Reedsy Studio alternative for authors who need the book drafted, not just formatted
Reedsy Studio is a free browser editor that writes and typesets a finished manuscript, with a PDF/X-1a print file for print-on-demand. Gixo Folio is the alternative when the manuscript is not finished yet: it plans the chapters, drafts them with AI from your outline, audits the whole book for consistency, and exports EPUB, DOCX and a print PDF. If you only need a free formatter, Reedsy is the better choice, and this page says where.
Use the persistent book workspace when the outcome is a real guide, authority book, training manual, client asset, or exportable edition.
If your manuscript is already finished and you only need specialist formatting or a dedicated fiction system, a focused tool may be the simpler choice.
What Gixo Folio adds on top of a free book editor
Compare these against the work your book still needs, not against a feature count.
How to choose between Reedsy Studio and Gixo Folio
The deciding question is how much of the book still has to be written.
Gixo Folio vs Reedsy Studio
Reedsy figures read from reedsy.com on 25 September 2026 — treat them as approximate.
| Decision area | Gixo Folio | Reedsy Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19/mo Author, $99/mo Pro; monthly, cancel when the book ships | Free core editor; paid add-ons from about $4.99 a month |
| Where it runs | Browser | Browser, with no offline access |
| AI chapter drafting | Yes, from your chapter plan | Not part of the free editor |
| Whole-book review | Consistency audit with a 0–100 score | Not positioned as a manuscript audit |
| Ebook export | EPUB 3 (reflowable) | EPUB 3 (reflowable; no fixed-layout ebooks) |
| Print export | RGB print PDF at nine trims; no PDF/X or bleed | PDF/X-1a:2001 for print-on-demand |
| Editable manuscript | DOCX export | DOCX export not listed |
| Other editions | Audiobook and international editions (89 locales) | Not offered |
Reedsy facts were checked against reedsy.com/studio, its pricing page and its book-writing-software FAQ on 25 September 2026; treat non-Gixo figures as approximate. Reedsy names its paid add-ons differently across its own pages, so only the lowest monthly figure is quoted. Gixo figures come from the Folio catalog.
If the manuscript is written and you want a clean interior without paying anything, Reedsy Studio is hard to beat. Its print export is PDF/X-1a, the standard print-on-demand services expect, and Folio does not produce that. Its three export themes cover the common interior styles.
It is a formatter with a good editor attached, which is exactly right when formatting is the job that is left.
Folio exists for the stage before formatting: turning an idea or a pile of notes into a planned, drafted and reviewed manuscript. The chapter plan drives the drafts, the Story Bible keeps names and terms consistent, and the audit reads across chapters before you export.
Folio prepares downloadable book files; it does not publish them to a retailer, provide human copyediting, or guarantee publishing or commercial outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related comparisons and guides
Pages for the decisions that usually come next.
More Gixo Folio pages
Related book writing, publishing, and alternative pages.