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Software for Self-Published Authors

The apps authors use to write a book, edit it and turn it into ebook and print files, with prices, platforms and a BookBird Score computed from data we can show you. Nobody pays to be listed here.

Prices and data checked October 2, 2026 · Scores computed by formula, not paid for

A self-published book usually passes through three kinds of software. You draft it in a writing app, check it in an editing tool, and format it into an EPUB for ebook stores and a print-ready PDF for a paperback. Some apps cover two of those jobs, and a few cover all three, so it helps to know which job each one is built for before you pay.

Every product below is scored on the same formula, within its category: what a year of use costs, which formats and devices it supports, what Trustpilot reviewers say about the product itself, and how many people search for it in the US. Prices were checked on each vendor’s site on October 2, 2026. We did not test the apps by writing books in them, so there are no star ratings.

Writing software

Writing apps are where the manuscript lives. They differ most in how they help you plan (outlines, plot grids, corkboards, worldbuilding), which devices they run on, and whether they can export ebook and print files or need a separate formatter. We score 12, from free ones such as Google Docs and Reedsy Studio to Scrivener’s one-time licence and Dabble’s subscription.

Compare all 12 writing apps

Editing and grammar software

Editing tools check a draft for grammar, spelling, style and readability. Some, such as Grammarly, work everywhere you type; others, such as ProWritingAid and AutoCrit, add reports aimed at fiction, like pacing and overused words. All four we score have a free plan, so you can try them on a chapter before paying. They catch errors and flag style problems; they do not replace an editor’s judgement, and our guide to copy editing vs proofreading explains where a human still helps.

ProWritingAid vs Grammarly, side by side

Formatting software

Formatting software turns a finished manuscript into the files stores accept: an EPUB for ebooks and a print-ready PDF for paperbacks. Three of the five we score are free. Atticus and Vellum are paid once, and Vellum runs only on a Mac. You may not need one at all: Reedsy Studio, Atticus, Campfire and Scrivener export ebook files from the same app you write in. A dedicated formatter earns its place when you want more control over the interior design, or when your writing app stops at a Word file.

Atticus vs Vellum, side by side

Free tools for the numbers

Software helps you write and format the book. For the numbers around it, our free tools work in your browser with no sign-up: the words to pages calculator for page count, the cover calculator for spine width and cover size, and the royalty calculator for what you earn per copy on Amazon.

How the BookBird Score works

Data collected on October 2, 2026 from each vendor’s own site, Trustpilot, and US Google search volumes (Google Ads data via DataForSEO). Nobody pays to be listed, and the score is never adjusted by hand.

  • Value, 25 points. What one year costs a single author on the cheapest plan with a USD price. A one-time licence is spread over 3 years; phone-only editions are not counted. A free plan earns the full 25. Otherwise the points fall in a straight line from 25 at $0 to 5 for the most expensive product in the same category.
  • Features, 30 points. Only what the vendor’s pages state counts; a format they do not name earns nothing.
    • Writing software: export formats 12 (DOCX, EPUB, PDF and print-ready, 3 each, from the exports field and the feature list), platforms 8 (Mac, Windows, web, iOS, Android), and a checklist 10 (Outlining or plotting; Notes and research beside the draft; Collaboration; Cloud sync or backup; Writing goals and stats), read from the vendor’s feature list.
    • Editing & grammar: platforms 10 (Mac, Windows, web, iOS, Android), and a checklist 20 (Grammar and spelling; Style and readability reports; Rewrite suggestions; Works inside Word, Google Docs or the browser; Fiction-specific analysis), read from the vendor’s feature list.
    • Formatting: export formats 12 (DOCX, EPUB, PDF and print-ready, 3 each, from the exports field and the feature list), platforms 8 (Mac, Windows, web, iOS, Android), and a checklist 10 (Preview on devices; Large print or several trim sizes; Design themes or templates; Full-bleed images; Front and back matter), read from the vendor’s feature list.
  • Reputation, 30 points. The Trustpilot rating, weighted by review count: it is blended with a neutral 3.0 as if it had 20 extra reviews, so 4.6 from 120 reviews counts for more than 5.0 from three. Used only when the profile rates the product itself. When it rates the whole company, or there is no profile or no reviews, this part is left out and the score is taken over the other 70 points. G2 was not used: it blocked our requests, and we did not guess its numbers.
  • Demand, 15 points. US searches a month for the product’s name, on a log scale against the most-searched product in the same category.

The score is the points earned divided by the points that could be checked, on a 10-point scale, rounded to one decimal. Scores compare products within one category, so the same app can score differently as a writing app and as a formatter. We did not test the apps; the score measures price, stated features, published reviews and search interest, not writing quality.

Every part, writing software
Writing softwareValue /25Features /30Reputation /30Demand /15Score /10
Campfire2523—7.17.9
Scrivener23.222.820.29.67.6
Reedsy Studio2518.6—7.77.3
LivingWriter252812.96.47.2
Atticus20.718.824.56.27.0
Plottr20.615.825.37.16.9
Microsoft Word2510—12.36.8
Google Docs259.812.1156.2
Novlr259.6—7.36.0
Ulysses21.513.2—6.25.8
Dabble521156.74.8
Sudowrite14.53.614.58.94.2
Every part, editing & grammar
Editing & grammarValue /25Features /30Reputation /30Demand /15Score /10
ProWritingAid252623.89.98.5
Grammarly252615.7158.2
Hemingway Editor2518159.56.8
AutoCrit2510—8.56.2
Every part, formatting
FormattingValue /25Features /30Reputation /30Demand /15Score /10
Draft2Digital2514.6—157.8
Kindle Create2513.2—147.5
Reedsy Studio2512.6—147.4
Atticus10.324.824.511.37.1
Vellum518.6—10.74.9