Novlr vs Scrivener

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.