Libba Free vs Pro: What You Get at Each Tier
Exactly what's included in Libba's free tier and what Pro unlocks. No hidden gotchas — a clear breakdown before you decide.
Plenty of tools advertise a free tier and then make it so limited that it’s really just a demo. I wanted Libba’s to be genuinely useful. On the free plan you can format a complete book from start to finish, with every formatting tool and every style. The only thing held back is exporting the finished file, along with working on more than one book.
Here’s exactly what each plan includes, so there are no surprises later.
What the free plan includes
The free plan gives you the full editor for one book. Every formatting feature is there: all the genre presets and styles, chapter headings, drop caps, more than 300 scene-break ornaments, and front and back matter sections. You can bring your manuscript in by importing a Word document, a Markdown file or an existing EPUB.
You also get the live preview, which shows your book on simulated Kindle, Kobo, iPad, iPhone and Android screens in light, sepia and dark modes. Your work saves to your device automatically as you type, and when you’re signed in you can back it up to your account and pick it up on another device.
In other words, you can get your book looking exactly the way you want it before you spend anything. That’s the point: you should know the tool works for your book before you pay for it.
What Pro unlocks
Pro is for when you’re ready to publish. It unlocks EPUB export, including separate editions for Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Nook and Google Play, each containing only the store links that retailer allows, plus a general edition for anywhere else. It also unlocks the .libba project file, a complete backup of your book that you can keep safe or open elsewhere.
Pro removes the one-book limit too, so you can create, import and duplicate as many books as you like, and organise them into folders and series.
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Full editor, presets and ornaments | Yes | Yes |
| Import Word, Markdown or EPUB | Your first book | Unlimited |
| Live device preview | Yes | Yes |
| Saves on your device and backs up to your account | Yes | Yes |
| Number of books | One | Unlimited |
| EPUB export (with per-store editions) | No | Yes |
.libba project backup file | No | Yes |
| Folders, series and duplicating books | No | Yes |
What Pro costs
Pro costs $39 a year, or $99 once for lifetime access. The yearly plan works like an instalment plan for lifetime access: after three years of subscribing, $117 in total, it converts to lifetime automatically. Paying $99 up front simply saves you $18 if you already know you’ll stick with it.
Which plan is right for you?
Start on the free plan if this is your first book, if you want to see whether Libba suits the way you work, or if you’re still writing and not ready to publish yet. There’s no clock running, so take your time.
Move to Pro when you’re ready to export and publish, when you want to sell on several stores with the right links in each edition, or when you’re working on more than one book.
Common questions
Is there a time limit on the free plan? No. You can keep working on your free book for as long as you like. It isn’t a trial that expires.
Can I format my whole book for free and only upgrade to export it? Yes, that’s exactly how it’s meant to work. Get the book right, check it in the preview, and upgrade when you’re ready to export. You won’t lose any of your work when you upgrade.
What happens if I stop paying for Pro? Your books stay in your library and you can keep editing them, but you won’t be able to export or add new books until you subscribe again. Any EPUB files you’ve already exported are yours to keep.
Are any templates held back for Pro? No. Every template and style is available on the free plan.
Why it’s priced this way
Most formatting tools ask for $150 to $250 up front, before you know whether they suit your workflow or produce a book you’re happy with. That’s a big commitment for a first-time author.
The free plan removes that risk, and the yearly price is meant to be low enough that it isn’t a painful decision even for your first book. If you publish regularly, the lifetime option costs less than most alternatives charge to get started. I’d rather you choose Libba because it makes the book you want, not because of what it costs to find out.
Libba is currently in early access. If you’d like to hear when it launches, you can join the waitlist.
