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Scrivener Alternatives 2026: 5 Free Options
Scrivener alternatives: novelWriter, Manuskript, LibreOffice, Google Docs and 2 more. Prices and licenses checked October 25, 2026.
•3 min read•Writing & AI Writing
Verdict:Scrivener sells a perpetual licence at $59.99 per platform (macOS or Windows), with a 30-day trial and a separate $23.99 iOS app, which is why people looking for a free replacement usually want its binder and compile tools without the fee. Nothing free copies it exactly. novelWriter is the closest in spirit for people who like plain text: it is GPL-3.0, cross-platform, and splits a novel into small documents, but expects markdown-like syntax and has no corkboard. Manuskript tries to be an open-source Scrivener with planning and outline views, so check its release activity and test it with a copy of a project first. If your manuscript is mostly prose, LibreOffice or Google Docs works fine and costs nothing; Google Docs adds sharing with an editor, and LibreOffice works offline. Obsidian suits writers who want a worldbuilding wiki next to the draft, but you will assemble the manuscript yourself. Novelcrafter is paid, from $4 a month, and fits writers who want AI help planning. The trade-off is structure against price: Scrivener's compile step is worth the one-time cost if you publish often. Leave it if you only draft and export to a word processor anyway.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| novelWriter | Free (Free and open source; donation link only) | Linux, Windows, macOS (pip install) | Free plain-text novel project | Docs only |
| Manuskript | Free (Free software; no paid tier) | Linux, macOS, Windows | Free outliner with planning tools | Docs only |
| LibreOffice | Free (download and use at no cost per its site) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Plain manuscript in a word processor | Docs only |
| Google Docs | Free (Free for anyone with a Google Account; storage comes from the Google account quota) | Web, iOS, Android | Collaborating with editors | Docs only |
| Obsidian | Free (core app with no limits, including commercial use); paid from $4 per user/month, billed annually (Sync add-on; $5 billed monthly) | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Worldbuilding and linked notes | Docs only |
| Novelcrafter | Paid from $4 per month, monthly billing (Scribe, which does not allow bringing your own API key; the Hobbyist plan at $8 a month does) | Web | Planning novels with AI help | Docs only |
| Ulysses | Paid from $5.99 per month ($39.99 billed yearly) | macOS, iPadOS, iOS | Writing | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
See the tools in action
Explore the interface and watch a workflow before choosing.
Good fit if
- You want a free novel project in plain text (novelWriter is the pick)
- You want a free outliner with character and plot planning (Manuskript is the pick)
- You mostly write prose and send it to an editor (Google Docs is the pick)
- You keep a worldbuilding wiki next to the draft (Obsidian is the pick)
- You want a simple free word processor offline (LibreOffice is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on Scrivener features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
Scrivener today: Paid from $59.99 per one-time licence per platform (macOS or Windows; iOS is $23.99) (Scrivener pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Why people look for Scrivener alternatives
Scrivener is sold per platform: Mac and Windows are separate licences, with a bundle at a discount, and iOS is a separate $23.99 purchase that requires a Dropbox account for sync. Windows needs 64-bit Windows 10 or later and macOS needs 11 or later. The trial is 30 days. Upgrades to new major versions are separate purchases, linked from the store page without prices.
novelWriter
Compared with Scrivener: GPL-3.0 plain-text editor for novels built from many small documents with cross-references. No drag-and-drop corkboard like Scrivener, but no price and your files stay as plain text.
Price: Free (Free and open source; donation link only) (novelWriter pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Linux, Windows, macOS (pip install). GPL-3.0 (open source).
Project activity: 3.2k GitHub stars · latest release v26.2.2 (Oct 11, 2026) · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Best for: Free plain-text novel project.
Worth knowing: Plain-text, markdown-like editor for novels, built from many small documents with cross-references. The site says macOS DMG releases ended in 2026.1; macOS users install the Python package.
Manuskript
Compared with Scrivener: GPL-3.0 open-source writing tool with premise, characters, plot and outline planning, and export to ePub and DOCX. Less polished than Scrivener, so check its recent releases before committing a long project.
Price: Free (Free software; no paid tier) (Manuskript pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Linux, macOS, Windows. GPL-3.0 (open source).
Project activity: 2.5k GitHub stars · latest release 0.17.0 (Jun 30, 2025) · last commit Sep 1, 2026
Best for: Free outliner with planning tools.
LibreOffice
Compared with Scrivener: Free MPL-2.0 office suite. Its Writer handles long documents and a navigator, but lacks Scrivener's binder, snapshots and compile feature, so it suits simple manuscripts.
Price: Free (download and use at no cost per its site) (LibreOffice pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. MPL-2.0 (open source).
Best for: Plain manuscript in a word processor.
Worth knowing: Desktop suite of Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math; it has no built-in cloud storage or email.
Google Docs
Compared with Scrivener: Free with a Google account, with outline view and easy sharing. You lose Scrivener's project structure and offline-first design but gain real-time collaboration.
Price: Free (Free for anyone with a Google Account; storage comes from the Google account quota) (Google Docs pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Collaborating with editors.
Obsidian
Compared with Scrivener: Core app is free with no limits. Notes in plain markdown files with links make a good planning wall, but there is no compile-to-manuscript feature like Scrivener has.
Price: Free (core app with no limits, including commercial use); paid from $4 per user/month, billed annually (Sync add-on; $5 billed monthly) (Obsidian pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Worldbuilding and linked notes.
Novelcrafter
Compared with Scrivener: Fiction-writing tool with a 21-day trial and Scribe from $4 a month. Adds AI and codex features Scrivener lacks, but it is a subscription and not free.
Price: Paid from $4 per month, monthly billing (Scribe, which does not allow bringing your own API key; the Hobbyist plan at $8 a month does) (Novelcrafter pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Web. Proprietary.
Best for: Planning novels with AI help.
Other popular options (paid)
Ulysses
Compared with Scrivener: Ulysses is $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year across Mac, iPad and iPhone only, so no Windows. It is a subscription writing app where Scrivener is a one-off licence, and the page mentions no free trial.
Price: Paid from $5.99 per month ($39.99 billed yearly) (Ulysses pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
Which one to pick
- You want a free novel project in plain text: novelWriter
- You want a free outliner with character and plot planning: Manuskript
- You mostly write prose and send it to an editor: Google Docs
- You keep a worldbuilding wiki next to the draft: Obsidian
- You want a simple free word processor offline: LibreOffice
Limits of this review
Docs-only for novelWriter, Manuskript, LibreOffice, Google Docs, Obsidian, Novelcrafter: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from Scrivener. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-25: Scrivener, novelWriter, Manuskript, LibreOffice, Google Docs, Obsidian, Novelcrafter, Ulysses. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.