yWriter Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to yWriter 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 yWriter and many of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Mac alternatives to yWriter are Scrivener, bibisco, Ulysses and novelWriter.

filter to find the best alternatives

yWriter alternatives are mainly Novel Authoring Tools, but if you're looking for Note-taking Tools or Text Editors you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Mac, Free and Linux. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to yWriter.
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Alternatives list

  1. Manuskript icon

    Manuskript

     168 likes
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    Open-source software offering a hierarchical outliner, distraction-free editor, character management, plot tools, Snowflake method support, section multi-organization, customizable writing workflows, cross-platform availability, and export to standard formats.

    118 Manuskript alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Manuskript screenshot 1
     
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    13
    Comments about Manuskript as an Alternative to yWriter
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Manuskript combines concepts and functions of yWriter, Novel Factory and Scrivener. It's a bit rough in its presentation, but a good alternative for anyone who can't decide between the aforementioned tools.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    yWriter Icon
    Manuskript icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Manuskript is a great yWriter alternative.

    • Manuskript is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to yWriter.

    • Manuskript is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to yWriter.

    • Manuskript is Free and Open SourceyWriter is Freemium and Proprietary
  2. Scrivener icon

    Scrivener

     262 likes
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    Tailored for extensive writing, this tool offers flexible structure and organization, integrates project outlines, supports various formats, and allows reorganization through drag and drop, ensuring research materials are within reach for efficient work.

    121 Scrivener alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac
    • Wine
    Scrivener screenshot 1
     
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    9
    Comments about Scrivener as an Alternative to yWriter
    Guest
    Positive
    2

    Structural similarity. But it's troublesome complicated program.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    Scrivener doesn't have the same layout that yWriter does, nor does it focus on scenes as much as yWriter does. Way too many features and distracting.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    yWriter Icon
    Scrivener icon

    • Most users think Scrivener is a great yWriter alternative.

    • Scrivener is the most popular iPhone & iPad alternative to yWriter.

    • Scrivener is the most popular commercial alternative to yWriter.

    • Scrivener is Paid and ProprietaryyWriter is Freemium and Proprietary
  4. bibisco icon

    bibisco

     85 likes
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    Desktop application for novel structuring, offering chapter and scene management, distraction-free text editing, detailed timeline, character interviews, multilingual support, export to publishing formats, revision history, relationship diagrams, and writing goal tracking.

    52 bibisco alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Electron
    • Node.JS
    Novel architecture
     
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    19
    Comments about bibisco as an Alternative to yWriter
    Guest
    Negative
    -1

    main character's option are really too numerous

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It may not be as flexible as yWriter to move text between scenes and chapters.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    yWriter Icon
    bibisco icon

    • Most users think bibisco is a great yWriter alternative.

    • bibisco is Freemium and Open SourceyWriter is Freemium and Proprietary
    • bibisco is Privacy focusedyWriter is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Scrivener icon
    Scrivener

    Tailored for extensive writing, this tool offers flexible structure and organization, integrates project outlines, supports various formats, and allows reorganization through drag and drop, ensuring research materials are within ...

    https://www.literatureandlatte.com
    Learn More
  6. Ulysses icon

    Ulysses

     69 likes
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    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.

    124 Ulysses alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Ulysses screenshot 1
     
  7. novelWriter icon

    novelWriter

     25 likes
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    novelWriter is a Markdown-like text editor designed for writing novels and larger projects of many smaller plain text documents. It uses its own flavor of Markdown that supports a meta data syntax for comments, synopsis and cross-referencing between files.

    61 novelWriter alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Qt
    • Python
    Screenshot of older version
     
  8. Daino Notes icon

    Daino Notes

     8 likes
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    Offers fast, distraction-free note-taking via a high-performance editor with real-time Markdown, local-first storage, image support, Kanban task boards, intuitive drag-and-drop, keyboard shortcuts, configurable themes, fast search, and cross-platform access.

    75 Daino Notes alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Daino Notes screenshot 1
     
  10. Lore Forge icon

    Lore Forge

     18 likes
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    The only app you'll need to write your novels and build your worlds. Organize your thoughts and cross-reference anything at any time.

    46 Lore Forge alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    Overview screen
     

    • Lore Forge is the most popular Web-based alternative to yWriter.

    • Lore Forge is Free and ProprietaryyWriter is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Lore Forge is Privacy focusedyWriter is not according to our users
  11. Fantasia Archive icon

    Fantasia Archive

     17 likes
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    Free offline worldbuilding and story creation tool with dozens of templates, complex tagging options, document linking, and project-wide search. Template examples: characters, places, events, religions, currencies, magic, species, languages.

    29 Fantasia Archive alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Fantasia Archive screenshot 1
     
  12. oStorybook icon

    oStorybook

     25 likes
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    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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    oStorybook screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about oStorybook as an Alternative to yWriter
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Layout is easier to use, more intuitive. Character database is excellent. However, yWriter shows you word count for each scene, very helpul.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    yWriter Icon
    oStorybook icon
    • oStorybook is Free and Open SourceyWriter is Freemium and Proprietary
  13. Plottr icon

    Plottr

     8 likes
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    Visual story plotting software for planning novels with drag and drop scenes, timeline and outline views, centralized notes, features for making characters and locations, color coding, tagging, syncing across devices, and exporting to multiple formats.

    40 Plottr alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once or Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Plottr screenshot 1
     
  14. Campfire Write icon

    Campfire Write

     7 likes
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    Campfire provides a one-stop-shop for novelists: organizational and writing tools (Campfire Write), a hub of writing resources (Campfire Learn), & a writing and reading platform for building an audience and sharing your work (Campfire Explore).

    69 Campfire Write alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once or Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Windows
    • Mac
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    Campfire Write screenshot 1
     
  15. Story Planner for Writers icon

    Story Planner for Writers

     12 likes
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    Story Planner is a focused, flexible app to outline all kind of stories. Used by writers, screenwriters, producers, directors and all kind of story tellers, Story Planner has quick and easy-to-use story organization, with sync on all your devices and export options to help you...

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Story Planner for Writers screenshot 1
    Story Planner for Writers screenshot 2
    Story Planner for Writers screenshot 3
     
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12 of 30 yWriter alternatives