Reedsy Studio is a free browser app that writes and typesets a book, with real-time collaboration and a PDF/X-1a print file, but no offline use. Deckle is a one-time-purchase desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux that writes, organises and formats a book offline, with far more design control. Reedsy keeps the book online. Deckle keeps it in a folder on your own disk.
Deckle is our app, so weigh this page accordingly. Every Reedsy fact here comes from Reedsy's own pages, read on 20 October 2026, and every Deckle fact was checked against Deckle's code (version 1.7.8).
Reedsy Studio vs Deckle at a glance
| Reedsy Studio | Deckle | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Writing and typesetting app, with planning add-ons | Writing, organising and book formatting app |
| Platforms | Web browser only; "it's not a downloadable app" | Windows, macOS, Linux desktop |
| Phone or tablet | Mobile browsers | No |
| Offline | "Currently, no" | Yes, after activation |
| Where the book lives | Your Reedsy account, online | A project folder on your own disk |
| Price (as of October 2026) | Free core; Craft $4.99/month; Outline $7.99/month | One-time purchase |
| Try first | Core is free; 30-day add-on trial | Free demo, no time limit |
| Ebook output | One EPUB 3 | EPUB with Generic, Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo targets |
| Print output | "PDF (PDF/X-1a:2001 for print-on-demand)" | Print PDF, a standard PDF (not PDF/X) |
| Word file | Through Back Up, emailed as a link | DOCX export, Word or InDesign variant |
| Import | .docx or .odt, up to 50 MB | .docx, EPUB, a zipped Scrivener project, a Markdown folder |
| Book designs | Three templates | 26 built-in style presets, plus your own |
| Trim sizes | Four | Eight |
| Fonts in the book | A font theme, in small, medium or large | A body font picker that takes uploaded font files, plus line height |
| Copyright page | "can not be disabled" and acknowledges Reedsy | An ordinary Binder document you edit or delete |
| Collaboration | Real time, with comments and tracked changes | None |
| AI | None listed; "We will never use it to train AI." | None in the app |
Where Reedsy Studio is ahead of Deckle
- Price. Reedsy says "Every function that you need to write and format a book in Reedsy Studio is free, and always will be." Deckle is a paid one-time purchase.
- Collaboration. Co-authors, editors and proofreaders work in the same manuscript in real time, with comments and tracked changes. Deckle has no collaboration. Its comments are your own notes, exported as Word comments in DOCX.
- Any device. Studio runs in any browser, including on a phone or tablet. Deckle is desktop only.
- Print file standard. Reedsy's print PDF is "PDF/X-1a:2001 for print-on-demand", and it "removes links and uses CMYK images". KDP's manuscript guidance says "PDF/X-1a is preferred". Deckle's print PDF is a standard PDF.
- Simplicity. Reedsy chooses the typography for you. A template and a trim size are the whole decision.
Does Reedsy Studio or Deckle work offline?
Deckle works offline and Reedsy Studio does not. Reedsy's Studio FAQ answers "Currently, no" to "Can I access Studio offline?", and another Reedsy page says it plans "to make offline use a paid feature in the future."
Deckle needs a connection to activate. After that, it opens and saves with no connection. Its licence check runs on your computer, and if the startup recheck can't reach the server, the app opens anyway. Deckle goes online only for activation, update checks and fetching a web page into Research when you ask. The Reedsy side is covered in full in does Reedsy Studio work offline.
Where is my book stored in Reedsy Studio and Deckle?
Reedsy Studio stores the book in your Reedsy account. Reedsy's Studio terms say Reedsy "may store and maintain electronic files of your User Content". They also say you "will remain at all times the owner of your own content." Its privacy policy says "Our servers are situated in the EEA".
A Deckle project is a folder wherever you choose to put it. It holds one .deckle SQLite database with all the writing, notes and settings, plus research/ and .deckle-assets/ folders. Nothing is stored on a Deckle server. Deckle writes zip backups to a "Project Name Backups" folder in Downloads, or Desktop or Documents if there is no Downloads folder. It keeps 20 by default, and backs up on close and every 500 words, as described in Deckle backups. Because the files are local, keeping a second copy elsewhere is your job.
Which gives more control over the book design?
Deckle gives more. Reedsy Studio has three templates (Reedsy, Classic and Romance). Reedsy's formatting help says you can choose "small, medium, or large" for the font size. It adds: "we do not offer any other size or style customization at this time." Images "cannot be adjusted", and chapter titles cannot be removed.
Deckle's Styles start from 26 built-in presets, and you can save or import your own. You choose the body font (including uploaded font files), line height, drop caps, small caps, running heads and chapter openings. The scene break can be whitespace, asterisks, an asterism, a fleuron, em dashes or a custom glyph or image. Widow and orphan control is available, off by default. The Inspector's Preview tab shows the result on Kindle, iPhone, iPad and Print layouts.
A preset is a whole book design, previewed beside the panel
Trim sizes compared
| Trim size | Reedsy Studio | Deckle |
|---|---|---|
| 4.25 x 6.87" (Pocket) | Yes | No |
| 5 x 8" | Yes | Yes |
| 5.5 x 8.5" | Yes | Yes |
| 6 x 9" | Yes | Yes |
| 6.14 x 9.21" | No | Yes |
| 135 x 215 mm, 148 x 210 mm (A5) | No | Yes |
| 8.5 x 11", 210 x 297 mm (A4) | No | Yes |
Deckle's trim sizes, chosen in Styles before the print PDF is built
Reedsy's Pocket size is not among the paperback trim sizes on KDP's Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins page. Neither app offers a custom trim size. Deckle adds a bleed option, default ⅛". What KDP checks in a print file is in KDP print file requirements.
The copyright page
Reedsy's help says "the copyright page can not be disabled. It includes a small acknowledgment of our Studio app and is the only requirement we have for authors to use this free formatting tool." That is the price of the free formatter.
A new Deckle project starts with a Title Page and a Copyright page in the Binder. Both are ordinary documents. You edit them, move them or delete them, and Deckle does not add one back at export.
Can Reedsy Studio or Deckle make an EPUB for each store?
Reedsy Studio exports "EPUB 3 (which works great on all major ebook stores)". It builds reflowable ebooks only, and for illustrated books it suggests "a book interior designer or typesetter."
Deckle exports EPUB with Generic, Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo targets. The Kindle target writes an EPUB for KDP to convert, not a KPF file. Deckle's EPUB carries accessibility metadata, and an image's alt text is set in the editor. The steps are in how to make an EPUB file.
One EPUB for every store, or one built for each
Which has more writing and organising tools?
Reedsy Studio has section, chapter and scene structure, front and back matter, Boards for outlining, research and characters, goals, stats and version history. The free plan keeps one manuscript goal, 30 days of history and card view for Boards. Craft and Outline extend those for a monthly fee.
Deckle has a Binder with Draft, Research and Trash, the Outliner (Grid View index cards and a List view), Continuous View, a Codex story bible and a Timeline. Snapshots sit under Inspector ▸ Versions, and Writing Stats has goals, streaks and a heatmap. None of these are add-ons.
How do I move a book from Reedsy Studio to Deckle?
- In Reedsy Studio, go to your Bookshelf, hover over the book and click Manage.
- Click Exports, scroll to the bottom and click Back Up. Reedsy emails a link to download the manuscript as a Word file.
- In Deckle, import the .docx. Deckle makes chapters from Word's heading styles.
- If Reedsy's copyright page or table of contents came across as text, delete it. Deckle's own Copyright and Table of Contents special pages replace them.
Reedsy's EPUB export is a second route, because Deckle also imports EPUB. Either way the Reedsy template does not travel, and you choose a style preset in Deckle. Test two chapters before moving the whole book, as in how to move a manuscript between writing apps.
Going the other way, Deckle exports DOCX, and Reedsy Studio imports .docx files up to 50 MB.
What you'd lose by switching
- Real-time editing with an editor inside the manuscript.
- Writing from a phone or another computer's browser.
- A PDF/X-1a:2001 print file.
- Zero cost.
Pick Reedsy Studio if
- You want to pay nothing to write and typeset a book.
- You work with an editor or co-author live in the manuscript.
- You write on several devices, including a phone.
- Three templates and four trim sizes suit your book.
Pick Deckle if
- You need to write offline, or want the book in a folder on your own disk.
- You want to choose the fonts, drop caps, scene breaks and running heads yourself.
- You want to delete or rewrite the copyright page.
- You want a Codex, a Timeline and Grid View cards without monthly add-ons.
- You work on Linux, or across two computers on one licence.
Deckle has a free demo. Click Take Deckle for a Spin on the screen Deckle opens to. There is no card, no account and no time limit. It opens a sample novel with every screen open to explore, and you can restyle it and export real EPUB, PDF and DOCX files. New writing is capped at about 500 words, and new documents and imports are blocked.
FAQ
Is Deckle better than Reedsy Studio?
It depends on the job. Reedsy Studio is free, runs in any browser and collaborates in real time. Deckle works offline, stores the book on your disk and gives far more design control.
Is Reedsy Studio free and Deckle paid?
Yes. Reedsy Studio's core is free, with optional add-ons from $4.99 a month as of October 2026. Deckle is a one-time purchase with a free demo.
Can I import my Reedsy Studio book into Deckle?
Yes. Use Manage ▸ Exports ▸ Back Up in Reedsy for a Word file, or export the EPUB, and import either one into Deckle.
Does Reedsy Studio or Deckle work offline?
Deckle works offline after activation. Reedsy's FAQ answers "Currently, no" for Studio.
Can I remove the Reedsy copyright page?
Not in Reedsy Studio. Reedsy says it "can not be disabled". In Deckle the Copyright page is a Binder document you can delete.
Which makes the better print PDF?
Reedsy names PDF/X-1a:2001, which KDP prefers. Deckle's print PDF is a standard PDF, with more trim sizes and design options.
Do Reedsy Studio or Deckle use AI?
Neither has AI writing tools. Reedsy says it will never use your work to train AI. Deckle's code contains no AI model or API.
Sources
All retrieved 20 October 2026. Prices change, so check the vendor page before buying.
- Reedsy Studio FAQ, Reedsy: offline, prices, EPUB 3 and PDF/X-1a:2001, two PDFs, trim sizes, templates, illustrated books
- Reedsy Studio pricing, Reedsy: free plan limits, add-ons
- Reedsy Studio, Reedsy: mobile browsers, collaboration
- Write a book, Reedsy: offline as a planned paid feature, AI training statement
- Format a book, Reedsy: free statement
- Formatting options, Reedsy Help: font sizes, images, chapter titles, copyright page
- Back up my book, Reedsy Help: Word file backup
- Where can I find Reedsy Studio?, Reedsy Help: not a downloadable app, .docx or .odt import up to 50 MB
- Reedsy Studio Terms, Reedsy: content ownership, storage of your files
- Privacy Policy, Reedsy: servers in the EEA
- Save Your Manuscript File, Amazon KDP Help: "PDF/X-1a is preferred"
- Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins, Amazon KDP Help: paperback trim sizes
Reedsy Studio is a trademark of Reedsy. Atticus is a trademark of its owner. Scrivener is a trademark of Literature & Latte. Deckle is not affiliated with or endorsed by any product named here.