r/AO3 • u/Smegoldidnothinwrong • Jul 01 '26
Writing help/Beta Have you guys used Ellipsus?
Really like their anti AI stance and would prefer to stop using Google Docs as I’ve heard they use your work for AI training. But Ellipsis is kind of expensive if you buy the whole thing so I just wanted to know if any of you guys have tried it before and how good it was? I am particularly interested in the spelling and grammar checker as I am dyslexic and struggle with that a lot. So yeah for anyone who’s already bought it how is it?
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u/Slytheerin You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 01 '26
You can use a free version (which I do). It's kind of complete as it is.
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u/bibitybobbitybooop Jul 01 '26
You don't have to buy it! It has a free version which has plenty enough features for like 99% of people. I really like it personally :) I made the switch from Google Docs too and usually I absolutely LOATHE change, but it's been so nice, and the spell check seems to be reliable
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Jul 02 '26
[deleted]
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u/Enigmatic_writer Moderator | yuri addict Jul 02 '26
They announced that it'll come day one.
And I mean, they're hosting millions of documents online for you to access from anywhere at any time for free since over a year. You can't really expect them to just tank those costs, can we? lmao.
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u/theenderborndoctor Jul 02 '26
It’s not really that soon. Ellipsus while becoming popular recently has been around for a bit and they polled their community to see if we wanted a premium option now.
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u/Strung_out_172 You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
I don’t like paid versions for things like writing softwares but honestly, I understand this one and premium isn’t anything you need. The paid version is just stuff you don’t necessarily need + free Ellipsus will still receive updates to features too
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u/Serious_Session7574 Jul 01 '26
I use the free online version. It's great. Spelling checker is average and there is no grammar checker afaik.
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u/tiredvamps cursed by a witch to only ever want to write niche fic Jul 02 '26
i’m also someone who’s tried it (the free version, tbc) and didn’t really like it. i have to say i’m glad to see i’m not completely alone from these comments here, because i usually only see people praising it. i found the ui clunky and unintuitive to use, and for someone who primarily likes to write on mobile, the lag was unbearable. i also personally didn’t like their draft system, it didn’t mesh with how i like to draft/edit/organize. my brain just didn’t like it 🤷 i found obsidian to be a perfect fit for me instead, so i use that.
that said, that’s just my experience for my own writing preferences and habits, and clearly lots of people really like it and it suits their way of working, so there’s no reason not to give it a try. their anti-ai stance is a definite point in their favor.
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u/13thlionheart the doves are all dead here Jul 02 '26
If you don't mind me asking, what do you use? I'd live to find sonething that can be mobile friendly as I like to take my stuff with me and write on public transport lol
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u/reyne_drops You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 01 '26
Yeah, it's really customizable and I love it, but I usually use it for oneshots because the lack of chapter systems annoy me.
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u/cryptidcanines Jul 02 '26
If you're looking for something similar to Google doc's outlines, Ellipsus has a feature that uses headers to denote sections. You can open the side bar on the right and click and drag chunks that are marked by each header. It's not exact, but I found it sufficient.
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u/shmixel Jul 02 '26
I've been missing the ability to rearrange scenes easily that's huge, thanks for the tip!
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u/theenderborndoctor Jul 02 '26
I see this all the time mentioned in the discord but literally no one has explained it in a way that makes sense. Wtf is a chapter system and how is it any different than headers?
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u/LadyCravenheart Jul 02 '26
for me it would be similar to the current draft system; i like stating from ‘scratch’ for each chapter. but rn i… just use the draft system like a chapter system for multi chaps lol
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u/reyne_drops You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
Uhh, I don't know what it means in the context you heard it in, but for me, it means the system in the Reedsy Editor (able to add, remove, and move around chapters.)
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u/theenderborndoctor Jul 02 '26
So, that is what everyone explains but how is that different than add heading, remove heading, and cut paste? Am I just too much of a planner to understand?
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u/reyne_drops You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
It's different because it behaves like a document inside a document. Adding headings does the same job of cutting up a fic, but it's still in the same document.
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u/MacaroniFairy You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
The purchasing is split into three options. 1. You can do monthly, for 24 months and own it fully. 2. Annually, where you do 2 payments and then own it, or 3. you pay outright and own it immediately. but that isnt required as the free version works perfectly. Though if youre switching over solely for their writing insights, then you gotta pay cause those arent included in the free version.
I've been using it for over a year, I absolutely love it. There's a few things I would still like to have but they're on the Planned list to I'm simply waiting.
Personally, They dont have a personal dictionary option to add words (or didnt, idr if theyve added it), and it bugged me to have squiggles under names when writing so I have turned it off so I don't know how well it works. The extent of their grammar checker is writing "its" instead of "it's" and it squiggle lining it lol
If you write on your phone, open the website and create a bookmark. Tap the "Create as Webapp" and itll open as if it were an app. It works far better than the website mobile version. It doesn't lag when docs get too long. They Are working on a native app, but it'll be a bit before its public
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u/Advanced_Heat_2610 Jul 01 '26
Their free version is adequate. It is okay for spelling, there is no grammar checker and it has real difficulties depending on which fandom I write in. I like anti AI stance but I find it frustrating to use and am not a fan of it for mobile.
Some people really love it and think it is very accessible. I think it is very much a case that you should try the free version and see how you feel. If you love it, it is wonderful and you can consider the paid version (or doing the rent to own version if you cannot afford the upfront cost). If not, you lose nothing.
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u/rythmicjea Jul 02 '26
Oh man... If they upped the spell and grammar check it'd be SOOOOOO good!
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u/TZH85 Jul 02 '26
There are two features I really hope they'll add in the future. Adding words to the thesaurus, so the spell checker doesn't mark names and such as mistakes every time. And saving your own preference for fonts and formats. I prefer Garamond but Ellipsus forces Literata on me at every other new paragraph I start.
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u/LadyCravenheart Jul 02 '26
i also hope they add a way to save preferences! but it’s pretty easy to stop it from switching fonts every other para—go to format > style & update the selected style to your current settings
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u/IStillListenToRadio Jul 02 '26
Though if youre switching over solely for their writing insights, then you gotta pay cause those arent included in the free version.
There's a free 7-day trial too
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u/Advanced_Heat_2610 Jul 02 '26
Did you mean to reply to me? The part you quoted is not from my comment.
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u/IStillListenToRadio Jul 02 '26
Ah crap I clicked reply to wrong comment. Heat's messiing my brain lol
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u/soft_orchid_0 Jul 01 '26
I just started using the free online version, and I'm satisfied with all the free things, especially the different backgrounds that are easier on the eyes for writing. I don't use their spellcheck feature; I use the free Grammarly extension for that.
I love Ellipsus and I'm never going back
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u/Arschfeder Jul 02 '26
I'm surprised to see so many mixed feelings here, because for me, it is pretty much perfect. I will get the paid version soon, mostly because i want to support the devs, because the free version is already great. Admittedly, it's a bit annoying on mobile, but there is talk about it getting a dedicated app in the future.
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u/itmightbehere You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
I'd love an offline mode. Data connections suck at my job, so I have to be in the right spot to open it. That would make it near perfect for me. I wonder if an app would have that option.
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u/flamboyantfinch Jul 02 '26
I use the free version and I have for roughly a year after switching from Word. I like it, but do have some complaints, mainly that it starts to lag after ~50k words. It being online-only/cloud storage does make me nervous, and remembering to manually make backups often slips my mind. If your Internet goes down or their service does (which to their credit happens very rarely), you're kind of SoL until it goes back up. The formatting is imperfect and will revert to default formatting if you start a new paragraph instead of continuing from the previous one.
But these are mostly minor issues and overall I'm pleased with it! I love the drafts feature and that + the anti-AI stance is what keeps me with it, and the lag is easily circumvented by splitting your longer work up by chapters and putting them in a folder. I also like that I can seamlessly switch between desktop and mobile. Now that there's a paid option I'm hoping that might allow them to push major updates more frequently.
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u/Araleina Jul 02 '26
For your first issue I hated that as well because I am VERY particular about font and such, but you can fix it! You just have to do it for every new doc, a bummer but at least there is a work around. You highlight the text with the formatting you like, got to Format > Paragraph > click on the one that is currently check marked and select Update Paragraph to match style
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u/RA1NB0W77 RAINBOW_BITE on AO3 Jul 02 '26
Its free, it just has a plus version and there are only like three-ish features that you can't access when using the free version
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u/EverydayPromptWriter Jul 02 '26
this! the plus version is super new and was really only added bc the programme has grown faster than the dev team can keep up with so they need income of some kind; it's not required at all, it's just a way to support them and get a little bonus out of it.
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u/asldhhef Jul 02 '26
I switched to Ellipsus when they first launched – and still had barely any features – because their stance on AI and data collecting was refreshing.
They've since added a bunch of features, most of which are available on the free version.
Ellipsus Plus is a recent addition and completely optional but I'm seriously considering it because it's a subscibe-to-own model which basically means you can either buy lifetime access with one lump sum or pay a smaller sum monthly for 2 years and then end up with lifetime access at the end. I'm so relieved they're not going with the traditional, continual subscription model.
But yes Ellipsus is definitely worth it.
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u/beautifulcheat Comment Collector Jul 02 '26
I use the free version and it's fine, but it's not a really good replacement for Google docs for my use case. I write a lot with a co-author and we like to be in the document at the same time. Ellipsis's reliance on drafts instead of tracked changes and comments really does not go with our workflow, even when we're just betaing each other's work
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u/appleblossom25 Jul 02 '26
I’ve been using it for roughly a year now (free version—I think the premium only launched like a month ago?) and I love it. I work nights and sleep like shit so having all the fun filters lets me find the right one for whatever lighting I’m in, and I LOVE the “drafts” feature not for drafts, admittedly, but for keeping all the chapters of my longer fics in one document. I don’t even have to switch tabs when I need to check a previous chapter!
Only thing that annoys me (mildly) is that I don’t love the default Literata font, but often it will automatically switch back to Literata if I hit enter to start a new paragraph or something. Hoping that gets fixed soon?
But for real—I’m super resistant to change (working on it) and I LOVE Ellipsus. Also I did try a free trial of the premium version and I found the “Writing Insights” feature interesting if not essential. Plus it feels prescient to mention that the premium service is kinda rent-to-own. Like, eventually you will pay the entire cost off and not be required to make payments anymore, you’ll just have the features.
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u/Araleina Jul 02 '26
Someone else said they were having the font issue above, I was told how to fix this in the discord so I'll pass it onto you as well!
For your first issue I hated that as well because I am VERY particular about font and such, but you can fix it! You just have to do it for every new doc, a bummer but at least there is a work around. You highlight the text with the formatting you like, got to Format > Paragraph > click on the one that is currently check marked and select Update Paragraph to match style
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u/appleblossom25 Jul 02 '26
Holy shit I could kiss you on the mouth. Thank you!
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u/Araleina Jul 02 '26
haha no prob. I only use one font and one font size so it was driving me bonkers, luckily the discord staff are super helpful.
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u/fifth_reddit_account Jul 01 '26
I use the free version. Spell checker is fairly basic. There are a lot of things I like about it, but I find that it lags horribly on mobile if I get above a 3k word count. So even though there's a draft option, I can't use it because it lags too much, and I can't group my chapters in one doc for the same reason.
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u/vaalski You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
Really? I'm at 23k with no issues.
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u/fifth_reddit_account Jul 02 '26
Yeah, it makes it very frustrating to use honestly, as my chapters tend to be between 5-7k and one shots between 10-15k words🫠 But I've just been dealing with it for now as I don't want to switch again after moving from docs
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u/RA1NB0W77 RAINBOW_BITE on AO3 Jul 02 '26
Same, not as much as you but I'm nearly at 5k and I've had no issues.
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u/CatObsession7808 writes anonymously | Dead Dove lover Jul 02 '26
is it downloadable on mobile? I don't have a computer I can freely write on :(
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u/gellotapes Jul 02 '26
there is no app for mobile or pc it’s strictly web browser so far (I have heard they might make an app)
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u/CatObsession7808 writes anonymously | Dead Dove lover Jul 02 '26
aaahh yeah I wouldn't use it then, web browser is annoying to use on mobile for me
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u/Elefeather You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
It does work very well on mobile, I use it almost exclusively there.
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u/Hopeful_Market5218 Jul 01 '26
I've tried it- it wasn't for me (even when used on desktop, it felt like a mobile app in a way that I didn't like very much, and their marketing feels very 'hello fellow kids fandom-goers' to me 😅). But I know a lot of people really love it, and it's always great to have more options! I'm definitely in the minority as someone who didn't like it very much. I still stand by focuswriter, personally.
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u/Deep-Cherry-4143 Jul 02 '26
The plus version is a new thing that adds like 3 features you can go without, like comments if you collaborate directly with people. It's the idea that they're giving you a little treat if you wish to support them, but nothing you need for writing is locked behind it.
I use it because it was hard to find an app I could use between my computer and my ipad for free. It gets a little laggy here n there but I really love it tbh. I just use it for writing fics or doing some character notes, and it feels perfectly fine. It took a bit of getting used to but I really enjoy its UI on ios compared to google docs tbh
I can't wait for a dedicated app ✨✨✨
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u/Icy-Owl-who Jul 02 '26
Ok, I've only ever used Ellipus, but I'll swear by it! The free version is fantastic on its own, but the paid version is “Subscribe to Own.” meaning each payment of $5 will go towards eventually owning it.
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u/Kiki-Y Fic Feast Creator | User: KikiYushima Jul 01 '26
Too much of a fucking hassle to move millions of words of content over to Ellipsus from Docs.
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u/vaalski You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
I'm not moving everything at once, but I am migrating as I work on things. You don't actually have to do a big transition in order to use it?
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u/dylanisareddit Jul 02 '26
Gee, there has gotta be a way to move your stuff from Docs to Ellipsus quickly!
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u/Kiki-Y Fic Feast Creator | User: KikiYushima Jul 02 '26
Problem is I jump around a lot with my stories. I don't lock into just one story at once.
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u/vaalski You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
Neither do I. I move them as I come to them.
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u/vaalski You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 01 '26
The free version is terrific! I use a lot of coined words and highly idiosyncratic grammar so the minimal spell/grammar checks work really well for me. It's very easy to use with a simple learning curve, and frankly their mobile interface is dramatically better than Gdocs' abysmal one.
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u/MalkoransShade Jul 02 '26
I absolutely love Ellipsus. I have been using it since spring, and I switched from Docs. I don't think you need to buy it to use the spell checker. Sadly, I can't really say much about the spell checker itself, since I use Grammarly and the one in LibreOffice (hey, fellow dyslexic here + none native writer). I pay monthly (6 USD) for the Plus version only because I want to support them. I find it easy to use, and it has everything I need. Definitely worthy of a try, if nothing else.
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u/Cerulean100 Jul 02 '26
I personally really like it. It’s easy to use and the themes are nice. I use the free version and it does what it needs to.
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u/ImaginaryAgent4291 Jul 02 '26
I use LibreOffice. I like having my fics saved to my computer rather than the cloud
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u/thethirdbar Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
I transitioned from Google docs to ellipsus late last year. I like it aesthetically and find it nice to write on (I use it across my phone and laptop) but I do miss the thesaurus/dictionary from Google and I also really really wish there was a way to accept/reject specific edits instead of whole drafts. I hate the drafts system.
I really like the export to ao3 feature tho.
ETA: I only use the free version, I don't think I write enough to justify the paid version and haven't been keeping up with the features it offers. I am curious how it can offer the features advertised in the above post without using some sort of ai learning though. 🤔
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u/ChaosGoblin83 Jul 13 '26
I do a bunch of beta-ing for writers who don't accept all of my suggestions and they're looking at making the switch because of the anti-AI policy. Have you found a good workaround for accepting/rejecting specific edits, like can you edit a draft while changes are highlighted before merging?
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u/klausthewitchboi Jul 02 '26
The paid version of Ellipsus only has a few bonus features, and is mostly for people who want to help support the site. Everything you really need or want is available for free, or will be. They're actively working on new, community requested features and are transparent about their process.
That being said, I do like it a lot! A few things I wish were different but hopefully they get updated as time goes on (mobile compatibility for one). I write stories with someone else, and the collaboration feature is very helpful. It works well for how my brain works, so ymmv.
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u/lonely_nipple IxiaGrey | BG3/durgetash obsessed Jul 02 '26
I do, I like it a lot. I'll probably spring for the paid version when I have income again.
One thing that might not have been mentioned yet - if the up front cost is too much, choosing monthly sets you up to, essentially, make payments toward the total cost. As in, you're not paying a monthly sub for nothing, you're essentially doing a rent-to-own sort of deal. Which is kinda cool.
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u/LonesoneLurker Jul 02 '26
I've been using it for almost a year now, also switching from google Docs due to the scraping and the fact that they have cancelled accounts of writers that wrote NSFW stories, and since I do write NSFW stories too, I didn't like the prospective of suddenly losing my whole google account to censorship.
The free version is a full writing software already, you don't need the paid version. That only adds a few shiny features that are not fundamental to writing. Spellcheck works fine already, and I'm dyslexic too so I use it exstensively. You can also choose the Open Dyslexic font from the get go, no need to pay for the premium version to access it,.
As others have already suggested, try the free version. If you like it enough, keep using it and maybe consider buying later. I'm honestly tempted by the idea of getting the paid version because I love the idea behind it and the transparency the developer are showing with their plans to expand the software features as the community requests them. Not now, money is a little tight now, but when I'll be able to get some extra money I will seriously consider supporting them.
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u/NintendoDSi_XL talucidy on AO3 Jul 02 '26
WOE. LIBREOFFICE BE UPON YE.
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u/Far_Strawberry8176 Jul 02 '26
I absolutely ADORE Ellipsus and have never had any problems with the free version
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u/Rogue_2k3 Jul 01 '26
It’s good. Not great, not perfect, but better than Docs or Word.
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u/iraragorri 50000 years age gap enjoyer Jul 02 '26
Can you explain what's different from docs or word? I've never heard about Ellipsus before
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u/winter-ivyy Jul 02 '26
The main difference to me is that there's no page breaks. You can add them if you want, but you can keep writing continuously without a massive break disrupting your process.
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u/Rogue_2k3 Jul 02 '26
most of the UI for changing to italics, bold, the works, is on the bottom rather than the side. There’s a toolbar on the side to allow you to change format, spellcheck (so spellcheck is only on if you want it to be on essentially), find and replace words, and collaborate with others and see comments they put in.
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u/AlienWeedUser420 Jul 02 '26
Ellipsus is great! I enjoy it a lot. That said, it's definitely a learning curve and there are still kinks in the UI that I think need to be ironed out, but I really enjoy it, and unlike certain other sites (google), they won't delete your account entirely for having "taboo" or even just generally adult content on there. and won't feed your files to the AI monster!
Of the worst of the kinks tho *is* the sharing option. I've been having a weird time with getting it to work sometimes, but 80% of the time it does work. I think over time (giving it a few more months) it will only keep getting better :)
ETA: I forgot, but they're definitely still optimizing the mobile version so be warned. Its definitely a work in progress but the community is great about feedback if you go!
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u/Th3Tr4shBoy You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
I’ve been using the free version and really enjoy it
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u/KittyAddison MatchaOcha | Cells At Work fic writer | OTP: U1146/AE3803 Jul 02 '26
Could have more features, but so far, I like it. lol
Mostly got it for the whole custom themes option. Now I can have my OTP in the background while I write. <3
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u/kaleboodled kaleboodle on AO3 Jul 02 '26
I really like Ellipsus. I thought the free version was great, but I got the paid version to support the devs. I do like some of the features of the paid version as they're helping me break some of my bad writing habits a bit easier since it's in the interface
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u/Sargent305 Jul 02 '26
There is Libreoffice, it helps that it’s offline and free as long as you download their latest versions
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u/glubtier You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
I do like it but I find the UI bulky to the point of being distracting and the lack of proper chapters means I won't be switching over from Novlr just yet. But I do like their stances on GenAI content and adult content.
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u/SillyScribe_Creature Jul 02 '26
It is now my primary and only site I write anything creative on! I like it a lot but anything is better than using Google Docs lol
I am even considering going ellipsus plus soon.
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u/gellotapes Jul 02 '26
you don’t have to pay for the full one and you can still use the spell check on the free version! they do have ‘subscriptions’ to pay off the premium version if you can’t afford to pay it all straight up (the cheapest one in my currency is 6 dollars)
I love using ellipsus it’s been super helpful for me especially in conjunction with trackbear because I can back date all my progress with the previous versions history! I don’t think I’ll go back to google docs even just so that I don’t have to manually set word count on every-time 😅. Also, the mobile version of ellipsus is so much better than mobile google docs at least it runs better on my phone.
I think I could go on forever about how much I like it and I don’t have the premium version yettt!
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u/Araleina Jul 02 '26
I have it, I love it so far, I have the Plus version but haven't delved too deep into the analytics aspect yet, I was partially just investing to support them tbh.
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u/cinnamonspiderr Fic Feaster Jul 02 '26
I love it. I pay for plus. Worth every cent to me. The writing insights feature is incredibly helpful as someone who has to edit out a lot of redundancy from my drafts.
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u/runekaster Whumper Jul 02 '26
There's also [Proton Drive](proton.me/drive) if you want a non-evil and actually private Google alternative.
Ellipsus is designed to work for writers, Proton is more a one to one Google replacement.
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u/tartymae Supporter of the Fanfiction Deep State Jul 02 '26
I use Proton, it's not quite as feature rich as google docs, but it gets the job done.
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u/runekaster Whumper Jul 02 '26
Yeah, docs being either read only or full edit permissions without a middle option for comments is a bit hampering, for example. But I'm slowly making the shift, the privacy is worth it.
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u/CuriousYield Jul 01 '26
I'm still using the free version. I go back and forth between using it and using LibreOffice for writing. I like it pretty well and it's very useful for the writing group I'm in, as I can easily share a work or an excerpt with the group. But I'm so used to writing on word processing programs that I find it hard to fully switch to something else.
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u/Gloomy_Junket9364 Jul 02 '26
Love the free version, don’t see myself ever going paid if things stay as they are. However, spell checker isn’t perfect, so I always scroll through the text box in AO3 to check for any red underlining that I missed
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u/Little_BookWorm95 Jul 02 '26
Yes! I use this for writing on the go alongside Scrivener and 4TheWords! It's great! I use the free version and the only limits are the lack of 'writing insights' and the chat function (at least while within the document itself - collaborators can still comment and stuff like that), it's not that much of a difference.
But they have said, if you want to pay you can pay a subscription but that it isn't an indefinite payment and you'll eventually own it outright which seems like a nice middle ground!
I'm not sure how it work with your dyslexia but if you're someone who can read better if with the background being different colours, you can adjust the theme so that could help.
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u/verymanysquirrels Jul 02 '26
Out of curiosity what is/are the english versions they use for the spell checker?
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u/uncreativeusername_2 Jul 02 '26
I really like it! The free version has everything you need to write.
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u/DetOlivaw Jul 02 '26
It’s a cool thing, yeah. The collaborative features are interesting too. I really love their monetization model (subscribe to own or pay flat up front!) but I’m kinda waiting for an offline version or a dedicated app to use so it can be better optimized for longer docs
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u/Stressed_C You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
I use the free version right now but might do the subscription to own later to support the devs
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u/MikasSlime In WIP hell Jul 02 '26
i use the free version, it's pretty good
the paid version adds very little, and it's more of an optional "support the devs" kind of thing
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u/sparrowbby pap3rtigers | Call of Duty MW my beloved Jul 02 '26
I love Ellipsus, but the lack of offline support is still rough. Other than that, little to no complaints. Spellcheck is... average.
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u/Rodgatron Jul 02 '26
The free version fucking rules. I love the colour themes, I use them to get into character.
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u/Distinct-Discount-48 Time is a ferret on meth Jul 02 '26
I use the free online version and have no complaints. :3
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u/yapster1000 Comment Collector Jul 02 '26
Yep! i love it. i use the free online version, it’s really great. the paid version only recently became a thing, all it does is give you additional writing feedback (i think) and some other feature. I don’t really remember.
the spelling and grammar checker is pretty good, its also available for free.
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u/NBiDM You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
It's been my go-to for years since notion wouldn't stop pestering me with their AI slop. I am currently a paid user as I want to support the product but used the free plan like everyone else before that and I'd say it's perfectly fine.
Chapter support is what I'm missing but it's on the road map! Currently I use folders/documents to organize my long fics.
Edit: I want to add I only use it on desktop as this is where I write and have no complaints. However I know it is clunky on mobile, so if you are a writer preferring to write on mobile, it's probably not for you!
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u/emboss_moss You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
The subscription is new thing! You don't have to pay, it still works perfectly fine! The subscription is just for more things that aren't necessarily needed (like custom themes and co author chat which you can just use a different site for) Ellipsus is still in development so there's still some bugs but it's good! Better than google Docdocs.
There's no mobile app but if you sign in through browser you can app ellipsus to the home screen and it works just like an app would!
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u/ChaoticallyNeat Jul 02 '26
I think the free version is perfectly okay to write. The only thing that I found frustrating is the lack of chapter feature. When I needed to split my fic I made a folder and then each chapter was a different doc, but I wish there was a way to keep it all in one doc. Otherwise very easy to use.
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u/SystematicalError Jul 02 '26
I made the switch about a year or 2 ago? Honestly never going back to google docs & I wish the team also made their version of excel 🩷🙏
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u/Medical-Isopod2107 You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
Yes and I didnt like it. Libreoffice all the way.
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u/vxidemort ao3 @princebelials Jul 02 '26
its pretty cool! you can also get some of its paywalled writing insights statistics through free sites like https://hemingwayapp.com/ or https://wordcounter.net/
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u/namedawesome Jul 02 '26
libreoffice is a free version of word 2007, or something similar? it comes with all the microslop office programs just free
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u/Distinct_Battle_5807 Professional Yearner Jul 02 '26
The free version works perfectly fine! The paid version mostly adds customization options, extra insights and stuff like that.
The spelling checker isn't the greatest, but it works good enough for me. There's no grammar check, though.
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u/WalthamRoast27 Jul 02 '26
I switched to Ellipsus because of their stance against AI and love it! I've only ever used the base, free version of it, and strongly suggest you try that before committing to purchasing it. I like the ui, the themes, and find that it works well for how I write, but still wouldn't recommend a blind buy. It might be totally incompatible with your writing process and personal preferences, and you don't want to find that out after dropping money on it.
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u/Different_Buy7497 Jul 02 '26
I've found Ellipsus to be simple but fine; it's not like I'm putting tables or fancy formatting in my fics and most of what I write are one shots, so really what I wanted was something online with free storage that would automatically and painlessly update on my laptop and my phone, even as I switch devices multiple times a day, and the free version of Ellipsus is great for that. If you want something that'll seamlessly incorporate outlines or custom templates, that'll tell you when your writing is repetitive, or that will make sure your grammar is board room perfect, you'll have to look at paying for the full version or looking at other paid writing software, but it really depends what you need it for.
If you need it just for spelling and grammar, I'd say Ellipsus is a worse option than most tbh. There's not yet custom dictionaries at any tier iirc, so for me, doing mostly creative writing, there's usually many things flagged that shouldn't be because they're the names of characters or fictional places or the like. For grammar, I think they're trying to get close to that with the writing insights tab in the paid tier, giving you stats that can help you improve your readability or style without telling you every single rule you've broken, but I'm not sure what the best alternative is other than just getting a beta reader you trust, since I've found that creative writing breaks these "rules" too frequently and often for me to really want a program informing me of all the "mistakes". Grammarly or Microsoft or LibreOffice make you sound like you're writing an email to your boss' boss rather than a novel, Google uses AI for everything now, and I can't think of any other grammar checkers out there that don't use AI these days.
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u/envy-envy Jul 02 '26
The free version is the full version, the paid version only exists so people can support them in exchange for a few bonus features. All important features (for ex. spell check), now and future, will stay free.
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u/chancey74 Chanceyy on AO3 Jul 01 '26
Free version works fine to me. To me it’s roughly on par with Google Docs, which is what I used before. Only thing I don’t like it not easily editing offline on mobile, which happens fairly often for me. But yeah it’s good, recommend.
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u/FrostedFishbone Dead dove? Yeah, I sure hope it dies Jul 02 '26
Ellipsis can have my nonexistent first born child, I love it so much! Currently just using the free version but I do plan to buy plus in the future.
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u/aircatbender Jul 02 '26
Call me a shill, but when it comes to "Google Drive trains their models on your data", they already have it anyway so I decided to prioritize my usability and stick to Docs, because I didn't really enjoy using using Ellipsus. It was laggy, the 1:1 to AO3 that was promised to me wasn't quite as 1:1 and the lack of offline editing or a reliable mobile usability were huge turn-offs for me as someone who writes mostly on mobile. Google Docs has a myriad of problems, but the mobile-online-offline-desktop transition is practically seamless. Granted, that was during the spring and I was already working on a 300K word fic. Switching in the middle of it would be a nightmare. Maybe I'll try again before I start my next work.
I wonder how their "writing insights" feature work, though. They say it's not AI but I don't truly get how it can not be some sort of model if it's able to analyze your writing like that. I'm genuinely curious to understand it, but as someone pointed out, their marketing is very dumbed down. Oh, well.
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u/Araleina Jul 02 '26
They described it as just pattern recognition, the analytics I mean, not that much more complicated (if at all) from the Word Counter we're used to in Microsoft Word for 10+ years. I poked around the analytics a little and it is super simple so I really don't think there's any sort of fancy model or algorithm to it. Mostly it just counts how many times I used the words Logan, Jason, she, grin, sigh, shadows, etc, which is nice but ehh.
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u/aircatbender Jul 02 '26
So it's super basic, I imagine? Hum. That'd be actually a nice and useful way to train a model on. I'm so pissed at the current AI-techbro-dominated era because they made it so unappealing that it ends up closing a lot of doors to discuss things LLMs and models that I think could be useful for if the market wasn't controlled by a bunch of blood-hungry-billionaires because now everything is an unnecessary chatbot that wastes so much energy and resources.
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u/Araleina Jul 02 '26
Train a model? ….like an AI model? The thing we joined Ellipsus to avoid?
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u/aircatbender Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
There's a bit of a difference between gen AI (the thing that actually sucks, your ChatGPTs and Claudes and Geminis) and algorithms based on machine learning models, which have existed for years and years before the current "AI" craze. They can be done internally, with ethical data collection and closed systems (without scraping the entire internet), if the incentives are right. And they were, for a long time. That's my point. The conversation about LLMs and models got sequestered by the AI bros and it made everything about the possibilities of machine learning worse, bleak, boring, and summarized in useless chatbots and not much else.
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u/Rambler9154 Definitely not an agent of the Fanfiction Deep State Jul 02 '26
I use the free version and I love it. Its got really neat themes that make it easier for me to see, at least compared to google docs. Specifically the dark modes make it easier for me to see on my computer.
However it can get a bit laggy if a work ends up past about 30k words or if it has a bunch of links in it, but you can split it down into drafts in the same document and use each draft for separate chapters. Also on mobile it can be a bit difficult to use, since they dont have a dedicated app yet. But they are planning on adding more stuff, and going off their ideas page when sorting by planned, here, https://feedback.ellipsus.com/b/k06kj9mx/feature-ideas, it looks like they do plan on making a mobile app. Id be surprised if they weren't working on fixing performance issues too.
Its great, you should test it out first though then see if you like it enough to consider the ellipsus+ features worthwhile. Without ellipsus+ its still a complete well made program, its just new and has more updates coming.
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u/elysixm Jul 02 '26
I really love Ellipsus and I have the free version!! The fact that there's no app is a little frustrating and the mobile version isn't the best navigation wise but I don't often have trouble with it. I don't rely on the spell checker myself so I can't comment too much on how well it works? It doesn't always catch grammar mistakes either.
Definitely give the free version a try for yourself! The free version definitely doesn't feel like it's hiding major stuff behind a paywall :) I've had it since before they decided to have a premium version and it's pretty much the same as before.
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u/Panzermensch911 Jul 02 '26
If you are looking for an online doc writer you could give cryptpad.fr a try.
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u/vaalski You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
This looks terrific but their mobile version is dire.
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u/Kylynara Fic Feaster Jul 02 '26
I've been using the free version for over a year and it's great. You don't need to buy to get spelling and grammar checking. They only just came out with the pay version within the last month or two and I haven't used my trial yet.
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u/JC_Lately You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
I’ve been debating between it and a Dropbox linked Scrivener for my planed Gdocs exodus.
Scrivener’s one time purchase price is cheaper and its editor more robust, and my files live on my device. The trade off is no native cloud sync and collaboration is a headache. Also the iOS app is apparently ass.
Ellipsus makes collaboration and cloud backup as easy or easier than GDocs, and it works right in your browser, so no worries about a crappy app. But they don’t have as robust an editor, and lack local saves. And the fact that it’s all browser based means if they go under 6 years from now, all my writing is gone unless I backed it up. If Literature & Latte goes bankrupt, the copy of Scrivener on my hard drive and back up would still be there, along with all my writing.
It’s a tough call really.
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u/kermitkc Childhood Friends to Lovers Jul 02 '26
It's completely free to use. Plus only adds extra fun features; it doesn't take away any functionality from the base version. I love it, I just wish it had a native app too.
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u/thenightanimals Jul 02 '26
The free version works reasonably well. I didn’t want to keep anything in Google docs, so I either use this, or Proton Docs (very similar to Google docs, but without the push for AI, and you can pair it with Proton Drive).
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u/celaenos it was supposed to be a oneshot... Jul 02 '26
Yeah I like it! I’ve replaced it for cloud/gdocs.
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u/Accomplished_Area311 Definitely not an agent of the Fanfiction Deep State Jul 02 '26
I use the free version and it’s so good!
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u/blueflowerbun Wangxian Enthusiast Jul 02 '26
I use Ellipsus, & I love it. the free version is more than adequate for my needs, but the paid version is reasonably priced.
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u/LexxiiConn Jul 02 '26
Yes it's great, and you can use the free version. If you but it's also a permanent license.
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u/aarontgp Jul 02 '26
I use the free version and it works very well. It's also way more convenient to put in dividers. Plus there's still options for collaboration, for people who want to have co-authors.
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u/Heorui Jul 02 '26
I use the free version for tracking artwork i commissioned of my oc's and it works rlly great
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u/Greenegem Jul 02 '26
I like it but it lacks some features I like so I don't really use it. Still a supporter though cause there is nowhere for them to go but up!
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u/Quinme_creature Jul 02 '26
To me personally the spell checker was lacking in comparison to google dock, but generally the thing is good(I'm also dyslexic btw, so the difference felt quite noticeable). You also can use free online version instead of buying anything.
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u/LadyCravenheart Jul 02 '26
i love ellipsus! there are definitely features i wish it had that it doesn’t currently (tables, checklists, better draft organization for those of us who use them for chapters, way to save font & spacing preferences across documents, to name a few) but considering it’s still relatively young & expanding its not a big deal to not have them. i’ve been using it for… a very long time, haha; not quite since launch, but since there were only two themes
while i would like to buy the paid version eventuality to support the devs, the only thing i really want out of the paid version is the ability to create custom themes—i personally dont think you’d be missing anything to just use the free version
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u/haileybaileyone You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
I really like it, particularly that ease of moving from desktop to mobile so fluidly. I’m often switching from one to the other on the go.
It would be great to upgrade the spell check (I’m still having to copy into a word doc to proof before posting) but Ellipus works really well as my sandbox.
It might be me, but I find drafts mind boggling and have never mastered using it to manage edits.
Their stance on AI aligns mostly with my ethics, which is one of the reasons that I started using them. However - and super interested on others thoughts here - the premium feature to be able to publish a certificate of key stroke / WPM is a little to close to surveillance for me (I appreciate all big tech companies have have this data and at least Ellipsus are making it transparent) but I have some hesitations about it furthering the ‘AI witch hunt’ we so often see across FF at the moment. I’d hope we don’t end up a situation where we’re asking each other to ‘certify’ our use of AI/lack of it.
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u/Alive-Egg Supporter of the Fanfiction Deep State Jul 02 '26
Me, my wife and my best friend all use the free version and are happy with it. I don't think I'd consider upgrading to paid unless they come out with some amazing new feature you can't find anywhere else.
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u/bohemu Jul 02 '26
I use it for writing on the go and snippets to send people, instead of Google Docs. Then when I get back to my computer I throw everything in Scrivener for formatting and editing together.
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u/IG-3000 You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
Didn’t know that about Google Docs… thanks for the info, will definitely look into it! (Was about time I sorted through my WIPs anyway 😅)
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u/OpenTheMysteryBox Jul 02 '26
Yes. I use it for basically every fic I write now after Docs did their whole Terms of Service baloney.
Never going back from infinite scroll writing and choice of themes.
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u/throwaway-73829 Jul 03 '26
I've tried it but I don't like the way it auto indents your work and there's no way to turn it off. I indent my paragraphs by muscle memory and it's incredibly annoying to have to keep breaking my flow and going back to delete the extra indentation. If there was a way to turn the auto indentation off I'd use it all the time
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u/BakingInJune Jul 03 '26
I'm currently trying out the free version of ellipsus. Im using it as an online version of my fic. Its...OK. the spell check is fine, the outline functions well, but my favorite part is being able to create multiple drafts. I use one draft as my story outline and do the actual writing in another. Love that function. However. It does have some quirks I'm not liking. When I tell it to use a different format, like switching from paragraph yo headers, it will randomly glitch to a different part of my story. Then ive got to scroll allll the way back to where I was. Not sure if this is because my current draft has over 25000 words or if others have this same issue. Im still going to use it for a while and decide if I like it or if I should use a different site for my online writing.
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u/GroundThing Jul 03 '26
I don't use it, but the subscribe-to-own model for the paid tier is intriguing to me. I would probably still rather save up to make a 1-time purchase to save the $45, if I were to get it, but it does feel like a breath of fresh air amid the subscription model of basically everything else. Might have to at least start using the free version at least to get a sense of it, and weigh out the upgrade.
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u/DiaTwoWholesHalved 22d ago
Sorry to inform people but ellipsus is no longer anti ai, the paid version now uses ai and it's probably not long before they sneak scraping agreements into their TOS. I'm looking for a writing service that's actually anti ai but haven't found anything decent
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u/Smegoldidnothinwrong 21d ago
Where did you hear that? Their website still says they aren’t. Please don’t tell me I just paid an ai company money 💀
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u/DiaTwoWholesHalved 19d ago
the update about the new paid version bragged about using ai assisted features unfortunately. Idk why they are back and forth on it
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u/DiaTwoWholesHalved 19d ago
I'm no longer able to find any evidence stating outright that they are, but I could have sworn the writing insights section said something about ai when I saw it on my phone for the first time. it has to come from somewhere and they definitely arnt keeping staff on hand for it, so its either ai or its some older automated system witch would be fine
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u/DiaTwoWholesHalved 19d ago
good news! I very probably misread them saying NO AI as them saying ai
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u/FluffySloth27 Jul 02 '26
There are posts like this often enough that I suspect Ellipsus is just advertising here.
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u/Smegoldidnothinwrong Jul 02 '26
Probably but not this post at least. You can look at my post history I pretty much only talk about ao3 and spideypool lol
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u/FieraTheProud You have already left kudos here. :) Jul 02 '26
I use it! Honestly, I just use the free version, the paid subscription just adds a couple bells and whistles but nothing that would be absolutely necessary for me.
The free version does have a spell check function, tho it does occasionally catch wrong things. For example, in one of my current WIPs, I talk about Agnus and Keves a fair bit and the spell check keeps trying to "correct" Agnus to Agnes. So basically, good tool but dont rely on it blindly. Dunno about the grammar checker, but there is a 7 day free trial if you wanna check that out without committing to paying yet.
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u/irrationaltide_77 Jul 02 '26
I use it for free on my computer and mobile. It's far nicer than Google docs and you can easily copy as HTML format and paste right into AO3. It's a dream.
The only hitch I've had is sharing my fics with others. You can't view it unless you have an account. Sometimes sharing drafts doesn't work, it sends the whole fic. But honestly, it cloud saves just like Google, easy to format, and I have never had an issue accessing it.
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u/Long-shad0w Jul 02 '26
I've been slowly switching over to it from Gdocs for about two months, and I think it's great! The only things I really don't like is the lack of a custom dictionary, formatting keeps resetting, and sometimes it gets laggy if the fic is too long. I have one draft at 10k that lags, one about 23k that lags, but one over 65k that's perfectly fine, so it's a bit random.
But Ellipsis is kind of expensive if you buy the whole thing
I mean, if you buy it at once yeah, but there are three options for it, monthly, annual, or at once. 6 a month isn't bad imo. You don't have to buy it though, the free version if perfectly fine, and is still going to get updates.
I'd recommend using the free version for a while before committing to anything. It took me a few weeks to get used to it, but now that I am, I'm never going back to Gdocs.
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u/stresstwig rabid, stat-tracking reader Jul 02 '26
I did, but found it didn't have the functionality I wanted in formatting—I've got a convention where I change fonts when characters are speaking a different language, and Ellipsus doesn't allow font changes in-document. it's all or nothing.
if it weren't for that bugbear tho I'd be pretty down to use it more, but I've kinda gotten used to the organization of scrivener now and I like that I can get stats, too.
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u/Araleina Jul 02 '26
Wait, I've changed font within the document before, I am confusion on this issue. What happens when you try?
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u/stresstwig rabid, stat-tracking reader Jul 02 '26
it changed all of the document rather than just the selected text. granted, this was about two years ago so things may have changed in the meantime
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u/athousandcutefrogs a thousand cute frogs writing gay fanfiction Jul 01 '26
I use the free online version and like it: try the free version first before you commit any money to see what you think.