The Hiveword Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Hiveword in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Hiveword
The Insider’s Guide
Web-based novel organizer for scenes, characters and plotlines
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from Hiveword’s own pages.
Made by Zecura, LLC · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Hiveword’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Hiveword’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 76 of the 136 other writing tools we grade
Hiveword is a browser-based organizer for fiction writers. The free Basic account tracks stories, scenes, characters, settings and plotlines, with scene filtering and a plotline view. Hiveword Plus adds custom types and fields, images, notes, a writer's journal and bookmarks, and a separate Knockout Novel add-on provides guided coaching prompts.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Hiveword, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You build your own scenes, characters and plotlines, so there is setup before it pays off.
- 1
Best for tracking big casts and plotlines
Hiveword is a browser organizer for novels: scenes, characters, settings and plotlines, with scene filtering and a plotline view, all free on the Basic account.
- 2
Paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $25 per year.
- 3
There is a free plan
Hiveword Basic: unlimited stories, scenes, characters, settings, items and plotlines, with scene filtering, plotline view, backups and novel export.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Scene filtering
Filter scenes by point-of-view character, location or tag to see where a character appears, and sort the filtered list.
- 6
Plotline visualization
A visual view of how the main plot and subplots run through the scenes.
- 7
Custom types and fields
Plus lets you track items like spells or clans with your own fields and add extra fields to standard types.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 76 of 136
That is against the other writing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type.
Hiveword at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $25 per year
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial of Hiveword Plus
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Zecura, LLC, since 2011
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for tracking big casts and plotlines
Hiveword is a browser organizer for novels: scenes, characters, settings and plotlines, with scene filtering and a plotline view, all free on the Basic account. Custom fields, images, notes, search and the journal need Plus at $25 a year, it only runs on the web, and it organizes a book rather than writing or formatting it.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Plus 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 | B | Basic 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 | C | Scenes, 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 | C | No store rating on record. You build your own scenes, characters and plotlines, so there is setup before it pays off. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with no desktop or mobile app listed and no integrations on record. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Hiveword is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Plotters who prefer index cards or the Snowflake method
- Writers tracking large casts and multiple plotlines
- Authors who want a planner now and a writing coach add-on later
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$2.08
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
Hiveword has a free plan. Paid plans start at $25 per year.
Basic is free for good, with unlimited stories, scenes, characters, settings and plotlines.
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.
The free plan
Hiveword Basic: unlimited stories, scenes, characters, settings, items and plotlines, with scene filtering, plotline view, backups and novel export.
Trying it first
14-day free trial of Hiveword Plus
Read from hiveword.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Web-based novel organizer for scenes, characters and plotlines. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: notes, daily notes, templates, long-form writing, bookmarks.
Scenes, casts and plotlines are covered.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Hiveword is made by Zecura, LLC, and has been around since 2011.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
76/136
Other writing tools it is graded above
Hiveword's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 76 of the 136 other writing tools we grade, and level with 18.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 89 of 136) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $8.66 for the category: 2 of the 81 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 9 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 137 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Hiveword’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 89 of 136
- BFree plan and trialAbove 91 of 136
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 136
- CEase of useAbove 7 of 136
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 7 of 136
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 writing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Hiveword is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type.
You could make the core of Hiveword for yourself: long-form writing, notes, bookmarks, daily notes and templates. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $25 a year it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could make
- Long-form writing, notes, bookmarks, daily notes and templates: an app builder makes these well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- People on the other end: coaches. No app builder makes those.
What this rests on. Hiveword’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Plottr, The Novel Factory, Campfire, World Anvil and bibisco
The 5 tools Hiveword is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Plottr
Free trial · from $60/yr
Visual book outlining and series bible software.
- Hiveword has a free plan. Plottr does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Plottr lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Plottr can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.2GPA
The Novel Factory
Free trial · from $82.50/yr
Novel-writing software with a built-in step-by-step roadmap.
- Hiveword has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only The Novel Factory lists macOS and Windows apps.
- The Novel Factory can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.4GPA
Campfire
Free plan · from $0.50/mo
Modular novel writing and worldbuilding app with per-module pricing.
- Only Campfire lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Campfire can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Hiveword also covers notes, daily notes and bookmarks.
- 2.0GPA
World Anvil
Free plan
Web-based worldbuilding platform for writers and game masters.
- Hiveword also covers notes, daily notes and bookmarks.
- 3.0GPA
bibisco
Free plan · from $3.49/mo
Novel planning and writing software built around characters.
- Only Hiveword lists a web app.
- Only bibisco lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- bibisco is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Hiveword free?
Hiveword has a free plan. Hiveword Basic: unlimited stories, scenes, characters, settings, items and plotlines, with scene filtering, plotline view, backups and novel export.
How much does Hiveword cost?
Hiveword lists 3 plans. Hiveword Basic: $0.
What platforms does Hiveword work on?
Hiveword is available on Web.
Does Hiveword have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Hiveword is listed for Web.
Does Hiveword have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Hiveword is listed for Web.
Is Hiveword open source?
Hiveword is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Hiveword have a free trial?
Yes. 14-day free trial of Hiveword Plus.
Who makes Hiveword?
Hiveword is made by Zecura, LLC. It dates from 2011.
What are the alternatives to Hiveword?
The closest alternatives to Hiveword in our directory are Plottr, The Novel Factory, Campfire, World Anvil and bibisco.
How does Hiveword compare with other writing tools?
Hiveword's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 76 of the 136 other writing tools we grade, and level with 18.
Is Hiveword good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Hiveword A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $2.08 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $8.66 for the category: 2 of the 81 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Hiveword?
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type. You could make the core of Hiveword for yourself: long-form writing, notes, bookmarks, daily notes and templates.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Hiveword’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Hiveword's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Zecura, LLC. Prices change, so check hiveword.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Hiveword, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hiveword
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Hiveword: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hiveword
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hiveword/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded writing tools after Hiveword, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Writing Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 137 writing tools we grade, compared
- FreeOffice TextMaker Insider's GuideFree word processor that opens and saves Microsoft Word files3.4 GPA
- Microsoft Word Insider's GuideWord processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Apache OpenOffice Insider's GuideFree open-source office suite with the Writer word processor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Hiveword’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Hiveword is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Zecura, LLC. Prices and plans change: check hiveword.com before you buy.