Apps similar to Scrivener include Zettlr, which is free and open source. Other options are Manuskript, Dendron, Rentry.co and Ulysses. There's no shortage of Novel Authoring Tools like Scrivener, with more than 100 alternatives for Windows, the web, Mac, Linux and iPhone.
Guided platform for fiction authors offering structured workflows from idea to publication, with an intelligent AI writing partner, manuscript revision, packaging tools, full author control, privacy, markdown export, and flexible, template-free authoring.
EpicWorldBuilder.com gives you a unified space to build worlds, design maps, run campaigns, and play online with friends without juggling multiple apps. The world-building system works like a personal Wikipedia, with pages for characters, places, items, and lore that you can...
United States
garret is a free, open-source writing studio for novelists. It keeps your manuscript, story planning, research, and revisions together on your own disk. You can write offline without creating an account.
A simple notes app for Windows. Your notes stay in one file on your own computer. No account, no cloud, free and open source.
Netherlands
EU
Combines lore library, detailed timeline, and manuscript editor in one workspace, with scene dating on custom calendars, contradiction checks by logic, cross-linked entries, live lore references, maps, family trees, viewer sharing, offline desktop sync, and no AI involved.
United States
Understory is a Markdown notes app for the Mac. Inspired by Niklas Luhmann's Zettelkasten system, it's the notes app that gets better with each additional note. Notes can be linked and structured in an outline, making it ideal for discovering and forming new connections...
United States
All-in-one fiction writing and worldbuilding platform for drafting, planning, collaboration, beta feedback, publishing, and author pages.
United States
Deckle is an all-in-one writing, formatting, and publishing app for novelists. Write and structure your manuscript, preview how your book will look in print, and prepare it for publication — all in one place.
Free book writing editor with AI co-author, story bible, character tracking, and chapter management. The Scrivener alternative that lives in your browser.
Canada
AI-powered writing platform for fiction authors — Story Bible, conflict detection, AI Copilot, and book export in one place.
United States
A macOS writing environment whose AI reads your whole manuscript to help you revise — it won't write it for you. Manuscript, notes, and built-in library research in one local-first window.
Japan
Plan, write, and structure long-form fiction with offline scene reordering, plot timeline, character mapping, AI writing assistant, notes for world-building, export options, and privacy-first local storage. No subscriptions, one-time payment, or web account required.
