Compare
How Author Sweets compares
Five tools writers ask about most, side by side with Author Sweets on the things that decide a choice: price, where it runs, versions, planning, import and export, sharing with readers and AI. Read from each tool's own site on October 15, 2026. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it.
| Feature | Author Sweets | Scrivener | Dabble | Reedsy Studio | Atticus | Novlr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for one book; paid plans from $7 a month | $59.99 once per desktop system; $23.99 on iOS | $19 to $49 a month | Free; add-ons from $4.99 a month | $147 once | Free; $8 to $16 a month, billed yearly |
| Runs in | Any browser; installs as an app; writes offline | Mac, Windows and iOS apps | Browser, desktop and phone apps | Browser | Browser; installs as an app | Browser; installs as an app |
| Free plan | Yes, one book, no card | 30-day trial | 14-day trial | Yes | No; 30-day money back | Yes, two projects |
| Versions with compare and restore | Yes | Yes (snapshots) | Listed as coming | Yes | Listed as coming | 30 days on Starter, unlimited on Studio |
| Outline, characters and places | Yes, beside the draft; the board adds chapters and scenes | Corkboard and sheet templates | Plot grid and notes | With the Outlining add-on | No | Plot grid and notes |
| Style and readability check | Built in, runs on your device: reading grade, passive voice, adverbs, filler words, clichés, long sentences | Not stated | ProWritingAid bundled | Spellcheck | Not stated | Proofreader |
| Import a manuscript | Word, a zipped Scrivener project with its binder as the outline, EPUB, Markdown and plain text | Word and many more; it is Scrivener | Paste; Word import not confirmed | Word | Word | Word |
| Exports | Word, EPUB and PDF with front and back matter, plus Markdown and plain text | Word, EPUB, PDF and more | Word; no EPUB or PDF | EPUB and PDF | Word, EPUB and PDF | Word; EPUB on Studio |
| Print trim sizes | Trim size, font and size in the PDF settings | Compile presets | No | Four trims, three templates | KDP and IngramSpark sizes, large print | No |
| Share with readers who have no account | Read-only links with margin comments, reader codes, three questions per reader and how far each reader got | No | In-app comments; readers need an account | E-reader previews with comments | Read and comment links | Comments and snippet sharing |
| Read aloud | On your device, with its voices | Yes, with the system voices | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Co-writing | Not yet | No | Yes | Yes, with track changes | No | Writing groups |
| AI | None inside; your writing is never used to train AI models | None | None; opt-in pledge | Not stated | None | Proofreader only |
When another tool is the better choice
Scrivener
The desktop binder for research-heavy drafting
Choose it if you want an app you buy once and keep on one machine, with research files inside the project and deep compile options, and you do not need versions, sharing or syncing through a browser.
Author Sweets vs ScrivenerDabble
A cloud fiction tool with co-authoring and phone apps
Choose it if you write with a co-author or want native phone apps, and you will format the finished book somewhere else, since it exports Word but not EPUB or PDF.
Author Sweets vs DabbleReedsy Studio
A free editor and typesetter tied to the Reedsy marketplace
Choose it if you want free EPUB and PDF typesetting and real-time collaboration, and you are happy to do the outlining in a paid add-on or elsewhere.
Author Sweets vs Reedsy StudioAtticus
A one-time purchase for formatting print and e-books
Choose it if formatting is the job: it has the widest set of print trim sizes and templates, for one payment, and you already have a place to draft and plan.
Author Sweets vs AtticusNovlr
A writer-owned browser app with goals and analytics
Choose it if you want the writing statistics and the co-ownership model, and Word export is enough until you move to its Studio plan for EPUB.
Author Sweets vs Novlr
Why writers pick Author Sweets
- One place for the whole book: draft, plan, revise, import, export and share, with nothing to install and nothing to lose when a laptop dies.
- Versions you can actually use: automatic snapshots and a word-by-word compare on every plan, and restore in one click with Scribe and above.
- Readers need no account. Send a link, collect margin comments, close the round when you have enough.
- Your words stay yours: no AI inside, no training on your writing, and download or delete everything whenever you like.
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