Storyloft vs Vivliostyle
Storyloft
storyloft.appVivliostyle
vivliostyle.orgSide by side
| Figure | Storyloft | Vivliostyle |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $33.17/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Book Layout Software | 8.5 (#4) | 8.2 (#10) |
| Founded | 2026 | 2018 |
| Self-hosting | The reviewed product pages describe browser and desktop access but give no self-hosting deployment option. | The Viewer is downloadable and can run from a user-controlled web server, while CLI runs locally or in server-side workflows. |
| Support | The knowledge base directs users to contact support when tutorials do not answer a question. | The project directs users to documentation, GitHub contribution channels and a Slack development community. |
| What it does | Storyloft is an author-focused workspace combining manuscript writing, AI editing, research, worldbuilding, illustration, formatting, cover design and publishing. | Vivliostyle is an open-source CSS typesetting ecosystem for producing paginated digital and print publications with web technologies. |
Plans
Storyloft
- Start FreeFree
- Storyloft Pro$39 a month
- Storyloft Pro$398 a year
- Lifetime Access$399, paid once
In their own words
Storyloft
Storyloft is a writing, design, and publishing workspace for authors, available on the web and as desktop applications for macOS and Windows. Its manuscript editor works with Eddy, an AI editorial assistant that can analyze text in context and suggest edits. Eddy can also research the web and save structured citations to the manuscript library. Worldbuilding and illustration tools help organize characters, scenes, and artifacts while maintaining a consistent visual style. Authors can use book themes and cover design tools, then export print and ebook files, including EPUB; manuscripts can also be exported as PDF or DOCX. Storyloft says files can be prepared for services such as Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark. The free plan covers one manuscript of up to 5,000 words, 10 image credits, and 20 Eddy conversations; writing beyond the word limit requires an upgrade. Storyloft Pro costs $39 a month, and Lifetime Access costs 399.00 USD once. The maker says private project content is not used to train AI models, Eddy acts only when authors request it, and the AI features can be left unused.
Vivliostyle
Vivliostyle is an open-source typesetting project for digital and web publishing based on web standards. Vivliostyle Viewer presents HTML with CSS typesetting in a browser and can display EPUB files and web publications. The command-line tool typesets HTML and CSS and exports PDFs, including PDFs generated from EPUB files. For print production, its PRESS-READY option supports PDF/X-1a output and requires Ghostscript and Xpdf.
Vivliostyle Pub is a web application for editing text, Markdown, or HTML and previewing typesetting; its new version is in alpha. Themes are distributed as npm packages and applied through vivliostyle.config.js. Viewer can display HTML hosted on GitHub or Gist, or be copied into a public web-server directory. The CLI requires Node.js, and the installation tutorial lists macOS, Windows, and Linux. Vivliostyle uses AGPLv3, which allows modification and commercial use subject to reciprocal license terms. Its FAQ says publications made with the software need not publish their HTML or CSS source data. The project is maintained by Vivliostyle Foundation.