The NovelAI Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about NovelAI 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.
NovelAI
The Insider’s Guide
AI co-writer for fiction with an anime-style image generator
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from NovelAI’s own pages.
Made by Anlatan Inc. · 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 NovelAI’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on NovelAI’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
2.2
GPA, above 11 of the 69 other writing tools we grade
NovelAI is a subscription service from Anlatan that pairs an AI co-writer for fiction with an anime-style image generator. In the story editor the AI continues the text a writer starts, drawing on a Lorebook of characters and places, and stories are encrypted in the browser before they are stored. It runs in a web browser and can be installed on a phone as a progressive web app.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about NovelAI, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Worth knowing too that forgetting your email or password loses the stories on the server, because they're encrypted in your browser first.
- 1
Best for fiction writing with an AI co-writer
NovelAI is an AI co-writer for fiction: you start the story, it carries on, and a Lorebook feeds it your characters and places.
- 2
Paid plans start at $10 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $10 per month (Tablet).
- 3
You can try it first
Paper free trial: 50 text generations, 30 images and 100 text-to-speech lines, granted once
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Story editor
Write in the editor and send to have the AI continue the text. Every generation and edit is kept in a branching history, and a retry produces a new output.
- 6
Lorebook
Entries for characters, locations and factions are inserted into the AI's context when their activation keys appear in the story. Lorebooks can be imported and exported.
- 7
Text Adventure mode
Actions typed with a > symbol tell the AI what a character does, and it writes the narrative response. Pre-made scenarios are available to start from.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 11 of 69
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.
NovelAI at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $10 per month (Tablet)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Paper free trial: 50 text generations, 30 images and 100 text-to-speech lines, granted once
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Anlatan Inc., since 2021
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for fiction writing with an AI co-writer
NovelAI is an AI co-writer for fiction: you start the story, it carries on, and a Lorebook feeds it your characters and places. $10 a month buys unlimited text, and a larger context costs $15 or $25. There's no free plan, only a one-off trial of 50 text generations, no annual billing, no native apps, and losing your email or password loses the stories on the server.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Tablet is $10 a month for unlimited text and text-to-speech plus 1,000 Anlas for images, which puts it in the middle of the pack rather than ahead of it: writing tools run from about $5 to $12. A larger context means Scroll at $15 or Opus at $25, and there's no annual option to bring any of it down. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. The Paper trial hands you 50 text generations, 30 images and 100 text-to-speech lines, once, and they don't refill. No card needed, but it's a taste and then you pay. |
| Features | C | It covers the AI co-writing job: the model carries on your prose, every attempt is kept in a branching history, the Lorebook feeds it characters and places when their names come up, plus a text adventure mode and an image generator. But that's a smaller job than a manuscript app. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and there's real setup before it does what you want: Lorebook entries with activation keys, context settings and model choices. Worth knowing too that forgetting your email or password loses the stories on the server, because they're encrypted in your browser first. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | It runs in a browser, installs on a phone as a progressive web app, and publishes an API, which is what keeps it off the bottom rung. There are no native apps at all, and the listing shows no integrations. |
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 NovelAI is for
- Fits if you write fiction and want an AI that carries on your own prose
- Works for text adventures, where you type what your character does and it writes what happens next
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a free plan, because the trial's 50 text generations never refill
- Not for you if you'd rather pay by the year, as plans renew every 30 days with no annual option
- Tight if you stay on Tablet with a long novel, since the larger context sits on Scroll at $15 and Opus at $25
- Watch out: forgetting your email or password means losing the stories stored on the server
- Not for you if you want a native app, as it runs only in a browser or as an installable web app
Good to know
Good for
- Fiction writers who want an AI that continues their own prose
- Interactive fiction and text adventures with persistent lore
- People who want story writing and anime-style image generation in one subscription
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan: the Paper trial's generations are granted once and do not refill.
- Subscriptions renew every 30 days, and the subscription docs list no annual option.
- There are no native apps; it runs in a browser or as an installable progressive web app.
- Forgetting the account email or password means losing access to stories stored on the server, because of the local encryption.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$10
A month to start
NovelAI is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $10 per month (Tablet).
No card needed, but it's a taste and then you pay.
Tablet
$10
per month (renews every 30 days)
Unlimited text and text-to-speech generation, plus 1,000 Anlas a month to spend on image generation.
Scroll
$15
per month (renews every 30 days)
Everything in Tablet with a larger context size, so the AI takes more of the story into account.
Opus
$25
per month (renews every 30 days)
Largest context (28,672 tokens), the Xialong model, 10,000 Anlas a month and Anlas-free standard images within a usage limit.
Trying it first
Paper free trial: 50 text generations, 30 images and 100 text-to-speech lines, granted once
Read from docs.novelai.net on Oct 6, 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
AI co-writer for fiction with an anime-style image generator. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, long-form writing.
But that's a smaller job than a manuscript app.
- Story editor
- Write in the editor and send to have the AI continue the text. Every generation and edit is kept in a branching history, and a retry produces a new output.
- Lorebook
- Entries for characters, locations and factions are inserted into the AI's context when their activation keys appear in the story. Lorebooks can be imported and exported.
- Text Adventure mode
- Actions typed with a > symbol tell the AI what a character does, and it writes the narrative response. Pre-made scenarios are available to start from.
- Text to speech
- Streamed voices read inputs and AI outputs aloud for subscribers. A local option uses the browser's own speech synthesis instead.
- Image generation
- NovelAI Diffusion models produce anime-style images from prompts and tags, with inpainting, a canvas and Director Tools for edits. Images are paid for in Anlas.
- Encrypted story storage
- Stories saved to NovelAI's servers are encrypted in the browser first. Text sent for a generation is transmitted unencrypted over HTTPS and, per the FAQ, not stored or logged.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
NovelAI is made by Anlatan Inc., and has been around since 2021.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/69
Other writing tools it is graded above
NovelAI's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 11 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 32 of 69) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 28 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 19 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. NovelAI’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 69
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 69
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 69
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 69
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 32 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. NovelAI 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 NovelAI for yourself: long-form writing. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $120 a year.
What you could make
- Long-form writing: an app builder makes this well.
- It runs in a browser, which is where something home-made would run too.
What you could not
- An API that other software can build on.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. NovelAI’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
Sudowrite, Novelcrafter, ChatGPT and HyperWrite
The 4 tools NovelAI is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Sudowrite
Free trial · from $10/mo
AI writing partner for drafting and revising fiction.
- Only Sudowrite lists iOS and Android apps.
- Sudowrite also covers dictation and chat assistant.
- 2.6GPA
Novelcrafter
Free trial · from $4/mo
Novel writing platform with a story wiki and optional AI.
- Novelcrafter also covers chat assistant.
- 3.4GPA
ChatGPT
Free plan · from $8/mo
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice.
- ChatGPT has a free plan. NovelAI does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only ChatGPT lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- NovelAI also covers long-form writing.
- 2.2GPA
HyperWrite
Free plan · from $16/mo
AI writing assistant with autocomplete, chat and cited research.
- HyperWrite has a free plan. NovelAI does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only HyperWrite lists a browser extension.
- NovelAI also covers long-form writing.
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 NovelAI free?
No, NovelAI is a paid product, but you can try it first. Paper free trial: 50 text generations, 30 images and 100 text-to-speech lines, granted once.
How much does NovelAI cost?
NovelAI lists 3 plans. Tablet: $10 per month (renews every 30 days).
What platforms does NovelAI work on?
NovelAI is available on Web.
Does NovelAI have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. NovelAI is listed for Web.
Does NovelAI have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. NovelAI is listed for Web.
Is NovelAI open source?
NovelAI is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does NovelAI have an API?
Yes. NovelAI offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes NovelAI?
NovelAI is made by Anlatan Inc. It dates from 2021.
What are the alternatives to NovelAI?
The closest alternatives to NovelAI in our directory are Sudowrite, Novelcrafter, ChatGPT and HyperWrite.
How does NovelAI compare with other writing tools?
NovelAI's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 11 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 8.
Is NovelAI good value for money?
ToolGPA grades NovelAI C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $10 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 28 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of NovelAI?
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type. You could make the core of NovelAI for yourself: long-form writing.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from NovelAI’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 NovelAI's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-19.
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 Anlatan Inc. Prices change, so check novelai.net 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
- NovelAI, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/novelai
- 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, "NovelAI: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/novelai
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/novelai/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded writing tools after NovelAI, 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 NovelAI’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. NovelAI is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Anlatan Inc. Prices and plans change: check novelai.net before you buy.