What is the Difference Between ISBN 10 and ISBN 13?

The main difference between ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 lies in their length and the date they were introduced. ISBN-10 is a 10-digit number that was used for books published before January 2007, while ISBN-13 is a 13-digit number introduced in 2007 to increase the availability of ISBNs worldwide.

Key differences between ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 include:

• Length: ISBN-10 is a 10-digit number, while ISBN-13 is a 13-digit number.
• Structure: ISBN-10 has four sections: group identifier, publisher identifier, title identifier, and check digit. ISBN-13 has five sections: prefix element, registration group element, registrant element, publication element, and check digit.
• Compatibility: ISBN-13 is partially compatible with ISBN-10. Books assigned an ISBN-10 number have an equivalent ISBN-13 defined as "978" followed by the first nine digits of the ISBN-10 code, followed by a single check digit.
• Algorithm: The check digits are calculated differently for ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. The ISBN-10 check digit is calculated using the first nine digits in the ISBN, while the ISBN-13 check digit is calculated using the first twelve digits of the 13-digit ISBN.

If you have a 10-digit ISBN from before 2007, you can convert it to the 13-digit format at the converter found on the ISBN organization's website. However, a 13-digit ISBN starting with 979 does not have an equivalent 10-digit ISBN.

Comparative Table: ISBN 10 vs ISBN 13

ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 are unique identifiers for books used by booksellers, libraries, and publishers to efficiently manage and track books. The main differences between ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 are as follows:

ISBN-10 is the older, 10-digit format that was introduced in 1970 and used until the end of 2006. It consists of four parts: the group identifier, the publisher identifier, the item identifier, and the check digit. ISBN-13 is the newer, 13-digit version introduced in 2007 to replace ISBN-10, providing more unique identifiers and accommodating the growing number of books. Books published before January 2007 have both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13, while those published after January 2007 have only ISBN-13. The middle numbers of both ISBNs are the same, but they differ in length and have different beginning numbers and check digits.