Reedsy Studio vs Scrivener

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

Scrivener

• Novelists and academics managing book-length projects
• Writers who restructure a draft by moving scenes and chapters around
• People who want to pay once instead of subscribing

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.

Scrivener

• Each platform needs its own license: the macOS, Windows and iOS versions are bought separately.
• The store sells versions for macOS, Windows and iOS only; no Android, Linux or web version is listed.
• Sync between the iOS app and the desktop versions runs through Dropbox and needs a Dropbox account.
• A license does not cover major version updates; moving from Scrivener 3 to a future Scrivener 4 means buying a discounted upgrade.

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.

Scrivener

Binder

Keeps manuscript sections, notes and reference material in one sidebar, so a long text is written and navigated in small pieces.

Corkboard and outliner

Every section has an index card with a synopsis. Moving cards on the corkboard or rows in the outliner reorders the manuscript itself.

Compile

Exports the assembled manuscript to formats including Microsoft Word, RTF, PDF, Final Draft and ePub, with formatting applied at export.

Snapshots

Saves a copy of a section before a rewrite, so the earlier version can be compared with the new one or restored.

Research alongside the draft

Imports PDFs, images, web pages, and sound and movie files into the project and shows them next to the text being written.

Targets and scriptwriting

Word or character targets with live counters and a writing history, plus a scriptwriting mode that handles screenplay and stage-play formatting.

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.

Scrivener

• Scrivener for iOS & iPadOS$23.99

  one-time purchase

  The iPhone and iPad app. There is no trial, and a Dropbox account is required for sync.

• Educational Licence$50.99

  one-time purchase, per platform

  The macOS or Windows version for students and academics. Requires an institutional affiliation.

• Standard Licence$59.99

  one-time purchase, per platform

  The full macOS or Windows version, licensed for every computer in a household that runs that platform.

• macOS + Windows bundle$95.98

  one-time purchase

  A separate license for each of macOS and Windows, sold together at a lower combined price.

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.

Scrivener

• Education

  Educational Licence for students and academics

  The macOS and Windows versions are sold to students and academics with an institutional affiliation for $50.99, against $59.99 for a Standard Licence.

• Other savings

  macOS and Windows bundle

  Buying Scrivener for macOS and Windows together costs $95.98, against $119.98 for two separate Standard Licences.

• Other savings

  Discounted upgrades from older versions

  Owners of an earlier major version can buy an upgrade license at a discount instead of paying the full price for the new version.