The LivingWriter Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about LivingWriter 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.
LivingWriter
The Insider’s Guide
Cloud writing app for books and screenplays with planning boards
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from LivingWriter’s own pages.
Made by LivingWriter · checked Oct 6, 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 LivingWriter’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on LivingWriter’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 20 of the 69 other writing tools we grade
LivingWriter is a cloud-based writing app for novels, nonfiction and screenplays. Chapters and scenes are arranged on visual boards, and characters, settings and objects are kept as linked story elements that can be referenced from the manuscript. Work syncs across the web, Windows and Mac desktop apps, iOS and Android, and an optional AI assistant offers outlines, rewrites and a chat about the manuscript.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about LivingWriter, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Building that scaffolding is the work, and that's a C.
- 1
Best for keeping characters and plot beside the draft
LivingWriter is a cloud writing app for novels and screenplays where character and setting profiles link to the text and list everywhere they appear.
- 2
Paid plans start at $15 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $15 per month, billed monthly (Pro).
- 3
There is a free plan
One manuscript with a limited word count, outlines and templates, notes and to-dos, a basic Elements board, a small AI allowance and basic PDF export.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
- 5
Boards
Manuscript, Planning, Elements and Research boards lay out chapters, scenes, story elements and sources as cards that can be dragged into a new order.
- 6
Linked story elements
Characters, settings and objects get reusable profiles with aliases and relations. Auto-completion connects them to the text as you write, and each profile lists where it appears.
- 7
Outline templates
Ready-made structures include Story Circle, Hero's Journey, the 27 Chapter Method and Romancing the Beat, along with memoir, biography and PhD thesis outlines.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 20 of 69
That is against the other writing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace LivingWriter you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
LivingWriter at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $15 per month, billed monthly (Pro)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 7-day trial of Pro or Pro + AI; the button calls it free while the card says "Try for $0.99"
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- Made by
- LivingWriter
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for keeping characters and plot beside the draft
LivingWriter is a cloud writing app for novels and screenplays where character and setting profiles link to the text and list everywhere they appear. Pro is $15 a month, the top end of this category, and the AI tools sit on a $30 plan. The free plan is one manuscript with a word limit and basic PDF export, and the 7-day trial says free on the button but $0.99 on the card.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | $15 a month for Pro is exactly where this category's dearest tenth starts, against $8.33 a month in the middle, and the whole AI set, manuscript chat, rewrites and analysis, sits a rung higher again on Pro + AI at $30. Quarterly and annual billing exist but the public page shows only monthly. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free gets you one manuscript with a limited word count, outlines and templates, notes, a basic Elements board and basic PDF export. Those are caps you'll meet inside your first book. The 7-day Pro trial is called free on the button while the card says "Try for $0.99". |
| Features | B | It covers the whole job: manuscript, planning, elements and research boards, character and setting profiles that connect into the text as you type, outlines like Hero's Journey and Story Circle, a screenplay mode, version history, and export to DOCX, PDF, EPUB and KDP. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and there's a system to learn here rather than a blank page: boards to fill, story elements to profile and link, an outline template to pick. Building that scaffolding is the work, and that's a C. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Windows and Mac desktop apps, iOS and Android, all synced, with Canva, Google Drive and Grammarly on the integrations list. Covering every device type like that is rare in this category. The Canva and Google Drive links need Pro. |
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 LivingWriter is for
- Fits if you track characters, settings and plot threads beside your draft
- Works for writing on a computer, a phone and a tablet with one synced library
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free, with one manuscript, a word limit and basic PDF export only
- Pricey if you want the AI tools, since manuscript chat, rewrites and analysis sit on the $30 plan
- Skip it if $15 a month is more than you want to spend, as that's where this category's dearest tenth starts
- Watch out: sharing, collaboration, the full Boards system and the Canva and Google Drive links need Pro
- Watch out: the trial button says free while the card says $0.99, and annual prices aren't shown publicly
Good to know
Good for
- Novelists who track characters, settings and plot threads beside the draft
- Writers who move between a computer, a phone and a tablet
- Authors who also write screenplays and want both in one app
Worth knowing
- The Free plan covers one manuscript with a limited word count and exports only basic PDF.
- Sharing and collaboration, the full Boards system and the Canva and Google Drive integrations need Pro.
- Manuscript chat, AI outlines, rewrites, analysis and cover images are listed under the $30 Pro + AI plan.
- Quarterly and annual billing exist, but the public pricing page shows only the monthly prices.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$15
A month to start. There is a free plan too
LivingWriter has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per month, billed monthly (Pro).
Quarterly and annual billing exist but the public page shows only monthly.
Free
$0
A first book with a limited word count, outlines, notes and to-dos, a taste of the AI tools and basic PDF export.
Pro
$15
per month, billed monthly; quarterly and annual also offered
Unlimited manuscripts and screenplays, the full Boards system, sharing and collaboration, pro export formats, and Canva and Google Drive integration.
Pro + AI
$30
per month; the card itself shows no billing period
Everything in Pro plus the full AI set: manuscript chat, outlines, rewrites, analysis, manuscript-to-screenplay, and cover and element images.
The free plan
One manuscript with a limited word count, outlines and templates, notes and to-dos, a basic Elements board, a small AI allowance and basic PDF export.
Trying it first
7-day trial of Pro or Pro + AI; the button calls it free while the card says "Try for $0.99"
Read from livingwriter.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
5
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android
Cloud writing app for books and screenplays with planning boards. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, real-time collaboration, chat assistant, templates, long-form writing.
Web, Windows and Mac desktop apps, iOS and Android, all synced, with Canva, Google Drive and Grammarly on the integrations list.
- Boards
- Manuscript, Planning, Elements and Research boards lay out chapters, scenes, story elements and sources as cards that can be dragged into a new order.
- Linked story elements
- Characters, settings and objects get reusable profiles with aliases and relations. Auto-completion connects them to the text as you write, and each profile lists where it appears.
- Outline templates
- Ready-made structures include Story Circle, Hero's Journey, the 27 Chapter Method and Romancing the Beat, along with memoir, biography and PhD thesis outlines.
- Screenwriting
- A screenplay mode formats scene headings, action, characters, dialogue, parentheticals and transitions automatically, and an AI tool converts prose into a script.
- AI writing assistant
- Optional tools for outlines, rewriting, summaries, manuscript analysis and a chat that knows the manuscript. LivingWriter says manuscripts are not used to train AI models.
- Version history and export
- Earlier versions can be viewed, compared and restored. Manuscripts export to DOCX, PDF, EPUB and Amazon KDP formats, and existing documents can be imported.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Canva
- Google Drive
- Grammarly
LivingWriter is made by LivingWriter.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
20/69
Other writing tools it is graded above
LivingWriter's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 63 of 69) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 37 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 5 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. LivingWriter’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 69
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 69
- BFeaturesAbove 36 of 69
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 69
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 63 of 69
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 53 writing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. LivingWriter 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.
Keep it
To replace LivingWriter you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 38 of the 69 other writing tools grade higher. It costs $180 a year.
What you could make
- Long-form writing and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. LivingWriter’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
Scrivener, Dabble, Novlr, Novelcrafter and Campfire
The 5 tools LivingWriter is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Scrivener
Free trial · from $23.99 one-time
Manuscript writing app with a binder, corkboard and outliner.
- LivingWriter has a free plan. Scrivener does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LivingWriter lists a web app.
- Only LivingWriter lists an Android app.
- 2.4GPA
Dabble
Free trial · from $19/mo
Novel writing app with plotting, story notes and sync.
- LivingWriter has a free plan. Dabble does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LivingWriter lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Dabble lists a Linux app.
- 2.0GPA
Novlr
Free plan · from $8/mo
Browser-based novel writing workspace built around writing goals.
- Only LivingWriter lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- LivingWriter also covers chat assistant and templates.
- Novlr also covers grammar & style.
- 2.6GPA
Novelcrafter
Free trial · from $4/mo
Novel writing platform with a story wiki and optional AI.
- LivingWriter has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only LivingWriter lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- LivingWriter also covers templates.
- 2.4GPA
Campfire
Free plan · from $0.50/mo
Modular novel writing and worldbuilding app with per-module pricing.
- Campfire can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- LivingWriter also covers chat assistant.
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 LivingWriter free?
LivingWriter has a free plan. One manuscript with a limited word count, outlines and templates, notes and to-dos, a basic Elements board, a small AI allowance and basic PDF export.
How much does LivingWriter cost?
LivingWriter lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does LivingWriter work on?
LivingWriter is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Does LivingWriter have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. LivingWriter is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is LivingWriter open source?
LivingWriter is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
What does LivingWriter integrate with?
LivingWriter's listing names Canva, Google Drive and Grammarly. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does LivingWriter have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day trial of Pro or Pro + AI; the button calls it free while the card says "Try for $0.99".
Who makes LivingWriter?
LivingWriter is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to LivingWriter?
The closest alternatives to LivingWriter in our directory are Scrivener, Dabble, Novlr, Novelcrafter and Campfire.
How does LivingWriter compare with other writing tools?
LivingWriter's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 11.
Is LivingWriter good value for money?
ToolGPA grades LivingWriter D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 37 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of LivingWriter?
To replace LivingWriter you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from LivingWriter’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from LivingWriter's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-06-12.
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 LivingWriter. Prices change, so check livingwriter.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 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.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- LivingWriter, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/livingwriter
- 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, "LivingWriter: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/livingwriter
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/livingwriter/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded writing tools after LivingWriter, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Writing Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 writing tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft Word Insider's GuideWord processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Beat Insider's GuideFree, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS3.2 GPA
- JotterPad Insider's GuideMarkdown and Fountain editor for books, papers and screenplays3.2 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 LivingWriter’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. LivingWriter is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by LivingWriter. Prices and plans change: check livingwriter.com before you buy.