Unglue.it

What Unglue.it does

Unglue.it is a crowdfunding and licensing platform that enables authors and publishers (Rights Holders) to release copyrighted ebooks under Creative Commons licenses while still receiving compensation. Operated by The Free Ebook Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Montclair, New Jersey, the platform serves three primary constituencies: individual readers/consumers ("ungluers") who access DRM-free ebooks, authors and publishers seeking to monetize works while making them freely available, and libraries that want to lend Creative Commons titles without DRM, device restrictions, or license expirations.

The platform operates three campaign models: Pledge Campaigns (all-or-nothing crowdfunding toward a CC release), Buy-to-Unglue Campaigns (individual and library license sales that advance the public release date), and Thanks-for-Ungluing Campaigns (post-release voluntary contributions). It distributes ebooks in EPUB, MOBI, and PDF formats, sourced and preserved via partnerships with the Internet Archive and Project Gutenberg, with metadata exposed through OPDS catalog feeds, ONIX 3.0 feeds, MARC records, and embeddable HTML widgets. Self-published authors gain access via a Smashwords partnership.

Monetization comes from a sales commission on Rights Holder earnings, individual and library license fees for Buy-to-Unglue titles, and optional Premium thank-you gifts; reader access to the 250,000+ free ebook catalog is free. Go-to-market is community-led, supported by a blog, low-frequency newsletter, and social channels on Facebook and Mastodon.

Name

Unglue.it

Legal name

The Free Ebook Foundation

Website

https://unglue.it

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Unglue.it is a nonprofit-operated crowdfunding and licensing platform that lets authors and publishers release ebooks under Creative Commons while receiving compensation, serving readers, rights holders, and libraries with a 250,000+ free title catalog.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ebook Crowdfunding & Licensing Platform

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

OER Authoring, Remixing & Publishing Tools/Platforms (EDAGAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

OER Licensing, Rights & Open Policy Support (Creative Commons) (EDAGAJAO), Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access Academic Publishing (MPAJABAG), Open Textbooks (Open-licensed core texts) (EDAGAJAA)

Keywords

• Ebook crowdfunding platform
• Creative commons licensing
• Free ebook distribution
• Library ebook lending
• Open access publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Montclair

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sales Commission: Unglue.it withholds a sales commission from Rights Holders for platform services. The commission is specified in the Platform Services Agreement and is non-refundable even if campaigns are removed.
2. Buy-to-Unglue License Fees: Revenue from selling limited distribution licenses for works in Buy-to-Unglue campaigns. Rights Holders set individual license fees and library license fees, which can be adjusted during campaigns.
3. Library License Fees: Libraries pay for Library Licenses to access Buy-to-Unglue titles, enabling them to lend ebooks to patrons under specific terms.
4. Premium Campaigns: Authors/publishers may offer thank-you gifts, perks, or rewards (Premiums) to supporters of Pledge Campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Unglue.it is a crowdfunding and licensing platform that enables authors and publishers to release copyrighted literary works under Creative Commons licenses after receiving compensation. The platform offers three campaign types: Pledge Campaigns (crowdfunding), Buy-to-Unglue Campaigns (library licensing that advances the free release date), and Thanks-for-Ungluing Campaigns (post-release gratitude contributions). It distributes over 250,000 DRM-free ebooks in EPUB, MOBI, and PDF formats, plus a dedicated free distribution platform for libraries.

Product overview

Unglue.it is a crowdfunding and licensing platform operated by the Free Ebook Foundation that makes copyrighted literary works freely available under Creative Commons licenses. The platform connects Rights Holders (authors and publishers) with readers ('Ungluers') through two primary campaign types: Pledge Campaigns for crowdfunding CC licensing, and Buy-to-Unglue Campaigns for library licensing that advances the book's public release date. Supporting services include a free library distribution platform, Library Licenses for patron lending, MARC records for library catalog integration, and embeddable ebook widgets. The platform distributes ebooks in EPUB, MOBI, and PDF formats from sources including Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg, and GitHub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pledge Campaign A crowdfunding mechanism where Rights Holders set a financial goal and contributors make pledges that are only collected if the goal is met; upon success, the work is released under a Creative Commons license. Creators may offer Premium thank-you gifts to supporters. For authors, publishers, and readers.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SmashwordscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling self-published Smashwords authors to unglue their books. Authors can apply Creative Commons licenses to their works while maintaining copyright. Special permission exists in Smashwords Terms of Service for Meatgrinder file distribution through Unglue.it.
• The Free Ebook FoundationcoreOthersUnglue.it is a website and online service of The Free Ebook Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The foundation operates the platform and accepts tax-deductible donations to support free ebook distribution.
• Internet ArchivecoreTechnology or IntegrationUpon successful campaign completion, works are placed in the Internet Archive for long-term preservation and distribution. Internet Archive provides excellent privacy for users downloading ebooks.
• Leddy Library (University of Windsor)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic library that has supported ungluing campaigns and participates in the library license program.
• University of Alberta LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic library that has supported campaigns and participates in library license program.
• Z. Smith Reynolds Library (Wake Forest University)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic library at Wake Forest University that has supported ungluing campaigns.
• StripecoreOthersThird-party payment processor used to collect contributions from Ungluers and distribute funds to Rights Holders. Stripe handles payment processing including name, address, and credit card information.
• Project GutenbergcoreTechnology or IntegrationMany unglued works are also available through Project Gutenberg. Unglue.it provides links to Project Gutenberg editions and integrates with their catalog.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Open Library: An Internet Archive initiative providing free digital lending of ebooks with a digital library catalog. Directly comparable as both offer free, DRM-free ebook lending to readers and library patrons, addressing overlapping user needs.
• HathiTrust Digital Library: A collaborative digital preservation repository of digitized books and journals shared by academic and research libraries. Comparable as both serve academic/library communities with digitized book collections, with overlap on preservation and access for openly licensed works.
• Standard Ebooks: A volunteer-driven project producing free, high-quality, beautifully typeset editions of public-domain and openly licensed ebooks. Comparable as both focus on producing and distributing well-crafted open-licensed ebooks to readers.
• Project Gutenberg: The pioneering free-ebook project distributing public-domain and openly licensed works in multiple formats. Directly comparable as both platforms distribute free ebooks in EPUB/MOBI/PDF and Unglue.it cross-links many ungluing works to Project Gutenberg editions.
• OER Commons: A public digital library of open educational resources hosted by ISKME. Comparable as both serve as repositories and discovery platforms for openly licensed educational content aimed at instructors, librarians, and learners.
• Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB): A discovery service indexing peer-reviewed open-access scholarly books from academic publishers. Comparable as both facilitate discovery of openly licensed books, and Unglue.it's OPDS feeds support DOAB identifier integration.
• Internet Archive: A massive non-profit digital library offering free access to books, audio, video, and web archives. Directly comparable to Unglue.it as both provide free, DRM-free ebook distribution, and Unglue.it actively partners with Internet Archive for long-term preservation of ungluing works.

Broad incumbents

• BookBub: A large ebook discovery and deal platform connecting readers with discounted and free ebooks across genres. Comparable as both drive ebook discovery and free/affordable book access for readers, though BookBub focuses on commercial promotional deals.
• Smashwords: A large self-publishing and ebook distribution platform serving indie authors. Comparable as a strategic partner (not direct competitor) where Smashwords authors can choose to unglue their books via Unglue.it's Creative Commons licensing flow.

Others

• Creative Commons: The nonprofit organization that creates and stewards Creative Commons licenses. Comparable as the underlying legal and policy infrastructure that Unglue.it uses to make works freely available; not a direct competitor but the enabling framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unglueit
• Facebookfacebook.com/unglueit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unglue.it