4thewords vs Novlr

4thewords

• Writers who are motivated by game rewards and daily streaks
• Building a daily writing habit around a word-count target
• People who draft in Google Docs or Notion and want those words counted

Novlr

• Novelists who want a clean, distraction-free place to draft
• Writers building a daily habit with goals, streaks and sprints
• Writers who want a tool with no generative AI in it

4thewords

• The Free plan stops at 25 files, 2 projects and 25 battles a day, and leaves out streak saving and sharing files with collaborators.
• Sharing is capped by plan: 2 collaborators per file or project on Member, 5 on Pro and 10 on Lifetime Pro.
• It is a web app with no App Store download, and the extension is tested and supported on desktop Chrome only.
• Monthly plans and Lifetime Pro cannot be refunded; yearly plans can be refunded within 15 days of purchase.

Novlr

• The Free plan is limited to 2 projects; Starter allows 10 and only Studio is unlimited.
• The proofreader, the grammar and style checker, and Google Drive and Dropbox backups are Studio-only.
• It runs in a browser; the site lists no desktop or mobile apps, and offline use is described only as protection for unstable internet.
• Version history is 30 days on Starter and unlimited on Studio, and is not listed for the Free plan.

4thewords

Writing battles

Pick a monster and write the required number of words before the timer runs out. There are solo, endurance and co-op modes, with co-op teams of 2 to 8 writers.

Streaks and daily challenges

Writing 444 or more words in a day extends a streak that earns rewards over time. Paid plans can repair missed days or reserve future ones.

Built-in writing editor

A cloud editor groups files into projects, saves automatically, keeps a version history and exports to Word, text, Markdown or HTML.

Writing goals and stats

Word-count targets with deadlines can be set for a single file, a project or the whole account, with charts to track progress.

Chrome extension

A free extension counts the words typed on other sites, such as Google Docs, Notion and Substack, and applies them to battles, streaks and quests.

Sharing and co-writing

On paid plans a file or a whole project can be shared with friends as editors or viewers, who can write in it together in real time.

Novlr

Distraction-free editor

A full-screen focus mode and a typewriter mode keep the page clear, with dark and light modes and search and replace.

Goals, streaks and sprints

Keep writing streaks, run timed writing sprints and get success nudges on every plan. Setting weekly and monthly goals is listed from the Starter plan up.

Notes and planning grid

Notes for research, characters and lore sit beside the manuscript, and a plot grid built from those notes lays out story arcs and plot threads.

Writing analytics

Analytics track word counts over time and show a writer's habits and most productive moments. They are included on every plan.

Proofreader and grammar checker

The Studio plan includes a built-in proofreader and an advanced grammar and style checker. Novlr says it has no AI writing or generating tool.

Novlr Sites

An author website builder with themes and custom domains, using the same login. It is included with Studio and costs $6 a month or $60 a year on other plans.

4thewords

• Free$0

  25 files, 2 projects, 25 battles a day, one month of version history and limited event access.

• Member$10

  per month, or $96 per year

  Unlimited files, 40 projects, up to 1,000 battles a day, 6 months of version history, streak saving and full event access.

• Pro$14

  per month, or $144 per year

  Unlimited files, projects and battles, one year of version history, monthly refills and Pro event perks such as early access.

• Lifetime Pro$599

  one-time purchase

  The Pro features for a single payment with no renewals, plus up to 3 years of file history.

Novlr

• Free$0

  2 projects with cross-device sync, notes, the planning grid, focus mode, writing sprints, streaks, comments and analytics.

• Starter$8

  per month, billed yearly ($96); $10 billed monthly

  10 projects with 30-day version history, writing goals with streak tracking, and full access to Academy courses.

• Studio$16

  per month, billed yearly ($192); $20 billed monthly

  Unlimited projects and version history, proofreader and grammar checker, Google Drive and Dropbox backups, and Novlr Sites included.

• Lifetime Studio Member$499

  one-time payment

  Everything in Studio with no subscription, plus co-ownership of Novlr and exclusive Discord channels.

4thewords

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing saves 20% on Member

  Member costs $96 a year against $10 a month ($120 over a year), a 20% saving. Pro costs $144 a year against $14 a month ($168), about 14% less.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Pro for a one-time $599

  Lifetime Pro is a single $599 payment with the same features as the Pro subscription, including any benefits added to Pro later. It does not renew.

• Other savings

  Community Pool for writers who need help paying

  Members can donate subscription time to a Community Pool, which goes to writers who have opted in because they need financial assistance.

Novlr

• Annual discount

  Save 20% with yearly billing

  Starter is $96 a year ($8 a month) against $10 a month billed monthly, and Studio is $192 a year ($16 a month) against $20 a month.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Studio membership for $499

  A one-time payment covers everything in Studio with no subscription. Lifetime members also become co-owners of Novlr.