Manutius vs Reedsy Studio
The short version
Choose Manutius if the print book is the point: you want to see the typeset pages while writing, choose from seven trim sizes and hardcover, keep footnotes on the page, get the cover with the right spine, and work offline with the book in a file you own. And if you want proofing, read-aloud, versions and an optional Claude assistant in the same place.
Choose Reedsy Studio if you want to write for free in a browser on any machine, you are happy with its four trim sizes and its house styles, and being online is no obstacle. It is a well-made editor and the export is clean.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Manutius | Reedsy Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Mac app | Web browser, any platform |
| Price | $199 once (lifetime), or $15 / month, $99 / year | Free core; Craft and Outlining add-ons at $4.99 and $7.99 / month, $10.99 together |
| Works offline | Yes | Nooffline use is planned |
| Where the book lives | A .book file on your Mac, backed up where you choose | On Reedsy’s servers, under your account |
| Write in it | Yes | Yes |
| See the printed page while writing | Yesevery page, as it will print | Styled editor; the layout is applied on export |
| Print PDF | Yesexact trim, fonts embedded | Yes |
| Trim sizes | 7: 5×8 to 7×10 | 4: 6×9, 5.5×8.5, 5×8, 4.25×6.87 |
| Hardcover | Yesinterior and KDP cover wrap | No |
| Large print | Yesone-click preset | No |
| EPUB | Yes | Yes |
| Print cover with spine | Yes | No |
| Word import | Yes | Yes |
| Word export | Yesmanuscript format | Not listed on reedsy.com |
| Footnotes | Yespage-bottom footnotes or endnotes | Not listed on reedsy.com |
| Versions | Yeschapter versions with comparison | 30-day history free, unlimited with Craft |
| Outline, cast, notes | Yesplan panel, included | Boards; one board free, more with Outlining |
| Word goals and stats | Yes | Yesbasic free, advanced with Craft |
| Spelling, grammar, read-aloud | Yesoffline | No |
| AI | Optional Claude panel and Claude Code tools | NoReedsy states it does not build AI writing features |
| Collaboration | No | Yespublic read-only previews |
Reedsy Studio facts from reedsy.com/studio and its pricing page, checked 27 September 2026. Tell us if something has changed.
Where Manutius is better
The print edition and ownership. Seven trim sizes with hardcover and large print, footnotes at the foot of the page, a KDP gutter check as the page count changes, and a cover with the spine already computed. Your book is a file on your Mac that opens without a connection, backed up to a folder you choose, with every chapter's versions inside it. And the page in the editor is the page in the PDF, which for a print book is the thing that matters most.
Where Reedsy Studio is better
Price, and place. It is free for the whole core job, it opens on any machine with a browser, and the same account reaches Reedsy's marketplace of editors and designers. For a first book, or a writer who works on several borrowed computers, that is hard to argue with.
Questions
Is Reedsy Studio really free?
The core is free: the editor, import, PDF and EPUB export, unlimited books. Two add-ons, Craft and Outlining, are paid subscriptions. Reedsy’s pricing page lists them at $4.99 and $7.99 a month, or $10.99 together, with a 30-day trial.
Does Reedsy Studio work offline?
No. It runs in the browser and needs an internet connection. Reedsy says offline use is planned.
Can I move from Reedsy Studio to Manutius?
Export your book from Reedsy as a Word document or copy the chapters, then File → Import Word Document in Manutius. The headings become chapters.
Why pay for Manutius when Reedsy is free?
For the print edition. Manutius has seven trim sizes, a hardcover option, true page-bottom footnotes, a KDP margin check, the print cover with the spine computed, and you see the real pages while writing. It also runs offline and keeps your book in a file on your Mac.