Ellipsus vs Reedsy Studio
We give Ellipsus and Reedsy Studio the same GPA: 3.4 out of 4.0. Ellipsus grades higher on platforms. Reedsy Studio grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Ellipsus
Collaborative writing tool for creative writers
Reedsy Studio
Browser-based book writing app with free EPUB and PDF typesetting
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAEllipsusVery good | 3.4GPAReedsy StudioVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APlus is $99 once, or $6 a month for 24 months, and either way you end up owning the licence. That's less than a year of a typical $10 a month writing tool. Most of what matters is on the free plan anyway. | AThe writing, the collaboration and the typesetting cost nothing. The Craft add-on is $4.99 a month or $52.99 a year, and Outlining is $7.99 or $85.99. Take both and it's $10.99 a month, about what one ordinary writing tool costs. |
| Free plan and trial | AUnlimited docs, drafts, folders and collaborators, with comments and real-time collaboration, all free. Most people could stay here. The limits are 30 days of version history and 512 KB image uploads, and collaborator chat is moving to Plus. | AFree covers the manuscript editor, unlimited books and devices, import, and EPUB and print-ready PDF export. Most people could stay here. The limits are one manuscript goal, 30 days of writing history and 1 Board in card view. |
| Features | BLinked drafts you can compare side by side and merge, sharing roles for co-authors, editors and beta readers, version history, posting to AO3 and export to PDF, HTML and Markdown. But tables and offline access are listed as still to come. | AAn editor that sorts a book into sections, chapters and scenes, real-time collaboration with comments and tracked changes, and typesetting to EPUB 3 and print-ready PDF in three themes and four trim sizes. Boards hold your characters, locations and research. |
| Ease of use | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It opens in a browser, drafts stay attached to their document so there are no separate files to juggle, and reader links open without an account. | BThere's no App Store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It runs in a browser with nothing to install, and export is built in, so there's no separate formatting app to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | BBrowser only, with posting to AO3 as its one connection. There's no mobile or desktop app yet, though the help centre suggests setting it up as a PWA, and offline access hasn't arrived. | CBrowser only. There's no desktop app and no dedicated mobile app, Reedsy's FAQ says it can't be used offline yet, and the listing shows no integrations. |
| Best for | writing fiction with other people | writing and typesetting a book for free |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Ellipsus and Reedsy Studio. How we grade
Where they differ
- Ellipsus starts at $6 per month for 24 months, or $99 one-time. Reedsy Studio starts at $4.99 per month, or $52.99 billed annually (Craft add-on).
- Ellipsus also covers documents.
- Reedsy Studio also covers templates.
At a glance
| Ellipsus | Reedsy Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $6 per month for 24 months, or $99 one-time | $4.99 per month, or $52.99 billed annually (Craft add-on) |
| Free plan | Unlimited docs, drafts, folders and collaborators, comments, real-time collaboration, 30 days of version history, 512 KB image uploads and 37 themes. | Standard: the manuscript editor, unlimited books and devices, import, PDF and EPUB export, one manuscript goal, 30-day writing history, basic stats and 1 Board limited to card view. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Plus, no payment information required | 30-day free trial of both add-ons, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Ellipsus GmbH | Reedsy Ltd. |
| Price read from | ellipsus.com | reedsy.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Ellipsus
- Co-authors, editors and beta readers working on fiction together
- Fan fiction writers who publish to AO3
- Writers who want a tool with no generative AI
- People who would sooner own a license than rent one
Reedsy Studio
- Self-publishing authors who want EPUB and print-ready PDF files at no cost
- Co-authors and editors revising one manuscript with tracked changes
- Writers who want outlining boards and the manuscript in the same browser app
Worth knowing
Ellipsus
- Browser-based only: there is no mobile or desktop app yet, though the help center suggests setting it up as a PWA.
- Offline access and tables are listed as still to come.
- On the free plan, version history covers 30 days and image uploads are capped at 512 KB.
- Collaborator chat is moving to Plus and becomes read-only for free users.
Reedsy Studio
- It runs only in a browser: there is no desktop or dedicated mobile app, and Reedsy's FAQ says it cannot be used offline yet.
- Free accounts keep 30 days of writing history and get one Board limited to card view.
- Dark mode, custom goals and advanced stats are only in the paid add-ons.
- Boards cannot be shared with a collaborator yet, according to Reedsy's planning FAQ.
Key features
Ellipsus
- Linked drafts
- A document can branch into as many drafts as needed for trying ideas or working with editors. Drafts stay linked to their document, so there are no separate files to manage.
- Compare and merge
- Drafts can be viewed side by side to check what changed, and the writer chooses which edits are merged into the main document.
- Collaboration and feedback
- Unlimited collaborators can write in the same draft, comment and react. Collaborator roles and share links control what each person can do.
- Version history
- Past versions of a piece can be viewed and restored: 30 days of history on the free plan, unlimited on Plus.
- Publishing and export
- Posts new works and chapters to AO3, exports PDF, HTML, Markdown and rich text, and creates reader links that can be opened without an account.
- Emboss and writing insights
- Plus adds shareable authorship badges, public version history and writing insights such as sentence length, passive voice and word frequency, computed on the device without AI.
Reedsy Studio
- Manuscript editor
- Organizes a book by section, chapter and scene in a sidebar, with front and back matter, and imports an existing draft from common text formats.
- Typesetting and export
- Exports a reflowable EPUB 3 and a print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a:2001) in three themes and four trim sizes, on the free plan.
- Real-time collaboration
- A co-author, editor or proofreader can work in the same manuscript, with comments and tracked changes shown as they are made.
- Boards
- Planning boards hold notes for characters, locations and research as cards or lists. Free accounts get one Board in card view; attributes and relationships need the Outlining add-on.
- Goals and writing stats
- Free accounts set one word-count goal for the manuscript. The Craft add-on adds custom goals, daily check-ins and advanced stats.
- Writing timeline and previews
- Past versions can be viewed, compared and restored for 30 days, or without limit on Craft. A link shares a read-only preview of a chapter or the whole book.
Plans
Ellipsus
Free$0
Unlimited docs, drafts and collaborators, with 30-day version history, 512 KB image uploads and 37 themes.
Plus, monthly$6
per month for 24 months ($144 in total)
Subscribe-to-own: after 24 monthly payments the Plus license is owned outright. Adds custom themes, writing insights, unlimited version history and 5 MB images.
Plus, annual$60
per year for 2 years ($120 in total)
Two annual payments buy the Plus license outright, which the page describes as 4 months free compared with paying monthly.
Plus, one-time$99
one-time payment
The Plus license bought upfront and owned immediately, including future Plus features, updates and maintenance.
Reedsy Studio
Standard$0
Manuscript editor, unlimited books, PDF and EPUB export, one manuscript goal, 30-day writing history and 1 Board in card view.
Craft add-on$4.99
per month, billed monthly; or $52.99 billed annually
Unlimited history, advanced stats, custom goals, daily check-ins and dark mode.
Outlining add-on$7.99
per month, billed monthly; or $85.99 billed annually
Unlimited Boards, unlimited notes with attributes, writing templates, pinned notes and dark mode.
Ways to pay less
Ellipsus
- Lifetime license
Own Plus outright for $99
A single $99 payment buys the Plus license for good, including future Plus features and updates. It is the lowest total of the three ways to pay.
- Annual discount
Annual plan totals $120 instead of $144
Paying annually takes two payments of $60, $120 in all, against $144 over 24 monthly payments. The pricing page calls this 4 months free.
Reedsy Studio
- Annual discount
Save about 10% with annual billing
The pricing page advertises a 10% saving on annual billing: Craft is $52.99 a year against $59.88 for twelve monthly payments, and Outlining is $85.99 against $95.88.
- Other savings
Bundle discount for taking both add-ons
Selecting Craft and Outlining together applies a bundle discount: $10.99 per month instead of $12.98, or $124.99 a year.
