Zettlr
Distraction-free editorsMarkdown IDE for writers and researchers with citations
- Stars
- ★ 13.8k
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
Free alternatives to Scrivener
Last updated · 19 options
Quick answer: Zettlr has the most stars on its repository of the 19 options here (★ 13.8k), followed by ink / inklewriter (★ 5k). Stars show popularity, not fit, so check formats, platforms and licence for your own work.
Literature & Latte's long-form manuscript app for novels, theses and research-heavy writing. Here are 19 free options, most-starred first.
ink / inklewriter
AI writing assistantsOpen narrative scripting language from inkle for interactive fiction
- Stars
- ★ 5k
- Licence
- MIT
- Updated
Alternative to Scrivener
novelWriter
Novel & long-form writingMarkdown novel editor with a project tree and plain-text storage
- Stars
- ★ 3.2k
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
Manuskript
Novel & long-form writingOpen-source novel organiser with outliner, index cards and story line
- Stars
- ★ 2.5k
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
bibisco
Novel & long-form writingNovel-writing app focused on characters and architecture of the story
- Stars
- ★ 770
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
FocusWriter
Distraction-free editorsFull-screen distraction-free writer with goals and themes
- Stars
- ★ 721
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
WaveMaker
Novel & long-form writingBrowser-based novel planner and writer with cards and manuscript view
- Stars
- ★ 19
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Updated
Aeon Timeline
Worldbuilding & plottingTimeline app for stories, series and research chronology
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Proprietary
Atticus
Formatting & publishingWriting plus ebook and print formatting in one paid app
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Proprietary
Campfire Writing
Worldbuilding & plottingModular worldbuilding and writing suite for fiction authors
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Freemium
Alternative to World Anvil, Plottr
Dabble
Novel & long-form writingCloud novel app with plotting, goals and manuscript tools
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Proprietary
iA Writer
Distraction-free editorsFocused markdown writing app for Apple and Windows
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Proprietary
LivingWriter
Novel & long-form writingCloud manuscript app with outlining, boards and collaboration
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Freemium
NovelCrafter
AI writing assistantsAI-assisted fiction workshop with codex and prompts you control
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Proprietary
N
Novlr
Novel & long-form writingCloud novel workspace with goals, courses and manuscript tools
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Freemium
Plottr
Worldbuilding & plottingVisual timelines and plot outlines for novels and series
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Proprietary
Alternative to Scrivener
Reedsy Book Editor
Novel & long-form writingFree browser manuscript editor from Reedsy with clean export
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Freemium
Alternative to Scrivener, Microsoft Word
SmartEdit Writer
Novel & long-form writingWindows novel organiser with built-in manuscript analysis
- Licence
- Proprietary
- Status
- Freemium
Alternative to Scrivener, ProWritingAid
yWriter
Novel & long-form writingFreeware scene-based novel organiser from Spacejock Software
- Licence
- Freeware
- Status
- Free (proprietary)
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How to switch
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to Scrivener?
Yes. WriterAlts lists 19 options: Zettlr, ink / inklewriter, novelWriter, Manuskript, bibisco, FocusWriter, WaveMaker, Aeon Timeline, Atticus, Campfire Writing, Dabble, iA Writer, LivingWriter, NovelCrafter, Novlr, Plottr, Reedsy Book Editor, SmartEdit Writer and yWriter.
Which Scrivener alternatives are open source?
Zettlr (GPL-3.0), ink / inklewriter (MIT), novelWriter (GPL-3.0), Manuskript (GPL-3.0), bibisco (GPL-3.0), FocusWriter (GPL-3.0) and WaveMaker (GPL-3.0). The others are free or freemium but not open source.
Which Scrivener alternatives run on a Mac?
Zettlr, ink / inklewriter, novelWriter, Manuskript, bibisco, FocusWriter, Aeon Timeline, Atticus, Campfire Writing, iA Writer and Plottr. The others listed here aren't listed for macOS.
How do I move from Scrivener to novelWriter?
Compile or export your Scrivener project to DOCX or plain text, then import chapter by chapter into a new novelWriter project. Our step-by-step guide follows novelWriter's official documentation.
Related categories: Distraction-free editors · AI writing assistants · Novel & long-form writing · Worldbuilding & plotting · Formatting & publishing
Free tools are not always drop-in replacements. Check that a tool exports a format your editor, agent or printer accepts, and back up your manuscript before you switch mid-draft.