DriveThruRPG Print-on-Demand Prices Increasing Again

Back in March 2025 we reported that print-on-demand costs at DriveThruRPG were increasing by as much as 50% in the US, with the price of a 300-page black-and-white hardcover rising from $13.08 to $19.04. The effect in the UK was much less pronounced, being only around 3-4%.

Now, less than a year later, DTRPG is increasing its PoD prices again. These new prices take effect on February 1st, 2026.

DTRPG uses Lightning Source as its printing partner and has print centres in the US, UK, and Australia. According to DTRPG's publisher newsletter, UK and Australia prices will increase by 3%, and US prices will increase by either 4% or 5%, depending on format--standard color will go up by +4%, while premium color and black & white will increase by +5%.

DriveThruRPG notes that the increase "is not driven by policy or positioning, but simply reflects the rising costs of paper and other materials, labor, and operations involved in producing physical books worldwide."

 

[Morrus]

Mind you, I'm not Canadian, but I've heard Canadian publishers trying to sell stuff in the US and folks in Canada trying to get stuff from the US complaining for decades! So it's not just something from the last two 'clown' years, the situation has become worse, but it wasn't great before either (or so I have been told).

It’s always been expensive for as long as I’ve been shipping things to Canada from the US.

 

[kronovan]

One of the reasons I switched ordering from the Modiphius US site to the Modiphius UK site. Found the shipping to Canada has been cheaper, faster and without duties.

Yep, I've been able to buy STA books from Modiphius UK and I'm going to buy the upcoming Dark Conspiracy from Mongoose UK. Both will ship directly at reasonable rates. I tried to order a WH40k book from Cubicle 7, but the shipping cost would have been as much as the book. I'm guessing that shipping from their Ireland location to Canada, can't so easily be done at a reasonable cost.

I seem to recall at one point Drivethru or were going to have a POD within Canada for their Canadian customers. Maybe I am misremembering.

I'd read the same at some point, but if that happened the cost of ordering POD doesn't reflect it. They did lower the costs for CDN customers at one point, but not enough for my wallet.

I'm finding myself more and more montoring CDN game webstores and pouncing on any wishlist books that become available. The handful I monitor often have surprisigly low prices and offer standard Canpost shipping rates - or equivalent for couriers.

 

[doctorhook]

Mind you, I'm not Canadian, but I've heard Canadian publishers trying to sell stuff in the US and folks in Canada trying to get stuff from the US complaining for decades! So it's not just something from the last two 'clown' years, the situation has become worse, but it wasn't great before either (or so I have been told).

You’re not wrong, this story didn’t unfold overnight. The most recent political/trade war phase is definitely a big escalation, but it’s just a new chapter not a new book (yet). Five years ago was the “pandemic supply-chain crisis” era, which was another stressful period that made Canada start to reconsider economic integration and strategic concerns.

It’s always been expensive for as long as I’ve been shipping things to Canada from the US.

It’s been bad for a long time now, but one big inflection point I remember was around 2008-2010 (IIRC; it was in the 4E years at any rate). About that time, it was the financial crisis years, the Canadian dollar hit parity with the USD for the first time in decades, and USPS made some massive changes to their rates. Early 2000s, ordering to Canada from the USA wasn’t onerous, but about the time of 4E, I remember some major sticker shock when looking at American shipping rates. Things never really improved after that.