year offer. I'm excited to be able to sell publications, and I'm glad I can see my analytics once again, but I still find it too expensive. It would also be great to see more features that can help with layout and the creative part (sort of like Blurb and Bookwright). I also think the Visual Stories component can be better. I'd like to be able to edit where the text goes (centered, vs left or right), whether I'm using caps or lower case, etc.

Pros

Issuu is fantastic, I love how smooth the user interface is, how easy it is to upload, and the ability to organize all of your publications into stacks. With nearly 1000 publications on the site, it makes distribution easy.

Cons

The newer features need to be fleshed out more. Mobile friendly article creation isn't bad, but it doesn't recognize paragraphs that stretch across 2 columns, and it struggles with photos sometimes. The article stories are a bit abysmal though, it doesn't make it easier than using Illustrator/Photoshop.

Pros

Our school definitely appreciates having a home on the web to archive our publications. Professional appearance with nice sorting capabilities. Nice social sharing and easy to pull out stories for custom sharing. Well done.

Cons

There are so many features that cost. As a small private educational institution who is not wanting to use Issuu to sell, we cannot afford the $20 each month to house our materials, even though begin able to schedule to publish and allow viewers to occasionally download would be excellent. We wish there was a educational/non-profit discount. We use smugmug for exactly the same purposes with photos, and their $75/year is very doable to gain some extra features over the free version. There are commercial features we miss out on there as well, but we don't sell our photos either, so it's just right.

Pros

Issuu is amazingly simple to navigate. In particular this year when most class work has been online, I was able to teach students basic page layout using Google Docs. The pdf that students produced was easily uploaded to Issuu and the link shared with their classmates for critique. Of course they could share a Google Doc link, but everyone loved the way that Issuu allowed their work to be opened up into a double page spread that could easily be flipped forward or backward to view. They are aware that a subscription would remove ads, but as novices, it is great to become aware of possibilities for marketing and other publication.

Cons

I found this equally easy to use whether using InDesign or a simple Google Docs pdf. I can’t think of anything that I would change.

Pros

Interface is good. Everything is easy to navigate. Uploading publications is quick and easy. Detailed statistical breakdowns make it easy to see where content is being viewed and how often. If you're willing to pay for it, Issuu offers lot of features. I'm sure there are other Pros to Issue, but I will not be paying for an upgraded plan to discover them.

Cons

You keep taking away features from the free version. At this point, I'm just using Issuu for the online reader. It's very disappointing that I can't even embed a basic reader anymore. That was a great feature which I used on my portfolio sites, but I will not pay for it. For the minimal amount of time I use Issuu, I cannot rationalize spending a minimum of $19/month. Would be nice if you could re-arrange the publications you add to a Stack, instead of it organizing based on add date.

Pros

I love how simple the platform is for both publishers and consumers. I'm a relatively light user, but I have never once felt the need tp even consider other platforms. It has an attractive interface and makes my job easier.

Cons

I sometimes feel the language in the UX and in tutorials and the pricing model etc is so specific to typical magazines where there is a single design distributed to the masses. I have a very different use case where I sell customer one-off magazine designs to clients and use Issuu to work through revisions and approvals with them. I also maintain my issuu profile as a way to showcase my work. I'm sure there are lots of other unique use cases too. Really, this is such a small nit, but it is the one thing I would complain about if I had to.

Pros

I love how simple it is to upload an issue, edit in some information about it, apply links to all our advertisers ads, and get it out to our readers. Everything is pretty intuitive and if a feature isn't, you can pretty much figure it out within a half hour.

Cons

I do wish it was easier to edit Stacks from the publisher homepage, but it's still an easy enough process as it currently is.

Pros

Easy of use. Efficient layout. Graphic of the plate form.

Cons

Some options are expensive to use. As some options such as download pdf are not for free.

Pros

Readers who can't pick up our free weekly due to the limitations of the pandemic really appreciate seeing the digital pages in Issuu. They get to see all of our creative layouts and useful print ads that they miss out on when browsing our website.

Cons

I really want to change our user name/url. We chose the wrong one when signed up years ago and it's not an option for us to start over from scratch with a new account. Also, I want the ability to see analytics on a link that I add to multiple publications. This would be useful to show advertisers how many times their ad was clicked on during a given period of time.

Pros

The ease of getting to publish my content online without any hustle.

Cons

Navigating through the platform may be a challenge when getting started.

Pros

It really is something I never seen before, It just allows organizations to publish their print information to a platform that is accessible to all. I also like the fact that is can be easily integrated to other websites while still retaining its functionality. So it is like a platform or library of all these publications that everyone can use as resources.

Cons

I feel like it's design for user interface is not too friendly, I find myself having a hard time navigating through lets say a magazine. If I wanted to see a detail or zoom in, I find it quite difficult to move around. So I would like a more seamless experience. The pop up ads are also quite invasive.

Pros

It's incredibly easy to share documents with anyone and maintain a professional, quality driven aesthetic.
It also works great as an archive!

Cons

Can't really give any cons! If there was something, I would highly encourage the company to provide in depth trainings/tutorials to show how to maximize the use of the documents. How to effectively implement stories, make the document interactive, and so forth. Would be great!

Pros

Issuu is great for designers who want a means to show their work. The booklet template is very straightforward for clients not used to Issuu.

Cons

No complaints overall. A more minimal graphic interface might declutter focus from our posts.

Pros

This is an easy to use tool for uploading and sharing anything from resumes and sample work, to presentations, that may be difficult to share via email. It is professional in appearance and easy to switch out or update documents if needed.

Cons

I have only used the free version and feel anything that is lacking is because I haven’t purchased the upgrade to access additional editing or enhancing capabilities. I will say sometimes it glitches out on me but I just refresh and try again

Pros

We use this software to create a digital version of our annual report each year! It creates a beautiful digital booklet that we are proud to share with our donors and the community through our online platforms

Cons

We are happy with the software and there is nothing we would change about it for what we use it for.

Pros

Issuu is free for small post, & is user friendly.

Cons

There are no things, thus far, that I do not like about this product.

Pros

I got help right away when it came to dealing with issue, and the functions of it

Cons

If you in a rush you will not like it ,it assume