Freedom251 › Collaborative Research Writing Tools Software
Fidus Writer
What Fidus Writer is
Fidus Writer is a collaborative online editor for academic writing that uses citations or formulas. It focuses on the content of a document rather than its page layout, allowing the same text to be published on a website, in a printed book, or as an ebook. Multiple collaborators can edit together in the web interface. Owners can invite people using links that carry specified access rights, and invitees do not need to sign up.
The editor exports to PDF, EPUB, and HTML. Version 4.1 supports bibliography imports in more than ten formats and citation extraction from supported DOCX and ODT files. Official plugins include Books, Pandoc integration, LanguageTool grammar checking, Git Repository Export, and Citation API Import. The Git Repository Export plugin can send documents and books to GitHub, GitLab, and Forgejo in DOCX, ODT, or native formats.
Fidus Writer is free, open-source software under the AGPL and runs on the web; it can also be self-hosted with an Ubuntu Snap package, Debian package, or Docker containers. Version 4.1 includes security measures such as two-factor authentication and brute-force protection. Experimental end-to-end encryption can be controlled by an administrator. Paid help is available for design, installation, configuration, development, integrations, and troubleshooting.
Who it suits
Fidus Writer suits academics, research groups, publishers, libraries, and individual academics working on publication workflows involving citations or formulas. It is also suited to teams that want simultaneous editing, flexible invitations, and publishing from a shared source document.
What it does well
- Collaborators can edit documents simultaneously in the web interface.
- Invitees can join through access-controlled links without signing up.
- Exports include PDF, EPUB, and HTML.
- Imports bibliography files in more than ten formats.
- Can be self-hosted with Snap, Debian packages, or Docker.
- Free and open-source under the AGPL.
What to know first
- The native app coverage listed is web.
- End-to-end encryption is experimental.
- Design and programming or installation help are billed per hour.
Limits
The free software plan costs nothing. Paid design is priced on request, billed per hour, and programming and installation is priced on request, billed per hour; larger projects receive an individual price suggestion.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free software | Use, study, share, and improve at no cost | Free |
| Design | per hour · Visual design · layout adjustments · templates · user-experience improvements | $100 |
| Programming & Installation | per hour · Installation · configuration · custom development · integrations · troubleshooting | $130 |
| Larger projects | Individual price suggestion for larger or long-term projects | On request |
As fiduswriter.org lists them, read 9 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the Fidus Writer website to use the web editor.
- For self-hosting, choose an Ubuntu Snap package, Debian package, or Docker containers.
- Invite collaborators with a link and set their access rights.
- Use the free software plan, or request paid help for design, installation, configuration, development, integrations, or troubleshooting.
Verdict
Choose Fidus Writer for collaborative academic publishing when citations, formulas, and content reuse across web, print, or ebook formats matter. Look elsewhere if you need a native app or require end-to-end encryption that is not experimental.
Questions
Is Fidus Writer free?
Yes. Its free software plan costs nothing, and the software is licensed under the AGPL.
Which platforms does it support?
Fidus Writer runs on the web and can be self-hosted on Linux using an Ubuntu Snap package, Debian package, or Docker containers.
What formats can it export?
The homepage lists PDF, EPUB, and HTML export. The Git Repository Export plugin also sends documents and books in DOCX, ODT, and native formats.
Can collaborators edit without signing up?
Yes. Owners can invite collaborators with links that specify access rights, and invitees do not need to sign up.
What paid help is available?
Design is priced on request, billed per hour. Programming and installation is priced on request, billed per hour; larger projects receive an individual price suggestion.
Facts from Fidus Writer's own pages
- Audience
- The maker describes Fidus Writer as intended for academics, research groups, publishers, libraries, and individual academics working on publication workflows. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Bibliography import
- Version 4.1 imports bibliography files in more than ten formats, including BibLaTeX, CSL, Citavi XML, RIS, EndNote XML, ENW, and NBIB. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Citation extraction
- Version 4.1 extracts citations from DOCX files with Mendeley, Zotero, Citavi, or EndNote citations and from ODT files with Zotero, legacy Mendeley, or JabRef citations. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Collaboration
- Collaborators can edit the same document simultaneously in the web interface. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Encryption
- Experimental end-to-end encryption encrypts documents in the browser before they reach the server, with administrator options to disable, optionally enable, or require it. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Exports
- The homepage lists PDF, EPUB, and HTML export. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · fiduswriter.org, 22 Sept 2026
- License
- Fidus Writer is free and open-source software licensed under the AGPL. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Open editing links
- Document owners can invite collaborators through a link with specified access rights, and the invited collaborators do not need to sign up. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Other plugins
- Official plugins listed for version 4.1 include Books, Pandoc integration, LanguageTool grammar checking, Git Repository Export, and Citation API Import. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Fidus Writer is an online collaborative editor made for academics who need citations and/or formulas. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Repository integrations
- The Git Repository Export plugin can send documents and books to GitHub, GitLab, and Forgejo in DOCX, ODT, and native formats. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Security
- Version 4.1 adds two-factor authentication, brute-force protection, a 12-character minimum password requirement, and a 24-hour password reset window. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Self-hosting
- New users can install Fidus Writer with an Ubuntu Snap package, a Debian package, or Docker containers. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Semantic publishing
- The editor focuses on content rather than layout so the same text can be published on a website, as a printed book, or as an ebook. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker offers paid help with installation, configuration, custom development, integrations, and troubleshooting. · fiduswriter.org, 9 Oct 2026
Where Fidus Writer stands on Freedom251
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