Scrivener Alternatives for Mac

    There are many alternatives to Scrivener for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best Mac alternative is Manuskript, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Scrivener and many of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to Scrivener are bibisco (Freemium, Open Source), yWriter (Freemium), Zettlr (Free, Open Source) and Dendron (Free, Open Source).

    This page was last updated Nov 23, 2021
    1. Manuskript is an open-source tool for writers, with outliner, character management, plot development, distraction-free editor, etc. Outliner Organize your thoughts and snippets in a hierarchical manner. Organize them as you wish, reorganize them on the go.
      show more ▾
      Manuskript vs Scrivener opinions
      Most users think Manuskript is a great alternative to Scrivener.
       all • positive • negative      relevance • date
      A intuitive tool that is not overloaded. A basic wordprocessor and a binder. Feels a lot like pen and paper.
      Top positive comment  over 1 year ago

      3
      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.
      Top positive comment  almost 5 years ago

      8
      It's a very efficient alternative to Scrivener. It does not require long, lengthy tutorials. If there's one thing I don't like, it's that it's pretty slow. It lags a lot. Another is that it's not an app. And it's hard to look for it if you forgot where you stored it. The third is you can't add images and it's not very customizable like Scrivener is. Those are probably the only three things I don't like. Otherwise, it's extremely easy to use :)
      Positive comment • 3 months ago

      0
      KB_Tidwell I own Scrivener for Windows and iOS, but my favorite writing machine is a Linux laptop, so here I am. I like that Manuskript closely parallels Scrivener features, throws in a good timeline function that Scrivener doesn't have, but is a lighter, less feature-congested utility. I'm having a great time writing with Manuskript.
      Positive comment • 3 months ago

      0
      RCLeahcar Manuskript is very much like a free lightweight version of Scrivener; does not have all the whistles and bells but it has a similar interface and workflow. Also has a timeline tracking tool which Scrivener currently does not have
      Positive comment • about 1 year ago

      0
      LapoMelzi 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.
      Positive comment • about 2 years ago

      4
      redbeardgrey 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.
      Positive comment • over 2 years ago

      0
      Show more comments ▾
      7 of 8 comments
    2. bibisco is a novel writing software that helps you to write your story, in a simple way.
      show more ▾
      bibisco vs Scrivener opinions
      Most users think bibisco is a great alternative to Scrivener.
      callyw 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.
      Top positive comment  almost 5 years ago

      4
      laurafecco simple and very useful to know your characters!
      Top positive comment  about 5 years ago

      1
      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?
      Top negative comment  about 4 years ago

      5
      Bibisco keeps getting in the way. No, dude. I don't want to outline your way. Not only does it insist to make you fill in stuff you don't want to, it doesn't even offer a way to disable it!
      Negative comment • 3 months ago

      0
      LapoMelzi Too strict in his structure and the same time not thorough enough so that the boxing in would by uselful
      Negative comment • about 2 years ago

      6
      thatmasquedgirl 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.
      Positive comment • about 3 years ago

      -4
      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.
      Positive comment • almost 5 years ago

      -3
    4. 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, items) as well as place it and rearrange it within the context of chapters.
      show more ▾
      yWriter vs Scrivener opinions
      Most users think yWriter is a great alternative to Scrivener.
      isahbellah 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!
      Top positive comment  over 4 years ago

      -2
      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.
      Top positive comment  about 3 years ago

      -4
      I hated it. It kept trying to force me to follow its workflow (invented by the author, I think), and I use a different one. Scrivener suits my workflow, and yWriter does not. It is still on my hard drive, however, just in case.
      Top negative comment  about 1 year ago

      -1
      robyellow95 For some reason, this reminds me of my high school notebooks: Flipping through pages trying to find crap.
      Positive comment • 9 months ago

      0
      Written and maintained by a novellist/software developer, yWriter is free to use, has a no-frills UI, supports cloud saving/device sync via Dropbox and Google Drive, takes automatic backups, and has an Android app (my main dealbreaker with Scrivener).
      Positive comment • about 1 year ago

      0
      Free, reliable, logical layout. It also has a phone app that can sync with the desktop app if you use a cloud drive. Lots of other great features.
      Positive comment • over 1 year ago

      0
      have not the same versatility
      Negative comment • almost 4 years ago

      0
    5. Zettlr is a supercharged markdown editor that combines many writing editor features and collect them in one application. It aims at speeding up your workflow and help you write without any interruptions.
      show more ▾
      Zettlr vs Scrivener opinions
      Most users think Zettlr is a great alternative to Scrivener.
      RCLeahcar Zettlr is more of a general note-taking app, and doesn't have the author-oriented features of Scrivener
      Negative comment • 4 months ago

      2
      Zettlr is a fantastic alternative to Scrivener - give it a go. It's brilliant.
      Positive comment • over 1 year ago

      -2
    6. Dendron is an open-source, local-first, markdown-based, note-taking tool built on top of VSCode. It supports all the usual features you would expect like tagging, backlinks, a graph view, split panes, and so forth.
      show more ▾
    8. 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 brainstorm, draft, revise and even submit text on a professional level.
      show more ▾
      Ulysses vs Scrivener opinions
      Some users think Ulysses is a great alternative to Scrivener, some don't.
      ndas1 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.
      Negative comment • about 4 years ago

      1
    9. oStorybook is a free, open source novel-writing software for creative writers, novelists and authors which will help you to keep an overview of multiple plot-lines while writing texts.
      show more ▾
      Some users think oStorybook is a great alternative to Scrivener, some don't.
    10. Rentry.co is a markdown pastebin and publishing service with preview, custom urls and editing. Fast, simple and free.
      show more ▾
    11. A distraction free writing app built with an intelligent editor, smart organization & a design brought to perfection after years of iterations. Practically magic
      show more ▾
    12. SuperNotecard is an intuitive tool that uses notecards to capture and organize your ideas. These virtual notecards can be moved into decks, arranged on the screen, or grouped and categorized with ease.
      show more ▾
    Showing 10 of 37 alternatives