Fidus Writer
Fidus Writer is a free and open source online collaborative document editor. It allows real-time collaboration for writing documents like research papers, reports, books with features including comments, tracked changes, and export options.
Fidus Writer: Free Online Collaborative Document Editor
Real-time collaboration for writing documents like research papers, reports, books with features including comments, tracked changes, and export options.
What is Fidus Writer?
Fidus Writer is a free and open source web-based collaborative document editor for academics and researchers. It is designed for collaboratively writing long documents like research papers, theses, books and reports.
Key features of Fidus Writer:
- Real-time collaboration - Multiple authors can edit the same document at the same time with changes visible to co-authors instantly.
- Comments and discussions - Annotations and comments can be added anywhere in the document to propose changes or discuss sections.
- Tracked changes - Track all changes made by authors to see the document history.
- Writer and reader views - Authors have access to editing while readers have a clean read-only view.
- Academic formats - Supports citing sources and formatting in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard and over 9800 citation styles.
- Export to .pdf, .epub and .docx formats.
- Latex support - Latex equations and macros are fully supported with integrated Latex rendering.
- 100% free and open source software.
With its focus on academic writing collaborations and real-time co-editing capabilities, Fidus Writer is a great free alternative to restrictive commercial tools like Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
Fidus Writer Features
Features
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Comments and discussions
- Tracked changes
- Citations and bibliographies
- Export to PDF, HTML, ePub
- Support for LaTeX equations
- Word processor like features
Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
Pros
Free and open source
Good collaboration features
User friendly interface
Supports LaTeX equations
Can export to multiple formats
Cons
Limited compared to full featured word processors
Lacks some advanced formatting options
Collaboration requires creating an account
Only available as web app
Official Links
Reviews & Ratings
Login to Review3.4
★
★
★
★
★
43 reviews
Rating Breakdown
Ease of Use
★
★
★
★
★
2.9
Features
★
★
★
★
★
4.1
Value for Money
★
★
★
★
★
4.7
Customer Support
★
★
★
★
★
2.7
Overall Experience
★
★
★
★
★
3.3
Recent Reviews
S
Sage Young
May 08, 2026
★
★
★
★
★
A Lifesaver for Collaborative Academic Writing
Fidus Writer has been essential for our research group. The real-time collaborative editing and detailed comment system make it easy to draft and revise papers together without version confusion. Exporting to LaTeX and other formats works seamlessly, which is perfect …
A
Alex Taylor
May 07, 2026
★
★
★
★
★
Perfect for Collaborative Academic Writing
As a graduate student co-authoring papers, Fidus Writer has been a game-changer. The real-time collaboration and track changes work seamlessly, making it easy to work with my advisor and lab mates. Exporting to LaTeX and Word is straightforward, and the …
Morgan Thomas
May 06, 2026
★
★
★
★
★
A Game-Changer for Collaborative Academic Writing
Fidus Writer has been instrumental for my research team. We can all work on the same paper in real-time, with tracked changes and comments making the review process seamless. The export options are excellent for submitting to journals, and the …
M
Marcus Wilson
May 04, 2026
★
★
★
★
★
An Academic Collaboration Game-Changer
Fidus Writer has completely streamlined our team's workflow for co-authoring research papers. The real-time collaboration with comments and tracked changes is incredibly smooth, and having a free, open-source platform with robust export options feels like a major win. It's eliminated …
C
Chris Walker
May 03, 2026
★
★
★
★
★
Powerful for Collaboration, But a Steep Learning Curve
For collaborating on complex academic papers with tracked changes and comments, Fidus Writer is incredibly powerful and the open-source model is fantastic. However, the interface feels clunky and dated compared to mainstream editors, making it less intuitive for new users. …
Rating Distribution
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