kdpbook.io vs Reedsy Studio: an honest comparison
Reedsy Studio is free: you write or import a manuscript and it typesets a reflowable EPUB 3 and a print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a) in 4 trim sizes with 3 themes. Its pages list no AI tools, and its guide says the print cover is a separate file. kdpbook.io writes or imports the book, offers 16 paperback trims and exports the full-wrap cover with the interior.
By kdpbook.io editorialPublished
We make kdpbook.io, so we’re not neutral. Everything about Reedsy Studio below comes from its public pages as of (linked at the end); prices and features may have changed since.
At a glance
| Criterion | kdpbook.io | Reedsy Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files | Write and typeset a book you write yourself |
| AI | Writes, rewrites and illustrates when you ask; imported text is laid out word for word | No AI tools listed; Reedsy says it will never use your work to train AI |
| Your own manuscript | Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten | Write in Studio or import a draft from “any major text format” |
| Print interior | Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check | Print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a:2001, CMYK images), typeset automatically with 3 themes |
| Trim sizes | 16 paperback trims + custom; 5 hardcover trims; novels: 5.5 × 8.5, 5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.06 × 7.81, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21 in | 4 trims: Trade 6 × 9 in, Digest 5.5 × 8.5 in, Reedsy standard 5 × 8 in, Pocket 4.25 × 6.87 in |
| Images | Full-bleed art where the book type uses it, sized to KDP's interior rule (0.125 in on the top, bottom and outside edge) | PNG or JPG, sized automatically and not adjustable; full-bleed pages not documented |
| Cover | Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count | Front cover image for the ebook; its guide says the print jacket is a separate PDF and suggests a designer from its marketplace |
| Kindle eBook | Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover | Reflowable EPUB 3; fixed layout not documented |
| Hardcover | 5 hardcover trims | Not documented |
| Platforms | Web app in the browser | Web app in the browser; offline use is on its roadmap, per its FAQ |
| Pricing | Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month | Free; optional add-ons at $4.99 and $7.99/month |
Main job
- kdpbook.io
- Writes and illustrates the book, or lays out your own manuscript, then builds the KDP files
- Reedsy Studio
- Write and typeset a book you write yourself
AI
- kdpbook.io
- Writes, rewrites and illustrates when you ask; imported text is laid out word for word
- Reedsy Studio
- No AI tools listed; Reedsy says it will never use your work to train AI
Your own manuscript
- kdpbook.io
- Import a .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt or .md file (or paste the text) for 19 of the 36 book types; your words are laid out as written, never rewritten
- Reedsy Studio
- Write in Studio or import a draft from “any major text format”
Print interior
- kdpbook.io
- Trim, bleed, margins, spine and page limits applied automatically, with a preflight check
- Reedsy Studio
- Print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a:2001, CMYK images), typeset automatically with 3 themes
Trim sizes
- kdpbook.io
- 16 paperback trims + custom; 5 hardcover trims; novels: 5.5 × 8.5, 5 × 8, 5.25 × 8, 5.06 × 7.81, 6 × 9, 6.14 × 9.21 in
- Reedsy Studio
- 4 trims: Trade 6 × 9 in, Digest 5.5 × 8.5 in, Reedsy standard 5 × 8 in, Pocket 4.25 × 6.87 in
Images
- kdpbook.io
- Full-bleed art where the book type uses it, sized to KDP's interior rule (0.125 in on the top, bottom and outside edge)
- Reedsy Studio
- PNG or JPG, sized automatically and not adjustable; full-bleed pages not documented
Cover
- kdpbook.io
- Full-wrap cover PDF sized from trim, paper and final page count
- Reedsy Studio
- Front cover image for the ebook; its guide says the print jacket is a separate PDF and suggests a designer from its marketplace
Kindle eBook
- kdpbook.io
- Kindle EPUB (reflowable or fixed layout) + Kindle cover
- Reedsy Studio
- Reflowable EPUB 3; fixed layout not documented
Hardcover
- kdpbook.io
- 5 hardcover trims
- Reedsy Studio
- Not documented
Platforms
- kdpbook.io
- Web app in the browser
- Reedsy Studio
- Web app in the browser; offline use is on its roadmap, per its FAQ
Pricing
- kdpbook.io
- Free: 2,000 credits once, no card. Plans $25–$99/month
- Reedsy Studio
- Free; optional add-ons at $4.99 and $7.99/month
What Reedsy Studio is
A browser-based writing and formatting app from Reedsy, the marketplace of freelance editors and designers. You write in its editor or import a draft, plan on Boards (notes, characters, locations), collaborate in real time with track changes and comments, and share read-only previews with beta readers. Studio typesets as you write: it adds the copyright page and table of contents, lets you choose how chapters open, and exports a reflowable EPUB 3 or a print-ready PDF in 4 trims (Trade 6 × 9 in, Digest 5.5 × 8.5 in, Reedsy standard 5 × 8 in, Pocket 4.25 × 6.87 in), with a Reedsy, Classic or Romance theme.
Where it shines
- Free writing and formatting with unlimited books, and Reedsy says it will never use your work to train AI.
- Clean, conventional typesetting with no setup: automatic copyright page and table of contents, chapter openers with numbers, titles, drop caps or images, and notes set as footnotes in print and chapter-end notes in the ebook.
- Real-time collaboration with track changes and comments, and read-only previews for beta readers.
- A print-ready PDF (PDF/X-1a:2001 with CMYK images) and an EPUB 3, which its guide calls compatible with most print-on-demand services, KDP Print and IngramSpark included.
- Reedsy's marketplace of professional editors and cover designers, when you want to hire one.
Reedsy Studio pricing
- Free: writing, formatting, manuscript import, PDF and EPUB export, unlimited books and devices.
- Optional add-ons: Studio Essential $4.99/month and Outlining $7.99/month, per its Studio FAQ. Its pricing page lists them as Craft (unlimited history, advanced stats, custom goals, dark mode) and Outlining (unlimited Boards and notes, writing templates), with 10% off annual billing.
- A 30-day free trial of the add-ons, no card.
As published on September 28, 2026. See the current prices on its website.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Reedsy Studio if…
- You're writing a novel or non-fiction book yourself and want free, clean typesetting.
- You work with an editor or co-author and want track changes in the same app.
- Your book is text-first, fits one of its 4 trims and has no full-bleed images.
Choose kdpbook.io if…
- You want the book written or illustrated, or art on every page: picture books, comics, cookbooks, coloring books.
- You need a trim outside its 4 sizes, a hardcover edition or images that run to the edge of the page.
- You want the full-wrap paperback cover built from the final page count, with the interior.
- You want a fixed-layout Kindle edition for an illustrated book.
Questions
Is Reedsy Studio really free?
Yes. Writing, formatting, import and PDF and EPUB export are free, with unlimited books; Reedsy sells optional add-ons for writing stats and outlining ($4.99 and $7.99 a month). kdpbook.io works on credits because it generates text and art: 2,000 free credits once, no card, then paid plans from $25/month. Importing your own manuscript costs 3 credits per 1,000 words to read it, and the book's estimate (plan, layout, cover art) is shown before you launch.
Does Reedsy Studio make KDP paperback covers?
No. Its formatting guide says print-on-demand services need a full-jacket PDF separate from the interior and suggests hiring a designer from its marketplace; the cover you add in Studio is for the ebook. The full wrap depends on the page count: a 200-page 6 × 9 in book on white paper has a 0.45 in spine and a 12.7 × 9.25 in cover file. kdpbook.io computes the spine from the page count and paper and exports the cover PDF with the interior.
Which trim sizes does Reedsy Studio offer?
Reedsy Studio lists 4 print trims: Trade 6 × 9 in, Digest 5.5 × 8.5 in, Reedsy standard 5 × 8 in, Pocket 4.25 × 6.87 in. Pocket isn't a KDP standard trim, but it fits KDP's custom range (4–8.5 in wide, 6–11.69 in tall); the other 3 are KDP standard paperback trims. kdpbook.io offers 16 paperback trims plus custom sizes and 5 hardcover trims, including square and large formats for illustrated and activity books.
Sources · read on September 28, 2026
- Reedsy Studio (opens in a new tab)
- Reedsy Studio: Format a book (themes, exports) (opens in a new tab)
- Reedsy Studio pricing (opens in a new tab)
- Reedsy Studio FAQ (trim sizes, themes, exports, offline use) (opens in a new tab)
- Reedsy: How to format a book (trims, print jacket and interior) (opens in a new tab)
- Reedsy FAQ: Formatting options (images, fonts, notes) (opens in a new tab)
- KDP Help: Print Options (opens in a new tab)
- KDP Help: Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins (opens in a new tab)
- KDP Help: Create a Paperback Cover (opens in a new tab)
- kdpbook.io pricing
Try it on your own book.
Describe a book in one sentence and see its plan and credit estimate before you launch anything.
2,000 free credits · no card required