Buy ISBN: How Much an ISBN Costs and Where to Get One
To buy an ISBN in the United States you go to Bowker, the official US ISBN agency: one ISBN costs $125, ten cost $295 and 100 cost $575. Each format and edition of a book needs its own ISBN. This guide counts how many you need, compares the packs and explains the free ISBNs KDP gives.
By the Barcode.codes editorial teamReviewed
How Much Does an ISBN Cost?
In the United States, Bowker sells one ISBN for $125, 10 for $295, 100 for $575 and 1,000 for $1,500, and its ISBNs never expire.
| ISBNs | Price | Per ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $125 | $125 |
| 10 | $295 | $29.50 |
| 100 | $575 | $5.75 |
| 1,000 | $1,500 | $1.50 |
Bowker also sells 1 ISBN with a barcode for $150 and 10 ISBNs with a barcode for $320. These are its prices for publishers in the United States and its territories, and Bowker can change them.
One ISBN or a Pack of 10
Ten ISBNs cost $295, less than three single ISBNs at $375, and Bowker says most books average two to three ISBNs to cover their formats. A pack also leaves numbers for later books, because ISBNs never expire.
ISBNs Outside the United States
Bowker serves publishers physically located in the United States and its territories. Elsewhere, ISBNs come from the national agency of your country, which sets its own terms, and the International ISBN Agency lists every agency.
How Many ISBNs Do I Need?
You need one ISBN for each format and each edition of each book: a paperback, a hardcover and an ebook of one title are three ISBNs.
Try it: how many ISBNs you need
Different books you will publish.
Such as a paperback and a hardcover: 2.
Such as an ebook or an audiobook; 0 for none.
1 for the first edition only; count revised editions too.
3 ISBNs (1 × (2 + 1) × 1 = 3)
Cheapest: 1 pack of 10 ISBNs for $295, with 7 left for later books. That is $80 less than 3 single ISBNs.
2 print ISBNs, so 2 barcodes: $50 from Bowker at $25 each, or drawn from your ISBNs with the ISBN barcode generator.
Bowker prices for publishers in the United States and its territories, checked October 16, 2026; Bowker can change them. Its bundles of ISBNs with barcodes and its barcode discount from 6, shown only in its cart, are not counted.
Formats and Editions
Bowker names hardback, paperback, ePub, PDF, Mobi and audio as formats that each need their own ISBN. KDP adds that the same ISBN cannot be reused for another format, or for a new edition with significant changes.
Ebooks
KDP says an ISBN is optional for ebooks on its platform. When you do number an ebook, it gets an ISBN of its own, apart from the print editions, since Bowker counts ePub, PDF and Mobi as formats.
Where to Buy an ISBN
Buy ISBNs from the official ISBN agency of your country, which in the United States is Bowker; Bowker warns that an ISBN from another source might not identify the publisher accurately.
Bowker, the US ISBN Agency
Bowker is the official ISBN agency for publishers in the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands. You buy through an account on Myidentifiers, the ISBNs go into it at purchase, and you are recognized as the publisher of the titles you assign to them.
Free ISBNs From KDP
Amazon KDP gives a free ISBN for paperbacks and hardcovers, but that ISBN can only be used on KDP, and the imprint then shows as "Independently published". With your own ISBN you can list your own imprint, and KDP checks that it matches the record at the ISBN agency.
Do I Need to Buy a Barcode Too?
A print book carries its ISBN as an EAN-13 barcode on the back cover, but the barcode is a drawing of the ISBN and its price, not a second number to buy.
Bowker sells barcodes for $25 each, with a discount from 6, and only for ISBNs it assigned to you. You can also draw the EAN-13 from your ISBN yourself, with a 5-digit price add-on if the cover shows the price, and scan a test print before the cover goes to press.
ISBN barcode generator draws the EAN-13 of your ISBN with the ISBN above it and an optional price add-on.
How to Buy an ISBN From Bowker
Count the ISBNs with the calculator, open a Myidentifiers account, buy the pack and assign each ISBN to one title in one format.
- Count your titles, formats and editions with the calculator above.
- Create an account on Myidentifiers; Bowker requires one before you buy.
- Buy the pack that covers your count; the ISBNs are added to your account at purchase.
- Assign each ISBN to one title in one format, with the title, author and publisher you will give your printer or KDP.
- Make the barcode for each print ISBN and place it on the back cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do ISBNs Expire?
No. Bowker says ISBNs never expire, so you can buy a pack in advance and assign the numbers when each book is ready.
Does an ISBN Give My Book Copyright Protection?
No. Bowker says the ISBN conveys no legal or copyright protection; it identifies a book's title, format, edition and publisher.
Can I Use One ISBN for the Paperback and the Ebook?
No. Each format needs its own ISBN, so a paperback and an ebook are two ISBNs, and a hardcover would be a third.
Can I Use a Free KDP ISBN Elsewhere?
No. KDP says its free ISBNs can only be used on KDP, so publishing the same book through another company takes an ISBN of your own.
Does Barcode.codes Sell ISBNs?
No. Barcode.codes draws the barcode for an ISBN you already have; ISBNs come from the ISBN agency of your country.
Sources
The prices and rules in this guide come from these sources, retrieved on October 16, 2026; Bowker and KDP can change them.
Bowker: Buy ISBNs has the US ISBN prices, one ISBN per format and edition, and Bowker's role as the US agency; retrieved October 16, 2026.
Bowker: Barcode sells barcodes for Bowker-assigned ISBNs at $25 each; retrieved October 16, 2026.
Amazon KDP: What is an ISBN and Imprint? covers KDP's free ISBN, ISBNs for each print format, and the imprint check; retrieved October 16, 2026.
Find an ISBN agency, International ISBN Agency lists the national and language-area agencies that issue ISBNs.
Related Barcode Guides
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GS1 US prices and how many barcodes a product needs.
- What is a GTIN?
GTIN-8, -12, -13 and -14 and their barcodes.