Manuskript vs Wavemaker Cards (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Manuskript and Wavemaker Cards share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which platforms you need.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Manuskript
Free, open-source novel planner with an outliner and index cards
Free
Wavemaker Cards
Free installable web app for planning and writing a novel
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Manuskript if
- Fits if you outline and plan a novel in detail before you draft it
- Works for people on Linux or Windows who want their manuscript kept as plain-text files in a folder
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you can't risk losing work, as the project says it's still in early development and to back up often
- Not for you if you're on a Mac and don't want to run an app from Python source code
- Too light for writing on the go, since no web or mobile version is offered
- Watch out: ePub, OpenDocument and DocX import and export only work once you install Pandoc yourself
Pick Wavemaker Cards if
- Fits if you want a no-cost planner and do not mind setting up your own structure
- Works for writers who want manuscript data kept on their device or in their own Google Drive
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use a browser other than Chrome, since the FAQ says install and offline use need the latest Chrome
- Skip it if you need guaranteed support, because the FAQ describes a one-person project
- Watch out: the AI assistant needs your own OpenAI API key and OpenAI bills you for it
- Tight if you work on a Mac or iPhone, as support there is described as believed to work but untested
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAManuskriptGood | 2.8GPAWavemaker CardsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree software under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later, so there is nothing to buy where most of this category wants $8.33 a month. Download it and run it; the site only asks for optional donations. | AThe whole app is free, with no paid tier; the author only asks for optional Patreon or PayPal support. That beats a category whose cheaper quarter starts at $5.75 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole program is free, with no paid tier above it and nothing held back for people who never pay. | ANothing is locked behind a plan. The one extra cost is the optional AI assistant, which uses your own OpenAI key and is billed by OpenAI. |
| Features | CIt covers the planning side: outliner, index cards, the snowflake assistant, notes linking plots to characters. The gaps are on its own download page, though. It's still in early development, ePub and DocX only work if you install Pandoc yourself, and there's no web or mobile version. | CChapters, scenes, a board, a research database and Snowflake cards cover planning. The listing's own gaps keep it at C: Mac and iOS are described as believed to work but untested, and the AI helper is bring-your-own-key. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and there's a bit of a climb. Windows and Linux get a package, but macOS means running the Python source, export needs Pandoc set up separately, and the project tells you to back up often. | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where the work is building your own chapters, notes and cards, and it asks you to install it as a progressive web app. |
| Platforms and integrations | CDesktop only, and not even all of it: packages for Linux and Windows, macOS from source. No web, no phones, and the only things it joins up with are Pandoc and FocusWriter themes. | CWeb only. It installs as a progressive web app and runs offline, but the FAQ says that needs the latest Chrome, and there is no desktop or phone app in the stores. |
| Best for | free novel planning on Linux or Windows | free novel planning that works offline |
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: Manuskript and Wavemaker Cards. How we grade
Price against what you get
Manuskript has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Wavemaker Cards has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other writing tools on the chart, none scores higher than Manuskript for less, and none scores higher than Wavemaker Cards 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
- Manuskript is open source, according to its own site.
- Manuskript also covers Markdown.
- Wavemaker Cards also covers notes.
In commonFree planLong-form writing
At a glance
| Manuskript | Wavemaker Cards | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole program is free software under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later. The site asks for optional donations to support development. | The whole app is free; the author asks for optional support through Patreon or PayPal. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | olivierkes and contributors | Wavemaker |
| Price read from | theologeek.ch | wavemaker.co.uk |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Manuskript
- The download page says Manuskript is still in the early development stages and recommends frequent backups.
- Release 0.17.0 is packaged for Linux and Windows only; on macOS it has to be run from the Python source code.
- Import and export of ePub, OpenDocument and DocX need Pandoc installed separately.
- No web or mobile version is offered.
Wavemaker Cards
- The FAQ says it currently needs the latest Chrome browser for installation and offline use.
- The FAQ describes a one-person project, so support and long-term upkeep depend on one maintainer.
- The optional AI assistant needs your own OpenAI API key, which is billed by OpenAI, not by Wavemaker.
- Mac and iOS support are described as believed to work but untested.
Key features
Manuskript
- Outliner
- Arranges chapters, scenes and notes in a hierarchy that can be reordered at any time, showing which parts are written and which characters appear in each scene.
- Index cards
- Shows notes, scenes and chapters as index cards, as a second way to arrange and review the structure of a book.
- Snowflake-method novel assistant
- Guides a premise from one sentence to a paragraph and then a full summary, asking questions along the way to develop characters and plots.
- Characters, plots and world
- Keeps notes on every character, plot, event and place, links plots to characters, and offers a story-line view of the strands running through the text.
- Distraction-free mode
- A full-screen editor with editable themes, including themes imported from FocusWriter. It can lock the writer in until a word-count or time goal is reached.
- Plain-text projects and export
- Projects are saved automatically as plain-text files in a folder or a zip. With Pandoc installed, it imports and exports formats such as ePub, OpenDocument and DocX.
Wavemaker Cards
- Chapters and scenes
- Break a book into chapters and scenes, add notes to each and rearrange them by dragging.
- Planning board
- A board for moving notes around, with a to-do-list style plan for the novel.
- Research database
- Stores notes and research in a searchable database organized with hashtags; the app also has a timeline view.
- Snowflake cards
- A card tool for the Snowflake Method: start with a short idea and add detail until it becomes a full outline.
- Install and offline use
- Installs as a progressive web app and can run without a connection on devices and browsers that support it.
- Google Drive sync
- Files are stored locally or in your own Google Drive, and devices can sync through Drive.
Plans
Manuskript
Free$0
The complete program: .deb and .rpm packages, Flatpak and Snap for Linux, a zip for Windows, and source code for other systems.
Wavemaker Cards
Free$0
Full app with no paid tier; voluntary support through Patreon or PayPal.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Manuskript or Wavemaker Cards?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Manuskript and Wavemaker Cards are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Manuskript or Wavemaker Cards?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Manuskript and Wavemaker Cards have a free plan.
Which platforms do Manuskript and Wavemaker Cards run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Manuskript lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps and only Wavemaker Cards 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.