Reedsy Studio vs Sigil (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sigil grades higher than Reedsy Studio: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sigil grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Reedsy Studio
Browser-based book writing app with free EPUB and PDF typesetting
Which one is for you
Pick Reedsy Studio if
- Fits if you're self-publishing and want EPUB and print-ready PDF files without paying for them
- Works for an editor or co-author working in the same manuscript with tracked changes
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you write without internet, as it can't be used offline yet
- Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, because it runs only in a browser
- Tight if you plan heavily and stay free, since that gets you 1 Board in card view and 30 days of history
- Watch out: Boards can't be shared with a collaborator yet, according to Reedsy's FAQ
- Watch out: dark mode, custom goals and advanced stats sit in add-ons at $4.99 and $7.99 a month
Pick Sigil if
- Fits if you format your own EPUB files and want control over the code
- Works for editors cleaning up ebooks that came from other tools
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to write a manuscript in it, as it edits EPUB markup, not prose
- Not for you if HTML and CSS are new to you, because Code View assumes you know them
- Watch out: it's maintained by volunteers, so support means project channels, not a help desk
- Too light for phones and tablets, since only Windows, Mac and Linux are listed
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAReedsy StudioGood | 2.8GPASigilGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe writing, the collaboration and the typesetting to EPUB and print-ready PDF all cost nothing, which is the whole job of the category for free. The Craft add-on is $4.99 a month and Outlining $7.99; both together is $10.99, about what one ordinary writing tool costs. | AFree and open source under the GPLv3. A program anyone can download and run. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree covers the manuscript editor, unlimited books and devices, import, and EPUB and print-ready PDF export, so one person could live there. It isn't open-ended, mind: one manuscript goal, 30 days of writing history, 1 Board in card view and no dark mode. | ANo paid plans, no caps and no account needed to use it. |
| Features | CThe core is all there and free: a book sorted into sections, chapters and scenes, real-time collaboration with comments and tracked changes, and EPUB 3 and print-ready PDF in three themes and four trim sizes. But its own FAQ names the gaps, no offline use yet and Boards you can't share. | CDoes the EPUB editing job fully, with a table of contents builder, metadata editor, plugins and checkpoints. It's a smaller job, though: it doesn't help you write the book. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and this is a web app where the work is the book you build: sections and chapters to lay out, Boards to fill, goals to set. Nothing to install, at least, and the export is built in rather than a second app to learn. | CNo store rating on record. Code View assumes some HTML and CSS. |
| Platforms and integrations | CBrowser only. No desktop app, no dedicated mobile app, no offline use according to Reedsy's FAQ, and the listing shows no integrations or API, so there's nothing to lift it past the one place it runs. | CWindows, Mac and Linux only, with no phone or web version. |
| Best for | writing and typesetting a book for free | editing EPUB files by hand |
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: Reedsy Studio and Sigil. How we grade
Price against what you get
Reedsy Studio starts at $4.42 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sigil has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Sigil starts $4.42 a month lower. Of the other writing tools on the chart, 13 score higher than Reedsy Studio for less, and none scores higher than Sigil for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Sigil is open source, according to its own site.
- Reedsy Studio also covers templates and long-form writing.
- Sigil also covers documents.
At a glance
| Reedsy Studio | Sigil | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $4.99 per month, or $52.99 billed annually (Craft add-on) | Free |
| Free plan | 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. | Completely free to download and use; no paid plans. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of both add-ons, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Reedsy Ltd. | Sigil-Ebook |
| Price read from | reedsy.com | sigil-ebook.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Sigil
- It edits EPUB markup rather than writing prose, so a manuscript is usually drafted elsewhere and imported.
- Code View assumes some comfort with HTML and CSS.
- It is maintained by volunteers, with support through the project's channels rather than a company help desk.
- No mobile or web version is listed.
Key features
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.
Sigil
- EPUB 2 and EPUB 3
- Supports both versions of the EPUB specification, with direct editing of the EPUB's markup in Code View.
- Code View and Preview View
- Edit the markup and see how the page looks in a preview, so layout can be checked as you work.
- Table of contents and metadata
- A table of contents generator that handles multi-level headings, plus a metadata editor.
- Regex find and replace
- Find and replace with full regular-expression (PCRE) support, and spell checking with user dictionaries.
- Import and cleanup
- Imports EPUB and HTML files, images and style sheets, and can mend formatting or tidy the code.
- Plugins and checkpoints
- Plugin support extends the editor, and checkpoints let you compare snapshots of changes.
Plans
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.
Sigil
Free$0
The full application, free and open source under the GPLv3.
Ways to pay less
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.
Sigil
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Reedsy Studio or Sigil?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Sigil is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $4.42 a month when paid by the year for Reedsy Studio. Reedsy Studio starts at $4.99 per month, or $52.99 billed annually (Craft add-on), and Sigil is free.
Which has a free plan, Reedsy Studio or Sigil?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Reedsy Studio and Sigil have a free plan.
Which platforms do Reedsy Studio and Sigil run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Reedsy Studio lists a web app and only Sigil lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.