Alternatives to Scrivener for all platforms with any license

  • Vim

    Vim ("Vi IMproved") is an advanced text editor that allows syntax highlighting, word completion and has a huge amount of contributed content. It also has a...

    • Vim is not for manuscripts, it is usually geared towards software development, code, and system maintenance. Guest • May 2019 • 7 agrees and 2 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Vim is only for manuscripts if you truly hate yourself and feel you should be punished. Guest • May 2019 • 0 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • vim uses a CLI interface rather than a GUI Guest • May 2019 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Free Open Source Mac Windows Linux BSD Haiku ... OpenSolaris

    Customizable Extensible by Plugins/Extensions Lightweight Syntax Highlighting ... Keyboard focused Batch Editing Built-in terminal emulation Command line interface Configurable Dedication to home row Hackable Support for Large File Lightweight MarkDown support Mnemonic key bindings Modal editor Native application Open source software Plugin manager Plugins Regex substitution Spell checking Terminal-based Vim Buffers Vim folding Visual Mode Word completion Add a feature

    Vim icon

  • bibisco

    bibisco is a free and open source software for writing novels. With bibisco you can organize chapters and scenes, manage revisions, export novel in pdf or rtf, and...

    • Too strict in his structure and the same time not thorough enough so that the boxing in would by uselful LapoMelzi • 7 days ago Disagree   Agree
    • I used bibisco briefly a few years ago, and I remember it being packed to the brim with useful features. It's great for fiction writers because it gives them a variety of fields for defining their character. I felt the software was a bit too bulky for what I wanted, though. The best thing about bibisco is that it's 100% free, which is nice if your funds are limited, or if you aren't making a profit from your writing. thatmasquedgirl • Dec 2018 • 2 agrees and 4 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Laughably bad. Scrivener has the good sense to stay out of your way when you know what you're doing bibisco not only got in the way constantly (no, follow OUR tutorial!) it also insisted on doing it in, I kid you not, two inch caps. Is this some kind of joke? Guest • Nov 2017 • 28 agrees and 22 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • It is actually a better alternative to Scrivener because of its clear, organisation features. I wish I would have discovered this before I purchased Scrivener. Bibisco is much easier to use: You don't need lengthy tutorials to read just to get started. Hands down this is better. callyw • Dec 2016 • 14 agrees and 10 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • simple and very useful to know your characters! laurafecco • Nov 2016 • 5 agrees and 4 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Bibisco is free, has a very good design and structure that help to create a fiction book outline . The text editor is quite simple and working is quite intuitive. Guest • Dec 2016 • 0 agrees and 3 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Freemium Open Source Mac Windows Linux Java

    Ad-free Distraction free writing Google Drive integration No installation ... Portable Add a feature

    bibisco icon

  • Microsoft Office Word

    Microsoft Word, part of the Microsoft Office Suite but also sold as a standalone application, is Microsoft's word processor. Its...

    • Word has none of the benefits Scrivener brings for organisation, research, collecting and so forth. They couldn't be much more different really. Guest • Aug 2019 • 2 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Scrivener is not a word processor. Microsoft Word is nothing but. Guest • Jul 2019 • 2 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • MS Word is a word processor, not an authoring tool. It has no knowledge of scenes, let alone characters or locations or items. It has very limited ability to handle text that is *about* the document but *not part of* the document and attaches to no specific point, or multiple specific points, in the document. Guest • Oct 2018 • 8 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Commercial $ $ $ Mac Windows Android iPhone Windows S ... Android Tablet Windows Phone iPad

    Cross-references Real time collaboration Ribbon Interface Export to PDF ... Spell checking Convert Word documents to PDF Add a feature

    Microsoft Office Word icon

  • yWriter

    yWriter is a writing tool that uses "scenes" as a unit of text and allows you to associate that text with all manner of story elements (characters, locations...

    • In my traipsing about the world of effective writing applications, like many, I blindly downloaded and attempted to utilize Scrivener. As noted, this was an attempt and, to better, expound, it was a failed attempt as Scrivener lacks a WYSIWYG approach. yWriter, however, is an absolute gem providing all of the necessary development tools broken down in a logical format that follows the lifecycle of story development from inception to completion. Guest • Oct 2018 • 2 agrees and 5 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • it's free, it's easy to use and intuitive. The only thing that would make ywriter better is if it had an option to sync to other devices or such. Seriously, this is so much better than scrivener! isahbellah • Mar 2017 • 4 agrees and 8 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Freemium Mac Windows Linux Android iPhone ... Android Tablet iPad Wine Mono

    Lightweight Outline mode Project Organization Add a feature

    yWriter icon

  • Manuskript

    Open-source tool for writers. With outliner, character management, plot development, distraction-free editor, etc.

    • Mostly because it's opensource but also because the interface and features are very similar ! DarkRedman • Jul 2019 • 2 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Manuskript organizes a project essentially the same way Scrivener does: Project, Chapters, Scenes. It has all the essentials for a good writing workflow. In fact, it offers a few more tools than does Scrivener. redbeardgrey • Aug 2019 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Even if it is in the early stages, it is smarter than Scrivener. The way it handles revisions is simple and amazing; the Timeline is rough yet great -- and something Scrivener doesn't have; the tracking of characters, locations, plots and every other item in the story is easy and effective. Plus, it is still in development and hasn't reached its full potential. I have been using Scrivener for year, but I am enjoy this opensource baby much more. LapoMelzi • 7 days ago Disagree   Agree
    • There are many similar layout features compared to Scrivener. It also has a few features Scrivener seems to be missing or doesn't define clearly such as an outline process. However, it is very early development and has many bugs to work out. Guest • Jan 2017 • 10 agrees and 3 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Free Open Source Mac Windows Linux

    Distraction free writing Visual timeline Tracking of characters File-organization ... Flat File CMS MarkDown support Notetaking Outline folding Revision History Export to ePub Export to PDF Social media collaboration Track Characters Tracking of locations Tracking of plots Tree structure Visual Organization Wordpress integration Add a feature

    Manuskript icon

  • Ulysses

    Ulysses is a text editor for creative writers. Used by bloggers, poets, students and published novelists all over the world, it offers an integrated environment to...

    • Primarily oriented towards "scripts" for film, play, etc. Might be useful for (non)fiction writing but does not share the wider array of tools found in Scrivener. ndas1 • Oct 2017 • 3 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Commercial Mac iPhone iPad

    Distraction free writing MarkDown support Sync with iCloud Export to ePub ... Export to PDF Tabbed interface Add a feature

    Ulysses icon

  • Quoll Writer

    Focus on your words not the interface. Quoll Writer is a writing application that helps you focus on your words. Clean and uncluttered. Feature rich. Features are...

    • Clean interface. No non-sense kind of software that has some of the same features of Scrivener. One particular feature I like is the software's ability to automatically link items, characters, places etc. to scenes, chapters, ideas, etc. so you know where every character, item, and place is. Great for keeping track of things in your novel. Has a few bugs here and there, but the developer is friendly, helpful, and responds back in a timely fashion. Guest • Jun 2019 • 1 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • - free -clean, uncluttered interface - easy and intuitive to use Guest • Sep 2017 • 4 agrees and 2 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Free; solid; several features; customizable; new versions released quickly and with new features; developer very receptive; great for writing novels. marriemuller • Mar 2018 • 2 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • Shares many features, but little of the clutter. Guest • Sep 2016 • 2 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Free Open Source Windows

    Distraction free writing Cross Linking Fullscreen support Export to ePub ... Export to PDF Tabbed interface Writing assistance Writing statistics Writing suggestions Add a feature

    Quoll Writer icon

  • Gingko

    Write and organize your ideas in Gingko tree documents. Whether building a business or writing a bestseller, Gingko lets your ideas flow naturally into place. ...

    • It can't show only the current document, there's no distraction free mode. It always has these columns that drill down. It doesn't have a cork-board mode or anything similar. Gingko is closer to mind mapping software, like Scrapple. Guest • Oct 2017 • 5 agrees and 3 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Freemium Web

    Web-Based Collaborative writing Document structure management Support for LaTeX ... MarkDown support Notetaking Real time collaboration Add a feature

    Gingko icon

  • True Novelist

    Writing a novel is a large undertaking. True Novelist was created to make the process as easy as possible for authors.

    • It can divide your book into scenes, sub-scenes, and sub-subscenes.... the process goes on. It's the same as offering 'parts' 'chapters' and scenes. Guest • Aug 2018 • 2 agrees and 0 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • This little page is pretty slick, and has what I consider to be Scrivener's main functionality and is hosted online and completely free. The only drawback is that development appears DOA and the creator of the site hasn't made a peep since early 2016. Guest • Sep 2018 • 0 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • It works so well and it is free. You have no limits and you can really do whatever you want with it. It has a dark mode, works on any device with an internet connection, unlimited scenes, and is designed to be almost the same as Scrivener. Guest • Jul 2018 • 0 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree
    • True Novelist works just like and looks almost identical to Scrivener (making it so there is no learning curb to using it), is purely online so there is no software to download, it is free, gives stats for chapter, entire document, and daily, allows for the setting of daily writing goals, saves automatically and also has snapshots, it has a distraction-free mode, and a night time setting dark theme. True Novelist is truly amazing. Guest • Apr 2017 Disagree   Agree

    Free Web

    Auto-saving Customizable Divides to infinite sub-divisions Night mode/Dark Theme Add a feature

    True Novelist icon

  • SmartEdit Writer

    SmartEdit Writer (formerly Atomic Scribbler) is a project management and writing environment for novelists and short story writers working on Windows PCs. Writers use...

    • (1) It's free. (2) No nonsense book compile. (3) User-friendly. (4) Less visual clutter. (5) Did I mention it's FREE? Guest • Aug 2019 Disagree   Agree
    • A Scrivener wannabe with a lot less clutter. Guest • Feb 2019 Disagree   Agree
    • Simple and clean interface. Flexible structure of the novel that you prefer. Have nice sections for research and bits of text that you might someday use. Simply enough functions to just... start... writing! Guest • Nov 2018 Disagree   Agree

    Free Windows

    Nested Notes Night mode/Dark Theme Add a feature

    SmartEdit Writer icon

  • Typely

    Typely is precise. Existing tools for improving prose raise so many false alarms that their advice cannot be trusted. Instead, the writer must carefully consider whether...

    • Again you giving use editing tools when we looking for Planing tool like Secrivener do you even look at the tow thing there nothing a like at all. Guest • Jun 2018 • 1 agrees and 1 disagrees Disagree   Agree

    Free Web

    Automated proofreading Proofreading Add a feature

    Typely icon

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Scrivener Comments

Comment by xlin
about Scrivener · Oct 2017 · Helpful Not helpful Report as spam

Wine compatible.

reply
AnotherOpinion · Jan 2018

Forget wine compatibility. I installed my scrivener on wine and it worked for quite some time, then suddenly for no reason that I could fathom it would save something that could't be read. Something in the WINE directory structure was not set up right. I looked for a solution and finally came across an "unofficial" linux version 1.9. This has some problems - I had to install aspel-dev to fix spelling and the toolbar buttons don't all work (the menu does however) all in all, the linux install is better even if it still needs work. I don't fully trust it so I make multitudinous copies.