Comparison
ClickBook, by Blue Squirrel, is a long-running consumer booklet-printing utility. You install it, then "print" from Word, a browser, or any app to a ClickBook virtual printer, and it re-lays out your pages into folded booklets, n-up sheets, and other home- and office-friendly layouts. It is built around driving your desktop printer, not around producing a clean, press-ready imposed PDF. PDF Press takes booklets, n-up, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, and marks into the browser with nothing to install — and outputs an imposed PDF you can send to any printer or press. The choice is between ClickBook's simple print-to-booklet convenience and PDF Press's no-install prepress workspace.
PDF Press is the recommended choice in this comparison for online PDF imposition: it runs in any modern browser with no installation, processes PDFs locally on the device, and covers 18 imposition and prepress tools — booklets, n-up, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, gang sheets, posters, bleed and marks. ClickBook is the better fit if you just want to print home or office booklets and n-up handouts from Windows or Mac to your own desk printer, and a simple print-to-booklet utility is all you need.
Use PDF Press from Windows, macOS, Linux, or ChromeOS without downloading an app or maintaining workstation installs.
Start immediately with no file-upload round trip. Your PDF stays on your device while the browser workspace updates.
Booklets, n-up, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, gang sheets, posters, plus bleed, marks, merge, split and resize — one workspace, one file.
| Feature | PDF Press | ClickBook |
|---|---|---|
| Runs in the browser (any OS, Chromebook) | Yes | NoWindows / Mac desktop app |
| Nothing to install | Yes | NoInstall + virtual printer driver |
| Clean imposed PDF output | YesPress-ready PDF | PartialPrint-driver based; can save PDF |
| Easy home & office booklet printing | Yes | YesIts core strength |
| Booklets & n-up | Yes | Yes |
| Step-and-repeat & gang runs | Yes | No |
| Cut & stack | Yes | No |
| Crop, bleed, registration & cutter marks | Yes | No |
| Works on Mac, Linux & ChromeOS | Yes | PartialWindows or Mac only |
| Pricing | YesFree, then $12/mo or $120/yr | Yes$49.95 one-time license |
ClickBook 15 pricing ($49.95 full license, $24.95 upgrade), its Windows and Mac desktop editions, the virtual-printer workflow, and the 170+ layout count were checked on Blue Squirrel's official pages on July 15, 2026.
ClickBook is installed software that adds a virtual printer driver you print to; it runs only on a supported Windows or Mac desktop, not in a browser and not on a Chromebook. PDF Press opens in a browser tab on any OS with nothing to install and no printer driver to maintain.
ClickBook is built to drive your desk printer — you print to it and it rearranges pages onto sheets. It can save booklets to PDF, but it is not a prepress tool that produces a clean imposed PDF with production marks and bleed. PDF Press is designed to output a press-ready imposed PDF.
ClickBook targets consumer and office booklet printing. It does not offer gang runs, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, or crop/bleed/registration/cutter marks and variable data the way a prepress tool does. PDF Press covers those jobs directly.
ClickBook can be the right choice for a fixed production setup. But installed software adds compatibility and maintenance checkpoints that an online browser workflow avoids.
ClickBook depends on an installed Windows or Mac desktop app and a ClickBook virtual printer driver you print through. After an operating-system or host-app upgrade, a team may need a compatible release, patch, or reinstall before production continues. PDF Press is not tied to that desktop integration chain.
Installed software must be deployed, activated, updated, and troubleshot on each production workstation. PDF Press delivers updates through the browser, so there is no desktop package or plug-in to maintain on every device.
Mixed desktop versions can create workflow drift between operators and machines. Supported browsers open the same current version of PDF Press, with the same tools and production-template library.
Use PDF Press if you want a real imposed PDF — booklets, n-up, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, with crop, bleed and cutter marks and variable data — produced in the browser with nothing to install and sent to any printer or press.
Use ClickBook if you just want to print home or office booklets and n-up handouts from Windows or Mac to your own desk printer, and a simple print-to-booklet utility is all you need.
For anything beyond simple home or office booklet printing, yes. PDF Press runs in the browser, needs no install or printer driver, and outputs a clean imposed PDF with marks, bleed, step-and-repeat, cut-and-stack, and variable data. ClickBook stays a simple, low-cost print-to-booklet utility.
ClickBook 15 is a one-time desktop license — $49.95 for the full version and $24.95 for an upgrade on Blue Squirrel's store. PDF Press starts free with five clean exports, then costs $12/month or $120/year per seat.
Yes. ClickBook installs a virtual printer you "print" to from any app; it then re-lays out the pages into a booklet or n-up sheet. PDF Press opens in a browser tab with no install and no driver to add.
No. ClickBook is built to drive your desk printer and can save a booklet to PDF, but it does not add production crop, bleed, registration, or cutter marks. PDF Press produces an imposed PDF with those marks for any printer or press.
Blue Squirrel offers separate Windows and Mac desktop editions, so it is not browser-based and does not run on Linux or a Chromebook. PDF Press runs in any modern browser on Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS.
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