The Novel Factory alternatives · Writing
Open-source alternatives to The Novel Factory
The Novel Factory is not described as open source on its own site. 26 of the 136 other writing tools in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.
The Novel Factory is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic). 25 of them are free or have a free plan.
26 tools · Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
The 12 closest to The Novel Factory
- 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. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- bibisco has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only bibisco lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Free
LibreOffice Writer
Free, open-source word processor for Windows, macOS and Linux
- LibreOffice Writer is free. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- LibreOffice Writer has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LibreOffice Writer lists a Linux app.
- Only The Novel Factory 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). The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Typst has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Typst lists a Linux app.
- 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. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Zettlr has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zettlr lists a Linux app.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Free
Apache OpenOffice
Free open-source office suite with the Writer word processor
- Apache OpenOffice is free. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Apache OpenOffice has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Apache OpenOffice lists a Linux app.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Free
Kile
KDE's LaTeX editor with one-click compile and preview
- Kile is free. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Kile has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Kile lists a Linux app.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Free
Manuskript
Free, open-source novel planner with an outliner and index cards
- Manuskript is free. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Manuskript has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Manuskript lists a Linux app.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Free
novelWriter
Free, open-source plain-text editor for writing novels
- novelWriter is free. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- novelWriter has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only novelWriter lists a Linux app.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Free
Trelby
Free, open-source screenwriting program for desktop
- Trelby is free. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Trelby has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Trelby lists a Linux app.
- Only The Novel Factory 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. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Beat has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Beat lists an iOS app.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Free
Sigil
Free open-source EPUB ebook editor for Windows, Mac and Linux
- Sigil is free. The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Sigil has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Sigil lists a Linux app.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Free trial · from $12/mo
Pressbooks
Book publishing platform that exports EPUB, PDF and web books
- Pressbooks starts at $12 per book / month ($120 billed yearly). The Novel Factory starts at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- Only The Novel Factory lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Pressbooks is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- The Novel Factory can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Common questions
Is there an open-source alternative to The Novel Factory?
Yes. bibisco, LibreOffice Writer, Typst, Zettlr, Apache OpenOffice, Kile, Manuskript, novelWriter and 18 more are open source, according to their own sites.
Is The Novel Factory open source?
The Novel Factory is not described as open source on its own site. The listing was checked on Oct 9, 2026 against the pages it cites.
Which of these writing tools are free?
bibisco, LibreOffice Writer, Typst, Zettlr, Apache OpenOffice, Kile, Manuskript, novelWriter and 17 more are free or have a free plan.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 13, 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 The Novel Factory: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.