The main Novlr alternatives are Scrivener, a one-time desktop app, Dabble, a synced app that writes offline, and Reedsy Studio, a free browser app that formats books. Atticus, Storyist and Deckle write and format in one app, and bibisco and yWriter are free desktop tools. Authors usually leave Novlr for full offline work, a one-time licence, or a typeset print book.
No standards body ranks writing software, so this page ranks nothing. Every Novlr fact comes from novlr.org and Novlr's help pages, read on 20 October 2026. Other tools' facts come from their own sites on the same date. Prices are in US dollars as of October 2026.
What Novlr does well
Novlr is a browser-based writing workspace. Its homepage calls it "The workspace for creative writers."
- Writer ownership. Novlr says it "is the only creative writing platform to be owned by the writers who use it." The Lifetime Studio Member plan includes co-ownership of the company.
- No AI. Novlr's help says "We do not have AI built into our platform." Its homepage says "All words by humans."
- Planning next to the draft. Notes hold research, character sketches and lore. A note-powered planning grid outlines the project, and a plot grid tracks "every story arc and plot thread."
- Habits. The free plan includes focus mode, writing sprints, streaks, comments and writing analytics. Goals are in Free too, by Novlr's help article (updated 28 April 2026) and the pricing page's comparison table, which ticks "Writing goals & progress tracking" for all three plans; the same page's Starter card lists "Set goals, track your writing streaks, and get success nudges" as Starter-only (as of 21 October 2026).
- Co-authors and beta readers. Shared projects have Co-authors, who share ownership of the project, and Beta Readers, who "only see their own comments and threads they're mentioned in."
- A free plan. It holds 2 projects and syncs across devices.
- Active development. Novlr's changelog shows updates on 6, 7, 8 and 13 October 2026, including a new Submission Manuscript export and EPUB validation fixes.
If you want a no-AI writing app in the browser, owned by its writers, Novlr does that job.
Why authors look for a Novlr alternative
- It is a web app. "Novlr is a web app, so it doesn't need any external downloads to work." There is no phone app. You add a shortcut to your home screen from Safari or Chrome.
- Offline is limited, and the help pages disagree. The offline article says that if your connection drops, "Novlr switches to 'offline mode,' storing your work locally (to the browser)," and it adds that "we do not recommend using Novlr offline for long periods." The phone-app article says "you will still need an active internet connection to use Novlr, even if you've added an app shortcut." Both articles were live on 20 October 2026.
- It is a subscription for most authors. The free plan holds 2 projects. Starter is $8 a month billed yearly for 10 projects and 30 days of version history. Studio is $16 a month billed yearly for unlimited projects and version history. The one-time option is Lifetime Studio Member at $499.
- Export is for drafts more than typeset books. Novlr's memoir page offers "Export to PDF for traditional printing" and "Export DOCX, ODT, or RTF files in seconds." Its changelog shows EPUB export too, and its pricing help says EPUB export is a Studio feature (as of October 2026). None of these Novlr pages describes trim sizes, bleed or typesetting controls.
Novlr alternatives at a glance
| Tool | What it is | Platforms | Price (as of October 2026) | Offline | EPUB | Print PDF | Generative AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novlr | Browser writing workspace | Web only | Free (2 projects); $8 or $16 a month billed yearly ($10 or $20 billed monthly); $499 lifetime | Limited, in the browser | Studio only | PDF export | None |
| Scrivener | Writing and organising | Mac, Windows, iOS | $59.99 Mac or Windows, one-time | Yes | Yes, via Compile | Compile to PDF | None mentioned |
| Dabble | Writing and plotting, cloud-synced | Windows, Mac, Linux, browser, phones (web app) | $15 a month billed annually and up; lifetime $699 or $899 | Yes, syncs later | No | No (browser print) | None |
| Reedsy Studio | Writing and formatting | Web only | Free; add-ons from $4.99 a month | No | Yes, EPUB 3 | Yes | None listed |
| Atticus | Writing and formatting | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, browser | $147 one-time | Writing yes; import and export need a connection | Yes | Yes | None mentioned |
| Storyist | Writing, planning and formatting | Mac, iPhone, iPad | $59 Mac; $19 iOS, one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | None mentioned |
| bibisco | Writing and organising | Windows, Mac, Linux | Free Community; $69 Supporters | Yes | Supporters only | PDF export | None mentioned |
| Deckle | Writing, organising and formatting | Windows, macOS, Linux | One-time purchase; free demo | Yes | Yes | Yes | None |
What Novlr costs over three years
Novlr's pricing page shows yearly billing for its two paid plans. The figures below are each vendor's own prices, multiplied out.
| Option | Year 1 | Three years |
|---|---|---|
| Novlr Starter ($8 a month billed yearly) | $96 | $288 |
| Novlr Studio ($16 a month billed yearly) | $192 | $576 |
| Novlr Lifetime Studio Member | $499 | $499 |
| Scrivener for Mac or Windows | $59.99 | $59.99, plus any paid major upgrade |
| Storyist for Mac (Storyist store) | $59 | $59, plus any paid major upgrade |
| Atticus | $147 | $147 |
| Reedsy Studio, free core | $0 | $0 |
Novlr Studio also includes Novlr Sites, an author website builder that Novlr sells separately at $6 a month or $60 a year. If you would pay for that anyway, the gap narrows.
A Novlr alternative that works offline
Desktop apps keep your files on your own disk and need no connection to write.
Scrivener runs on Mac and Windows, with a separate iOS app. It has a Binder, a Corkboard of index cards, an Outliner, Snapshots and writing targets. Literature & Latte's overview says Compile can "Create Epub and Kindle ebooks" and "Generate PDF files ready for self-publishing." The features page still says so, but the macOS release notes record Kindle (.mobi) removed in 3.5.0 (1 October 2025); the Windows version still has it. It costs $59.99 per platform. The detail is in Scrivener alternatives, which also covers the tools people leave Scrivener for.
Storyist runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad. It combines a word processor with an outliner, index cards and Story Sheets, and makes EPUB, print-ready PDFs and, through Amazon's separate KindleGen tool, Kindle ebooks (per Storyist's tutorial, as of October 2026). It is a one-time purchase with a 14-day trial. The full picture is in Storyist alternatives.
bibisco and yWriter are free desktop tools that store everything locally. bibisco runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. yWriter runs on Windows.
Dabble is the closest match to Novlr's way of working. It syncs through the cloud like Novlr, but it saves each change to your device first and syncs when you reconnect. It does not export EPUB or a typeset PDF.
A one-time alternative to Novlr
Novlr's one-time option is $499. These alternatives cost less to own outright.
- Scrivener: $59.99 for Mac or Windows, one licence per platform. iOS is $23.99. Major versions may need a paid upgrade.
- Storyist: $59 for Mac from Storyist's store, or $59.99 on the Mac App Store. iOS is $19, or $19.99 on the App Store.
- Atticus: $147, with updates included. It writes and formats, exporting EPUB, print-ready PDF and DOCX.
- Deckle: a one-time purchase, covered below.
More options are in writing software with a one-time purchase.
A free alternative to Novlr
Reedsy Studio is free in the browser and formats books, exporting EPUB 3 and a print-ready PDF. It has real-time collaboration with comments and tracked changes. Asked in its Studio FAQ whether it works offline, Reedsy answers "Currently, no." The details are in Reedsy Studio offline.
bibisco Community Edition is free on Windows, Mac and Linux, and exports PDF and DOCX. EPUB export and writing goals are in the paid Supporters Edition, per bibisco's edition comparison, updated 28 February 2026. yWriter is free on Windows and exports EPUB.
If you chose Novlr because it has no AI
Novlr is one of a small group of vendors with a written no-AI position. Scrivener, Storyist, Atticus and bibisco describe no AI features. Dabble says it "will never put words on the page for you." Plottr says "We're not building AI into Plottr." Novelcrafter and LivingWriter include generative AI, so they are not like-for-like replacements. The exact wording of Novlr's statement is in does Novlr use AI, and the vendor-by-vendor picture is in novel writing software without AI.
Deckle: a desktop app that writes and formats
Deckle is our app, so weigh this section accordingly.
Deckle is a native desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux. A project is a folder on your own disk, holding one .deckle database for the writing, notes and settings, plus research/ and .deckle-assets/ folders. It works offline after activation, with no limit on how long. It contains no generative AI.
For organising, Deckle has a Binder (Draft, Research, Trash), an Outliner with a Grid View of index cards and a List view, a Codex for characters, locations and items, and a Timeline with plotlines. For the habits Novlr covers, it has Focus Mode, writing sprints of 15, 25 or 45 minutes, and Writing Stats with daily or weekly goals in words or minutes, plus streaks.
Writing Stats: draft totals and a goal in words or minutes
The difference from Novlr is the finished book. Deckle formats it with 26 built-in style presets, eight trim sizes, drop caps and running heads. It exports EPUB (Generic, Kindle, Apple Books and Kobo targets), a print PDF and DOCX. The Kindle target writes an EPUB, which KDP accepts for ebooks.
Style presets, previewed on the page
Where Deckle is behind Novlr:
- No browser or phone version. Novlr runs in any browser.
- No cloud sync. Files are local. Novlr syncs across devices on every plan.
- No co-authors or beta-reader sharing. Deckle has inline comments only.
- No writer ownership. Deckle is not owned by its users.
- No written no-AI policy. Deckle has no AI in its code today, but it has not published a pledge like Novlr's.
- No free plan. Deckle is a one-time purchase with a free demo.
To try it, click Try it free on the screen Deckle opens to. There is no card, no account and no time limit. It opens a sample novel with every screen open to explore, and you can restyle it and export real EPUB, PDF and DOCX files. New writing is capped at about 500 words, and new documents and imports are blocked.
How to move a book out of Novlr
Export a Word file from Novlr, then import it into the new tool. Novlr's export help says "Exported projects will preserve their heading hierarchy if available in that format." That matters, because Scrivener, Atticus and Deckle use headings to split a Word file into chapters. Deckle also imports EPUB, so a Novlr EPUB export is a second route.
Export from the project's three-dot menu, then pick the format. Test two chapters in the new app before you move the whole book, using the method in how to move a manuscript between writing apps. Novlr's export help describes the manuscript only, so check what you need from your notes and plot grid before you leave.
What you'd lose by leaving Novlr
| Novlr feature | What the alternatives offer |
|---|---|
| Any browser, any device | Reedsy Studio and Dabble run in a browser. Scrivener and Storyist have iOS apps. Deckle, bibisco and yWriter are desktop only. |
| Sync on the free plan | Dabble syncs. Scrivener syncs through Dropbox. Deckle, bibisco and yWriter are local only. |
| Co-authors and beta readers | Reedsy Studio and Dabble have co-authoring. Atticus has collaboration. Scrivener, Storyist and Deckle list none. |
| A written no-AI position | Dabble and Plottr have one. Scrivener, Storyist, Atticus and Deckle have no AI but no pledge. |
| Co-ownership of the company | No alternative here offers it. |
FAQ
What is the best Novlr alternative?
Nothing authoritative ranks writing software. Scrivener suits a one-time desktop app, Dabble suits synced writing that works offline, Reedsy Studio suits a free browser tool, and Atticus, Storyist or Deckle suit writing and formatting in one app.
Is Novlr free?
Novlr has a free plan that holds 2 projects. Starter is $8 a month and Studio $16 a month billed yearly, or $10 and $20 billed monthly, and a lifetime plan costs $499 (as of October 2026).
Does Novlr work offline?
Only partly. Novlr's offline article says it stores your work in the browser if your connection drops, and does not recommend long offline use. Its phone-app article says you need an active internet connection.
Does Novlr have an app?
No. Novlr says it "is a web app" with no downloads. You can add a home-screen shortcut on a phone or tablet.
Does Novlr use AI?
No. Novlr's help says "We do not have AI built into our platform."
Is there a Novlr alternative without a subscription?
Scrivener ($59.99 per platform), Storyist ($59 for Mac), Atticus ($147) and Deckle are one-time purchases. Novlr's own one-time plan is $499.
Novlr or Scrivener?
Novlr is a browser app with sync, sharing and a free plan. Scrivener is a desktop app with deeper organising tools and Compile, sold once per platform.
Novlr or Reedsy Studio?
Both are browser apps with free plans and no AI features. Reedsy Studio exports EPUB 3 and a print-ready PDF for publishing. Novlr has sprints, streaks, writing groups and a written no-AI position.
Sources
All retrieved 20 October 2026. Prices change, so check the vendor page before buying.
- Novlr, homepage: "The workspace for creative writers", writer ownership, "All words by humans", plot grid, notes
- Novlr, Pricing: plans, prices, project limits, version history, Novlr Sites; comparison table ticks goals for all plans, Starter card lists goals as Starter-only (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Novlr, Pricing (monthly billing $10 and $20) and Novlr Help, How much does Novlr cost? (EPUB export on Studio; "access to goals and streaks" on Free, updated 28 April 2026), both retrieved 21 October 2026
- Novlr Help, Can I use Novlr offline?: offline mode, browser storage, long-period warning
- Novlr Help, Is there a Novlr phone app?: web app, home-screen shortcut, "active internet connection"
- Novlr Help, Does Novlr have any AI integrated? (updated 27 April 2026)
- Novlr Help, How do I export my Novlr project? and Writing articles: export steps, heading hierarchy, import formats, shared projects
- Novlr, Memoir writing software: PDF, DOCX, ODT and RTF export
- Novlr, Changelog: EPUB export fixes (6 October 2026), Submission Manuscript export (8 October 2026)
- Literature & Latte, Scrivener overview, Scrivener features and Scrivener FAQ
- Amazon KDP Help, What file formats are supported for eBook manuscripts?: EPUB and DOCX accepted
- Storyist, Storyist for macOS and Store
- Storyist Support, Publish on Amazon (retrieved 21 October 2026): Kindle export needs KindleGen
- Dabble pricing, Reedsy Studio FAQ, Atticus, How to Access Atticus (last updated 14 February 2024), bibisco download, bibisco Community vs Supporters (updated 28 February 2026, retrieved 20 October 2026), yWriter 7, Plottr
- Literature & Latte, Cross-grading: "Scrivener for macOS or Windows is $59.99" (the store page loads its prices from the checkout, so this page shows the figure in its text), retrieved 21 October 2026
- Literature & Latte, Scrivener release notes for macOS: 3.5.0, 1 October 2025, Kindle (.mobi) removed from Compile; the Windows notes, up to 3.1.6 (3 September 2025), record no such change (retrieved 21 October 2026)
Novlr is a trademark of its owner, as are Dabble, Reedsy, Atticus, Storyist, bibisco, yWriter, Plottr, Novelcrafter and LivingWriter. Scrivener is a trademark of Literature & Latte. Deckle is not affiliated with or endorsed by any product named here.