Plottr vs Storyist (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Plottr if

• Fits if you like to see a whole book laid out before you draft it
• Works for series writers who draft in Word or Scrivener and want a separate planning tool

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to write the book in the same app, as it's an outlining tool and not a manuscript editor
• Not for you if you plan on your phone, because the mobile app was removed and the web app has no phone view
• Pricey if you want sync or a co-writer, since that's Pro at $99 a year and each collaborator needs their own
• Watch out: no refunds are given after purchase, and a lapsed Pro plan loses access to its projects until renewed
• Watch out: Linux builds are unsupported beta software, and Pro needs an internet connection

Pick Storyist if

• Fits if you write on a Mac and would rather buy once than subscribe
• Works for novelists and screenwriters who plan on index cards

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as neither is supported
• Not for you if you want one purchase for all devices, because Mac and iOS are bought separately
• Too light for iOS-only writers who need the book editor, which is described only for the Mac
• Watch out: the trial length isn't stated

Plottr

• Plottr is an outlining tool, not a manuscript editor: its docs recommend doing the bulk of the writing in another program.
• The web app, cloud sync and collaboration need Plottr Pro, which the docs say requires an internet connection. Each collaborator needs their own Pro subscription.
• The mobile app was removed from the app stores for a rebuild, and the docs say the Pro web app has no phone view. Native Linux builds are unsupported beta software.
• No refunds are given after purchase, and a Pro plan that lapses loses access to its projects until it is renewed.

Storyist

• There is no Windows, Android or web version.
• The Mac and iOS apps are bought separately.
• Orders from the vendor's store are processed by Paddle, the merchant of record.
• The iOS app lists a narrower set of formats and tools than the Mac app, and the book editor is described only for the Mac.

Plottr

Visual timeline

Scene cards are dragged along a timeline with separate rows for the main plot, subplots and character arcs. The view can be flipped, zoomed and filtered, and plotlines color-coded.

Plot and scene templates

Starter templates based on structures such as the Hero's Journey, Romancing the Beat, Story Circle and Three Act Structure. Users can also create and save their own.

Characters, places and notes

Character sheets, places and notes take custom attributes, tags, categories and images, with character templates and sorting and filtering across all of them.

Series bible

One project holds every book in a series with its characters, places and notes, and a Series View gives a timeline of the whole series alongside each book's own.

Outline and export

Generates an outline from the timeline that can be viewed, edited and exported to Microsoft Word or Scrivener. Projects can be imported from Scrivener and Snowflake Pro.

Plottr Pro cloud features

A web app that runs on Chromebooks, tablets and Linux devices, cloud storage and backups, automatic syncing between devices and live collaboration on a shared project.

Storyist

Story sheets

Editable forms for plot, character, setting and section, which can be customized to hold the details you track.

Index cards and corkboard

Scenes appear as color-coded index cards that can be arranged, and shown beside the manuscript while you write.

Manuscript and screenplay formatting

Stylesheets and templates for manuscripts and screenplays, with quick keys for changing screenplay elements.

Book editor and ebook export

On the Mac, builds print-ready PDFs with trim size, margins and bleed set, and creates ePub and Kindle editions.

Import and export formats

Handles Word, RTF, OpenDocument, Scrivener, Final Draft (.fdx) and Fountain files.

Outliner and word-count goals

An outliner gives a high-level view of a manuscript, and daily and project word-count goals are tracked.

Plottr

• Plottr$60

  per year, or $150 one-time for lifetime; no monthly plan

  Windows and Mac desktop app on unlimited household devices, with files and backups kept on the device. Shown against crossed-out prices of $80 and $199.

• Plottr Pro$99

  per year; or $9.99 per month, or $599 one-time for lifetime

  Adds the browser app, cloud sync and backups, and real-time collaboration. Monthly and lifetime are shown against crossed-out prices of $15 and $699.

• Plottr Pro + Community$129

  per year; or $14.99 per month, or $649 one-time for lifetime

  Pro plus a private community, the Education Vault and networking. Shown against crossed-out prices of $160 a year, $19 a month and $799 lifetime.

Storyist

• Storyist 4 for iOS$19

  one-time

  iPhone and iPad version with index cards, outline and screenplay template; needs iOS 17 or later.

• Storyist 4 for macOS$59

  one-time

  Mac version with story sheets, outliner, book editor and ePub and Kindle export; also sold on the Mac App Store.

Plottr

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime licenses from $150

  Each tier can be bought once instead of by subscription: $150 for Plottr, $599 for Plottr Pro and $649 for Pro + Community. Lifetime plans never expire and include updates.

• Annual discount

  Annual billing costs less than monthly on Pro

  Plottr Pro is $99 a year against $9.99 a month, and Pro + Community is $129 a year against $14.99 a month.

• Education

  Educational rates and bulk licenses on request

  The pricing page invites schools and buyers of bulk licenses to contact Plottr for special pricing. No rates are published.

Storyist

No public discounts listed.