# Alternatives to Scrivener

The long-form writing studio for authors.

Scrivener ranks #3 of 10 in Writing apps, with an Alt Score of 82. It is proprietary, sold as a one-time purchase from $23.99 and available on Windows, macOS and iOS. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/scrivener/
Category: Writing apps

## Where Scrivener stands out

- **Version history** — 2 of 7 apps with a verified answer have this
- **One-time purchase option** — 5 of 10 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Writers working on long-form projects—novelists, screenwriters, academics, and nonfiction writers—who need to organize large manuscripts made of many pieces rather than one continuous document.
- **What you get**: A binder for structuring a project into nested documents and folders, a corkboard of index cards for visually rearranging sections, and an outliner for viewing structure, word counts, and metadata. It also holds research materials (PDFs, images, web pages) alongside your draft, and compiles the project into formats like Word, PDF, ePub, or Final Draft.
- **How it works**: You break a manuscript into smaller documents in the binder, write and reorder them using the corkboard or outliner, then use Compile to assemble the pieces into a single formatted output file.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: One-time (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $23.99 (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, iOS
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Ulysses](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ulysses.md) | 91 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS |
| 2 | [iA Writer](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ia-writer.md) | 86 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, iOS |
| 3 | [Atticus](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/atticus.md) | 73 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web |
| 4 | [Dabble](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/dabble.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Web |
| 5 | [Manuskript](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/manuskript.md) | 68 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 6 | [novelWriter](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/novelwriter.md) | 68 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 7 | [Typora](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/typora.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 8 | [Ghostwriter](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ghostwriter.md) | 50 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, Linux |
| 9 | [FocusWriter](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/focuswriter.md) | 42 | GPL-3.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Writing apps checklist | Scrivener | Ulysses | iA Writer | Atticus | Dabble | Manuskript |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-time | Subscription | One-time | One-time | Subscription | Free |
| Starts at | $23.99 | $5.99/month | $29.99 one-time | $147 one-time | $19/month | ? |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-3.0 |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, iOS | macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web | Windows, macOS, Web | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Markdown support | Partial | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Yes |
| Distraction-free mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes |
| Long-form organization (chapters) | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Goals & word counts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export formats (docx, epub, pdf) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Sync between devices | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Version history | Yes | Yes | Partial | ? | No | ? |
| One-time purchase option | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Offline | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Publishing integrations | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? |

## Sources

Sources for Scrivener. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Pricing model**: One-time — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/crossgrading> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Scrivener for macOS or Windows is $59.99.”
- **Starts at**: $23.99 — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/scrivener/id972387337> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “$23.99”
- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/faqs> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Copyright © 2005–2026 Literature & Latte Ltd. All rights reserved.”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, iOS — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Scrivener is available for iOS, macOS and Windows, so you can spread out on a big screen, sync using Dropbox or transfer with iTunes, and then pluck your book from your pocket and carry on writing on ”
- **Status**: active — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Scrivener 3.5.2 Requires macOS 11+”
- **Markdown support**: Partial — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/epub-kindle-and-multimarkdown-export-in-scrivener-3> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “you can export to any MultiMarkdown format even if you don't write using MultiMarkdown syntax”
- **Distraction-free mode**: Yes — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/distraction-free-writing-with-scrivener> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Composition Mode turns the Scrivener interface into a page on a background, with a Control Bar at the bottom of the screen, that only displays when you move your cursor there.”
- **Long-form organization (chapters)**: Yes — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “At its heart is a simple ring-binder metaphor that allows you to gather your material and flick between different parts of your manuscript, notes and references with ease.”
- **Goals & word counts**: Yes — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Set word or character targets for your entire manuscript or for sections within it—or set a target for the current writing session. Keep track of word and character counts as you write.”
- **Export formats (docx, epub, pdf)**: Yes — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Export to a wide variety of file formats, including Microsoft Word, RTF and OpenOffice. Save screenplays to Final Draft format with script notes intact. Generate PDF files. Create ready-to-sell Epub e”
- **Sync between devices**: Partial — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/syncing-scrivener-projects-to-the-cloud> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Scrivener for iPad and iPhone has Dropbox baked into the app, and syncing with Dropbox, if you follow the correct procedure, is robust.”
- **Version history**: Yes — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Before embarking on a major revision, take a 'Snapshot' of a section and you'll be able to return to the earlier version whenever you want.”
- **One-time purchase option**: Yes — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/why-cant-you-pay-once-for-everything> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “you don't need to pay again unless you choose to do so (for another platform or a major update).”
- **Offline**: Yes — <https://forum.literatureandlatte.com/t/can-you-use-macos-scrivener-while-not-connected-to-internet/95038> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “It does not store your data on the internet and does not require internet access for any functionality.”
- **Publishing integrations**: No — <https://www.literatureandlatte.com/blog/how-to-create-an-ebook-by-compiling-your-scrivener-project> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “you create the final files that you upload to retailers”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/