Reedsy Studio

Reedsy Studio — formerly the Reedsy Book Editor, rebranded in June 2025 — is a free, browser-based writing and formatting tool that produces professionally typeset ebooks and print-ready PDFs without requiring any design knowledge. The core feature set remains completely free with no time limit, making it the most accessible professional formatting option for indie authors on any budget.

What the Free Tier Includes

The free tier covers everything most authors need to publish:

• Full writing editor with chapter and scene organization, block quotes, image uploads, footnotes, and auto-indentation
• Best-in-class import — auto-detects chapter breaks from Word and other formats more accurately than competing tools
• EPUB 3 export — reflowable, tested against Amazon KDP, Apple Books, Kobo, and other major retailers
• Print-ready PDF — CMYK, link-free, compatible with KDP, IngramSpark, and all major print-on-demand distributors
• Three professional themes: Reedsy (modern Lato/Merriweather, ideal for non-fiction), Classic (Crimson font, traditional typography), and Romance (Crimson with decorative chapter ornaments)
• Four print trim sizes: Trade (6×9"), Digest (5.5×8.5"), Reedsy Standard (5×8"), Pocket (4.25×6.87")
• Real-time collaboration — invite editors or co-authors via email; includes track changes and real-time comment visibility, a feature no paid competitor (Atticus, Vellum) matches
• Public preview links for beta readers (read-only)
• 30-day version history with a timeline view to compare and restore past drafts
• Unlimited books and devices — no per-project fees or limits

Premium Add-Ons (June 2025)

Two optional monthly subscriptions extend Studio beyond writing and formatting:

• Studio Craft ($4.99/month): Custom writing goals, unlimited version history, advanced writing statistics, daily check-ins, and dark mode
• Studio Outlining ($7.99/month): Unlimited planning boards with character, location, and plot card templates; unlimited notes with custom attributes; list view for outlines
• Craft + Outlining ($10.99/month): All features from both plans

All paid tiers include a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Annual billing saves 10%.

Reedsy Ecosystem

Reedsy Studio connects to the broader Reedsy platform: once a manuscript is ready, authors can hire vetted editors, cover designers, and marketers from the Reedsy Marketplace, take writing courses through Reedsy Learning, or submit books for review via Reedsy Discovery — all within the same account.

Strengths

• Best free formatter available — three professional themes, four trim sizes, and EPUB/PDF output at no cost; the free tier is genuinely complete for publishing
• Best-in-class collaboration — track changes and real-time comments make Reedsy Studio the only major formatter that lets an editor work alongside the author directly in the tool
• Data privacy — Reedsy explicitly commits to never using manuscript content to train AI; no AI writing features exist or are planned
• Trustpilot: 4.8/5 across 1,761 reviews (91% five-star) covering the full Reedsy platform

Limitations

• No offline access — entirely browser-dependent; offline mode is listed as a future roadmap item but currently unavailable
• Only three themes — authors wanting distinctive or genre-specific book design will need Atticus (17+ themes) or Vellum (30+)
• No DOCX export — only EPUB and PDF formats are produced; no Word-compatible output
• All collaborators receive full edit rights — no read-only or comment-only permission levels exist yet
• No built-in grammar or spell check — a separate tool like ProWritingAid or Grammarly is still needed for manuscript review

Who Should Use It

Reedsy Studio is the default recommendation for any author who wants professional formatting at zero cost, especially those working with an editor or co-author — no other free formatter offers real-time collaboration with track changes. Authors who need more than three themes, offline access, or extensive design control should consider Atticus at $147 (one-time, cross-platform, with 17+ themes and print PDF). Mac users prioritizing the most polished output can look at Vellum at $249.