bibisco vs Hiveword (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, bibisco grades higher than Hiveword: 3.0 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
bibisco grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. Hiveword grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
bibisco
Novel planning and writing software built around characters
Hiveword
Web-based novel organizer for scenes, characters and plotlines
Which one is for you
Pick bibisco if
- Fits if you plan a novel character first and like being asked questions about them
- Works for Linux writers who want the same app on Windows or Mac
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, because search, writing goals, the timeline and EPUB export are all paid
- Pricey if you want everything, since the $69 edition doesn't include the phone apps or sync at $3.49 a month
- Not for you if you just want a blank page, as it's built around characters, storylines and scenes
- Watch out: Supporters Edition updates are free for 2 years, then upgrades cost half price
- Skip it if you want to write in a browser, as there's no web version and desktop builds are 64-bit only
Pick Hiveword if
- Fits if you plot with index cards or the Snowflake method and track many characters
- Works for writers who want a free organizer now and might add coaching later
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to draft and format the manuscript in the same place, as export is novel export only
- Not for you if you need an app on your phone or desktop, because it is web only
- Watch out: custom types and fields, images, notes, journal and search all need Plus at $25 a year
- Pricey if you want the coaching prompts, since Knockout Novel is a separate $49 on top of any plan
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAbibiscoVery good | 2.6GPAHivewordGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe Community Edition is a free download for Windows, Mac and Linux, and the Supporters Edition is $69 once with 2 years of updates, which is under a year of this category's $8.33-a-month middle. Everywhere, for the phone apps and sync, is $3.49 a month on top, and the $69 doesn't cover it. | APlus is $25 a year, about $2.08 a month, well under 60% of the $5.75 the category's cheaper quarter starts at. Knockout Novel coaching is a separate $49 one-time charge. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe Community Edition is free with unlimited projects, character interviews, chapters, scenes and export to PDF, DOCX and TXT. But the listing's own notes hold back search, the dark theme, writing goals, the timeline, mind maps, analysis and EPUB export, and writing a novel with no search is a wall you'll hit. | BBasic is free for good, with unlimited stories, scenes, characters, settings and plotlines. Plus has a 14-day trial, but custom types, images, notes, search and dark mode need it. |
| Features | BInterview questions to build characters, sections for premise, fabula, setting and storylines, and in the paid edition a timeline, mind maps, a novel outline and analysis views, plus distraction-free mode, footnotes and EPUB export. Novel planning covered without a gap in it. | CScenes, casts and plotlines are covered. The listing's own gaps keep it at C: export is novel export only, not manuscript formatting, and custom fields, notes and search sit on Plus. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it's a plain download with nothing to set up: open it and the book is already split into characters, places, chapters and scenes rather than one long document, and a 30-day trial of the paid edition comes with it. | CNo store rating on record. You build your own scenes, characters and plotlines, so there is setup before it pays off. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac and Linux on the desktop plus Android, iPhone and iPad apps, so computers and both phones, with Grammarly, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive listed. No web version, which is what keeps it off an A, and the mobile apps need the separate Everywhere subscription. | CWeb only, with no desktop or mobile app listed and no integrations on record. |
| Best for | planning a novel around its characters | tracking big casts and plotlines |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: bibisco and Hiveword. How we grade
Price against what you get
bibisco starts at $3.49 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Hiveword starts at $2.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0.
bibisco scores higher, and starts $1.41 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other writing tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than bibisco for less, and 9 score higher than Hiveword for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- bibisco is open source, according to its own site.
- bibisco can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Hiveword also covers notes, daily notes, templates and bookmarks.
At a glance
| bibisco | Hiveword | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $3.49 per month for Everywhere sync; desktop Supporters Edition is $69 one-time | $25 per year |
| Free plan | Community Edition for desktop: unlimited projects, premise, fabula, setting and storylines, character interviews, locations, chapters and scenes, export to PDF, DOCX and TXT, and automatic backups. | Hiveword Basic: unlimited stories, scenes, characters, settings, items and plotlines, with scene filtering, plotline view, backups and novel export. |
| Free trial | Community Edition includes a 30-day Supporters Edition trial; Everywhere has a 14-day free trial | 14-day free trial of Hiveword Plus |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Andrea Feccomandi | Zecura, LLC |
| Price read from | bibisco.com | hiveword.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
bibisco
- The free Community Edition leaves out the timeline, mind maps, analysis, dark theme, search, writing goals and EPUB export.
- The mobile app and cloud sync need a separate bibisco Everywhere subscription, which the Supporters Edition does not include.
- Supporters Edition updates are free for 2 years; later upgrades are sold at a 50% discount.
- Desktop builds are 64-bit only, for Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.13 or later, and Linux.
Hiveword
- It organizes a novel but is not a manuscript-formatting tool; export is listed as novel export only.
- Custom types, fields, images, notes and the journal need the paid Plus plan.
- Knockout Novel is a separate $49 charge on top of any plan.
- It is web-only, with no desktop or mobile app listed.
Key features
bibisco
- Character interviews
- Characters are developed through interview-style questions. The Supporters Edition adds custom questions and profile pictures for characters, places and objects.
- Story structure
- Dedicated sections hold the premise, fabula, setting and storylines, alongside locations, chapters and scenes, in every edition.
- Timeline, outline and analysis
- The Supporters Edition adds a timeline, a novel outline, mind maps, groups and analysis views for checking how the story fits together.
- Writing tools
- Distraction-free mode, a dark theme, search with find and replace, writing goals, and images, comments and footnotes in the text are Supporters Edition features.
- Export
- Novels export to PDF, DOCX and TXT, and to an archive file, in both editions. EPUB export needs the Supporters Edition.
- Mobile apps and cloud sync
- The bibisco Everywhere subscription adds the Android, iPhone and iPad app and keeps projects synchronized across mobile devices and several desktop computers.
Hiveword
- Scene filtering
- Filter scenes by point-of-view character, location or tag to see where a character appears, and sort the filtered list.
- Plotline visualization
- A visual view of how the main plot and subplots run through the scenes.
- Custom types and fields
- Plus lets you track items like spells or clans with your own fields and add extra fields to standard types.
- Images, notes and journal
- Plus attaches images and notes to story elements and keeps a tagged writer's journal with multiple entries per day.
- Searchable bookmarks
- Plus saves links to web pages with tags and notes, and its search also looks through the saved page text.
- Knockout Novel coaching
- Prompts based on author James Scott Bell's methodology, built into the organizer; sold separately.
Plans
bibisco
Community Edition$0
Free desktop app for Linux, macOS and Windows with the core planning and writing tools, export to PDF, DOCX and TXT, and automatic backups.
bibisco Everywhere$3.49
per month, or $29.99 per year
Subscription for the Android and iOS app and cloud sync across phones, tablets and desktops. Works with either desktop edition and does not include the Supporters license.
Supporters Edition$69
one-time payment
Desktop edition adding analysis, mind maps, timeline, novel outline, dark theme, search, writing goals and EPUB export, with 2 years of free updates.
Hiveword
Hiveword Basic$0
Unlimited stories, scenes, characters, settings and plotlines, plus name generators, backups and novel export.
Hiveword Plus$25
per year
Adds custom types and fields, images, notes, bookmarks, journal, search and dark mode; yearly subscription.
Knockout Novel$49
one-time charge
Add-on with self-paced coaching prompts, a sample plot breakdown and coaching response export; needs a free account.
Ways to pay less
bibisco
- Annual discount
Save 28% on Everywhere with yearly billing
bibisco Everywhere costs $3.49 a month or $29.99 a year, which the download page labels a 28% saving.
- Education
20% off for students and educators
The FAQ offers students and educators a 20% discount code on request by email, with enrollment documents or a school certificate as proof.
- Other savings
50% off upgrades after two years
Supporters Edition buyers get free updates for 2 years. After that, the FAQ says upgrades are available at a 50% discount, with another 2 years of updates.
Hiveword
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, bibisco or Hiveword?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hiveword is cheaper to start with: $2.08 a month when paid by the year, against $3.49 a month for bibisco. bibisco starts at $3.49 per month for Everywhere sync; desktop Supporters Edition is $69 one-time, and Hiveword starts at $25 per year.
Which has a free plan, bibisco or Hiveword?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both bibisco and Hiveword have a free plan.
Which platforms do bibisco and Hiveword run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only bibisco lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps and only Hiveword lists a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.