Gingko Writer vs Scrivener

Gingko Writer

• Writers who outline and draft at the same time
• Long projects such as a thesis, a novel or a legal brief
• People who lose track of structure in a single long document

Scrivener

• Novelists and academics managing book-length projects
• Writers who restructure a draft by moving scenes and chapters around
• People who want to pay once instead of subscribing

Gingko Writer

• There is no free plan: after the 14-day trial the app needs a subscription.
• The vendor's FAQ, last updated about four years ago, says collaboration and LaTeX are not supported yet and points to the legacy gingkoapp.com version for both.
• Images cannot be uploaded: the FAQ says they are added by linking to a file hosted elsewhere with Markdown image syntax.
• The current version is a web app. An older desktop version is still on GitHub, but the vendor says it has not been brought up to date.

Scrivener

• Each platform needs its own license: the macOS, Windows and iOS versions are bought separately.
• The store sells versions for macOS, Windows and iOS only; no Android, Linux or web version is listed.
• Sync between the iOS app and the desktop versions runs through Dropbox and needs a Dropbox account.
• A license does not cover major version updates; moving from Scrivener 3 to a future Scrivener 4 means buying a discounted upgrade.

Gingko Writer

Documents as a tree of cards

Text is written in small chunks called cards, so a novel, thesis or legal brief is worked on one piece at a time instead of as a single long page.

Notes, outline and draft in one view

The overall premise, the outline and the detailed text stay on screen together, so an idea for a specific scene can be written down without leaving the big picture.

Organize while writing

There is no separate outlining mode: cards are written and arranged in the same place, so the structure can change as the draft grows.

Export and print

A draft can be exported to conventional document formats or printed. Anything placed between HTML comment markers in a card is left out of the output.

Import from the older Gingko

Trees from a legacy gingkoapp.com account can be brought in from the File menu, or as a JSON export for very large trees.

Templates by duplication

Any tree can be duplicated from the sidebar, which is how the vendor suggests making a reusable template for new documents.

Scrivener

Binder

Keeps manuscript sections, notes and reference material in one sidebar, so a long text is written and navigated in small pieces.

Corkboard and outliner

Every section has an index card with a synopsis. Moving cards on the corkboard or rows in the outliner reorders the manuscript itself.

Compile

Exports the assembled manuscript to formats including Microsoft Word, RTF, PDF, Final Draft and ePub, with formatting applied at export.

Snapshots

Saves a copy of a section before a rewrite, so the earlier version can be compared with the new one or restored.

Research alongside the draft

Imports PDFs, images, web pages, and sound and movie files into the project and shows them next to the text being written.

Targets and scriptwriting

Word or character targets with live counters and a writing history, plus a scriptwriting mode that handles screenplay and stage-play formatting.

Gingko Writer

• Pay Yearly$9.75

  per month, billed yearly ($117)

  The full app, billed once per year. The pricing page puts the saving against monthly billing at $36.

• Pay Monthly$12.75

  per month, billed monthly

  The full app with monthly billing. It can be canceled at any time, and refunds are given on request.

Scrivener

• Scrivener for iOS & iPadOS$23.99

  one-time purchase

  The iPhone and iPad app. There is no trial, and a Dropbox account is required for sync.

• Educational Licence$50.99

  one-time purchase, per platform

  The macOS or Windows version for students and academics. Requires an institutional affiliation.

• Standard Licence$59.99

  one-time purchase, per platform

  The full macOS or Windows version, licensed for every computer in a household that runs that platform.

• macOS + Windows bundle$95.98

  one-time purchase

  A separate license for each of macOS and Windows, sold together at a lower combined price.

Gingko Writer

• Annual discount

  Save $36 a year with yearly billing

  The pricing page lists $117 billed once per year against $12.75 a month, and states the saving as $36.

Scrivener

• Education

  Educational Licence for students and academics

  The macOS and Windows versions are sold to students and academics with an institutional affiliation for $50.99, against $59.99 for a Standard Licence.

• Other savings

  macOS and Windows bundle

  Buying Scrivener for macOS and Windows together costs $95.98, against $119.98 for two separate Standard Licences.

• Other savings

  Discounted upgrades from older versions

  Owners of an earlier major version can buy an upgrade license at a discount instead of paying the full price for the new version.