Novelcrafter alternatives · Writing
Open-source alternatives to Novelcrafter
Novelcrafter is not described as open source on its own site. 12 of the 67 other writing tools in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.
Novelcrafter is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe). All of them are free or have a free plan.
12 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from
How each one differs from Novelcrafter
- Free plan · from $4.99/mo
LanguageTool
Grammar and style checker for more than 30 languages
- LanguageTool starts at $4.99 per month on a 2-year plan ($119.80); $69.90 billed annually. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- LanguageTool has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LanguageTool lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- Only LanguageTool lists a browser extension.
- Free
LibreOffice Writer
Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux
- LibreOffice Writer is free. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- LibreOffice Writer has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LibreOffice Writer lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free plan · from $7.99/mo
Typst
Markup-based typesetting system with a collaborative web app
- Typst starts at $7.99 per month, billed monthly ($79.99 billed yearly). Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- Typst has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Typst lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Typst is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Free
Zettlr
Free, open-source Markdown editor for academic writing
- Zettlr is free. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- Zettlr has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zettlr lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free
Manuskript
Free, open-source novel planner with an outliner and index cards
- Manuskript is free. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- Manuskript has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Manuskript lists Windows, Linux and macOS apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free
novelWriter
Free, open-source plain-text editor for writing novels
- novelWriter is free. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- novelWriter has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only novelWriter lists Linux, Windows and macOS apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free plan · from $3.49/mo
bibisco
Novel planning and writing software built around characters
- bibisco starts at $3.49 per month for Everywhere sync; desktop Supporters Edition is $69 one-time. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- bibisco has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only bibisco lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free
Trelby
Free, open-source screenwriting program for desktop
- Trelby is free. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- Trelby has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Trelby lists Windows, macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free plan · from $11.99 one-time
Beat
Free, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS
- Beat starts at $11.99 one-time for the iOS app. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- Beat has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Beat lists macOS and iOS apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free
FocusWriter
Free distraction-free word processor for Windows and Linux
- FocusWriter is free. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- FocusWriter has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only FocusWriter lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free
ghostwriter
Free, open-source Markdown editor from KDE for focused writing
- ghostwriter is free. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- ghostwriter has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only ghostwriter lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Free
MarkText
Free, open-source Markdown editor with in-place live rendering
- MarkText is free. Novelcrafter starts at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- MarkText has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only MarkText lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
Common questions
Is there an open-source alternative to Novelcrafter?
Yes. LanguageTool, LibreOffice Writer, Typst, Zettlr, Manuskript, novelWriter, bibisco, Trelby and 4 more are open source, according to their own sites.
Is Novelcrafter open source?
Novelcrafter is not described as open source on its own site. The listing was checked on Oct 5, 2026 against the pages it cites.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Novelcrafter: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.