The Novelcrafter Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Novelcrafter 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.
Novelcrafter
The Insider’s Guide
Novel writing platform with a story wiki and optional AI
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from Novelcrafter’s own pages.
Made by novelcrafter UG (haftungsbeschränkt) · checked Oct 9, 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 Novelcrafter’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Novelcrafter’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 32 of the 69 other writing tools we grade
Novelcrafter is a browser-based novel writing platform built around the Codex, a story wiki that tracks characters, locations and lore and links them to the scenes where they appear. Planning views lay a book out as a grid, a matrix or an outline, and a Codex can be shared across the books in a series. AI features are optional and bring-your-own-key: writers connect their own account with a provider such as OpenRouter or OpenAI, or run local models.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Novelcrafter, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for novels and series with a built-in story wiki
Novelcrafter is a browser-based novel-writing app built around the Codex, a wiki of characters, places and lore that links to the scenes they appear in.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
- 3
You can try it first
21-day free trial with all features unlocked. No credit card required.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
The Codex
A wiki for characters, locations and lore with aliases, relations, tags and progressions over time. It finds mentions across scenes and can be shared by every book in a series.
- 6
Planning views
The Grid reorders acts, chapters and scenes by drag and drop, the Matrix shows the whole story as a spreadsheet-like table, and the Outline is a single-page summary.
- 7
Manuscript editor
A rich text editor with focus mode, highlighter markers, sections for alternative ideas, revision history, and import from Word, Markdown or HTML files.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 32 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 Novelcrafter 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.
Novelcrafter at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 21-day free trial with all features unlocked. No credit card required.
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- novelcrafter UG (haftungsbeschränkt), since 2023
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for novels and series with a built-in story wiki
Novelcrafter is a browser-based novel-writing app built around the Codex, a wiki of characters, places and lore that links to the scenes they appear in. Scribe is $4 a month but has no AI; AI starts at $8 and you pay your own provider on top. There's no free plan, no desktop or phone app, and co-writing needs the $20 plan plus a paid plan for each person.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Scribe is $4 a month, or $40 for the year, with unlimited books, the Codex and series. That's inside the cheapest quarter for writing tools, which starts at $5. AI begins on Hobbyist at $8, and the model costs go to your own provider on top unless you run local ones. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. The 21-day trial has every feature switched on and needs no credit card. After it, without a subscription, your work stays viewable and exportable but can't be edited. |
| Features | B | It covers the whole job: the Codex tracks characters, locations and lore and finds their mentions, you plan on a grid, a matrix or an outline, the editor has revision history and Word import, and AI and Workshop Chat are there if you want them. Advanced review tools are still marked as planned. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and there's a fair bit to set up: a Codex to fill, tags to apply, and for the AI your own OpenAI, OpenRouter or Anthropic account to connect or a local model to run. The writing part is the easy bit. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web app, described as mobile compatible, that connects to OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, Mistral AI, LM Studio and Ollama. That list is what earns the B: no desktop or mobile app is listed, so a browser is the only way in. |
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 Novelcrafter is for
- Fits if you write a series and want one story bible shared across every book
- Works for writers who'd pick their own AI model and pay the provider directly
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there's only the 21-day trial, and a lapsed account can be viewed but not edited
- Pricey if you want to invite a co-writer, since that needs Specialist at $20 a month and each user needs their own subscription
- Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, because it only runs in the browser
- Watch out: AI starts on Hobbyist at $8 and model usage is paid to your AI provider on top, unless you run local models
- Watch out: Workshop Chat needs Artisan at $14, and the advanced review tools listed there are still marked as planned
Good to know
Good for
- Novelists and series writers who want a story bible tied to the manuscript
- Writers who want to pick and pay for their own AI models
- Co-authors and writing groups, on the Specialist plan
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan. Without an active subscription, data stays viewable and exportable but cannot be added to or edited.
- AI starts at the Hobbyist plan and is bring-your-own-key, so model usage is paid separately to the AI provider unless local models are used.
- Workshop Chat needs Artisan, and inviting collaborators or creating teams needs Specialist. Each user needs a subscription of their own.
- It runs in the browser with nothing to install, and is described as mobile compatible; no desktop or mobile app is listed.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$3.33
A month to start, paid by the year
Novelcrafter is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $4 per month, or $40 billed annually (Scribe).
After it, without a subscription, your work stays viewable and exportable but can't be edited.
Scribe
$4
per month, or $40 billed annually
Unlimited books, the Codex, series and basic review tools. No AI features.
Hobbyist
$8
per month, or $80 billed annually
Adds AI with your own API key or local models: scene summarization, character extraction and generating prose from scene beats, plus live chat support.
Artisan
$14
per month, or $140 billed annually
Adds Workshop Chat for feedback and brainstorming on scenes. Advanced review tools are listed for this tier but marked as planned.
Specialist
$20
per month, or $200 billed annually
Adds inviting other users to novels and series, creating and managing teams, and priority support.
Trying it first
21-day free trial with all features unlocked. No credit card required.
Read from novelcrafter.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
2 months off with annual billing
Annual billing costs ten times the monthly price: $40 for Scribe, $80 for Hobbyist, $140 for Artisan and $200 for Specialist, against $4, $8, $14 and $20 a month.
Stated on novelcrafter.com
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
Novel writing platform with a story wiki and optional AI. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, chat assistant, long-form writing.
Advanced review tools are still marked as planned.
- The Codex
- A wiki for characters, locations and lore with aliases, relations, tags and progressions over time. It finds mentions across scenes and can be shared by every book in a series.
- Planning views
- The Grid reorders acts, chapters and scenes by drag and drop, the Matrix shows the whole story as a spreadsheet-like table, and the Outline is a single-page summary.
- Manuscript editor
- A rich text editor with focus mode, highlighter markers, sections for alternative ideas, revision history, and import from Word, Markdown or HTML files.
- Bring-your-own-key AI
- From Hobbyist up, connects to services such as OpenAI, Anthropic and OpenRouter or to local models through LM Studio and Ollama, with custom prompts and a prompt preview.
- Workshop Chat
- On Artisan and above, a chat for feedback and brainstorming that can take the outline, a scene or the full novel as context and extract scene beats or Codex entries from the reply.
- Collaboration and teams
- Any account can be invited as a viewer, and editing needs a paid plan. Inviting others to a novel or series, and creating teams, needs the Specialist plan.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- OpenRouter
- Mistral AI
- LM Studio
- Ollama
Novelcrafter is made by novelcrafter UG (haftungsbeschränkt), and has been around since 2023.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
32/69
Other writing tools it is graded above
Novelcrafter's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 32 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on features (B, above 36 of 69) and worst on ease of use (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 2 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Novelcrafter’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 35 of 69
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 69
- BFeaturesAbove 36 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. Novelcrafter 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 Novelcrafter 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.
It costs $40 a year.
What you could make
- Long-form writing: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- It plugs into other products, OpenAI, Anthropic and OpenRouter among them.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Novelcrafter’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, Scrivener, Dabble, Plottr and Campfire
The 5 tools Novelcrafter 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.
- 2.8GPA
Scrivener
Free trial · from $23.99 one-time
Manuscript writing app with a binder, corkboard and outliner.
- Only Novelcrafter lists a web app.
- Only Scrivener lists macOS, Windows and iOS apps.
- Scrivener can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.4GPA
Dabble
Free trial · from $19/mo
Novel writing app with plotting, story notes and sync.
- Only Dabble lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Dabble can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Novelcrafter also covers chat assistant.
- 2.2GPA
Plottr
Free trial · from $60/yr
Visual book outlining and series bible software.
- Only Plottr lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Plottr can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Novelcrafter also covers chat assistant and long-form writing.
- 2.4GPA
Campfire
Free plan · from $0.50/mo
Modular novel writing and worldbuilding app with per-module pricing.
- Campfire has a free plan. Novelcrafter does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Campfire lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Campfire can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Novelcrafter free?
No, Novelcrafter is a paid product, but you can try it first. 21-day free trial with all features unlocked.
How much does Novelcrafter cost?
Novelcrafter lists 4 plans. Scribe: $4 per month, or $40 billed annually.
What platforms does Novelcrafter work on?
Novelcrafter is available on Web.
Does Novelcrafter offer any discounts?
Novelcrafter publicly lists the following: 2 months off with annual billing.
Does Novelcrafter have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Novelcrafter is listed for Web.
Does Novelcrafter have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Novelcrafter is listed for Web.
Is Novelcrafter open source?
Novelcrafter is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does Novelcrafter integrate with?
Novelcrafter's listing names OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, Mistral AI, LM Studio and Ollama.
Who makes Novelcrafter?
Novelcrafter is made by novelcrafter UG (haftungsbeschränkt). It dates from 2023.
What are the alternatives to Novelcrafter?
The closest alternatives to Novelcrafter in our directory are Sudowrite, Scrivener, Dabble, Plottr and Campfire.
How does Novelcrafter compare with other writing tools?
Novelcrafter's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 32 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 10.
Is Novelcrafter good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Novelcrafter B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 2 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Novelcrafter?
To replace Novelcrafter 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 Novelcrafter’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Novelcrafter's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-02-01.
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 novelcrafter UG (haftungsbeschränkt). Prices change, so check novelcrafter.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
- Novelcrafter, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/novelcrafter
- 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, "Novelcrafter: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/novelcrafter
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/novelcrafter/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
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- Writing Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 writing tools we grade, compared
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- 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 Novelcrafter’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. Novelcrafter is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by novelcrafter UG (haftungsbeschränkt). Prices and plans change: check novelcrafter.com before you buy.