The The Novel Factory Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about The Novel Factory 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.
The Novel Factory
The Insider’s Guide
Novel-writing software with a built-in step-by-step roadmap
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from The Novel Factory’s own pages.
Made by Sentiva Limited (trading as The Novel Factory) · 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 The Novel Factory’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on The Novel Factory’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
2.2
GPA, above 11 of the 69 other writing tools we grade
The Novel Factory is novel-writing software built around a step-by-step method it calls the Novel Writing Roadmap. It combines a manuscript editor with a plot manager, sections for characters, locations and items, and word-count statistics, and its maker states that it contains no AI of any kind. It runs in a browser and as an installable desktop app for Windows and Mac that can work offline.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about The Novel Factory, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Browser, or the desktop app if you want to work offline.
- 1
Best for a guided first novel, step by step
The Novel Factory walks you through a novel with a fifteen-step roadmap, plot cards, character and location sheets and the manuscript beside them, with no AI.
- 2
Paid plans start at $6.88 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
- 3
You can try it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required. It includes one novel project with all other Standard features.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, macOS and Windows.
- 5
Novel Writing Roadmap
A built-in guide of fifteen steps takes a novel from first idea to final manuscript, with a practical task at each step that can be checked off in the software.
- 6
Plot Manager and plot templates
Scenes sit on drag-and-drop index cards that give an overview of the story's structure, and genre-specific plot templates set out the beats to hit.
- 7
Characters, locations and items
Dedicated sections hold character profiles built from development prompts, locations with sensory details and images, and items. Characters and locations can be linked to scenes.
- 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.
The Novel Factory at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial, no credit card required. It includes one novel project with all other Standard features.
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows
- Made by
- Sentiva Limited (trading as The Novel Factory)
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a guided first novel, step by step
The Novel Factory walks you through a novel with a fifteen-step roadmap, plot cards, character and location sheets and the manuscript beside them, with no AI. Basic covers one novel for $82.50 a year, unlimited novels cost $220, and lifetime is $649 for Version 3 only. There's no free plan after the 30-day trial, no phone app, and the browser version needs a stable connection.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Basic is $82.50 a year, or $8.25 a month, and it holds one novel. Unlimited novels need Standard at $220 a year, which is $18.33 a month against this category's $8.33 middle, or $22 paid monthly. Lifetime is $649, and only for Version 3. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free plan. The 30-day trial needs no credit card and covers one novel project with all the other Standard features. After that it's a subscription or the lifetime licence. |
| Features | B | It covers the whole job: a fifteen-step roadmap from first idea to final manuscript, scene cards you drag around in the Plot Manager, genre plot templates, sections for characters, locations and items that link to scenes, word-count goals, version history and Word export. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, so we go on the listing: the roadmap hands you a task to tick off at each step, so you always know what comes next. Browser, or the desktop app if you want to work offline. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A browser version plus desktop apps for Windows and Mac, which sounds broad but isn't: there are no phone or tablet apps, those devices use the browser version and it needs a stable connection, and the listing shows no integrations or API. |
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 The Novel Factory is for
- Fits if this is your first novel and you want to be walked through it step by step
- Works for writers who want planning software with no AI in it
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you write more than one book, since unlimited novels need Standard at $220 a year or $22 a month
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there's only the 30-day trial
- Not for you if you write offline on a phone or tablet, because those use the browser version, which needs a stable connection
- Watch out: the $649 lifetime license covers Version 3 only, for as long as that version lasts
- Tight if you're on Basic, which leaves out dark mode and moving characters and locations between novels
Good to know
Good for
- First-time novelists who want a guided, step-by-step process
- Writers who plan characters, locations and plot before drafting
- Authors who want writing software with no AI in it
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan: after the 30-day trial it needs a subscription or the $649 lifetime license.
- Basic is limited to one novel and leaves out dark mode and importing characters and locations between novels.
- The lifetime license covers Version 3 only, for as long as that version lasts.
- Offline work needs the desktop app on a PC or Mac. The browser version, which phones and tablets use, requires a stable internet connection.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$6.88
A month to start, paid by the year
The Novel Factory is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly (Basic).
After that it's a subscription or the lifetime licence.
Basic
$82.50
per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly
One novel with the core features: Plot Manager, characters, items and locations, the manuscript section and writing statistics.
Standard
$220
per year, or $22 per month billed monthly
Unlimited novels, plus dark mode, importing characters and locations between novels and additional formatting features.
Lifetime
$649
one-time payment
Access to Version 3.0 for as long as that version lasts, with unlimited novels and all features. Equivalent to Standard.
Trying it first
30-day free trial, no credit card required. It includes one novel project with all other Standard features.
Read from novel-software.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
Annual plans cost ten times the monthly price: $82.50 against $8.25 a month for Basic and $220 against $22 a month for Standard.
Stated on novel-software.comLifetime license
Lifetime license to Version 3 for $649
A one-off payment gives Standard-level access to The Novel Factory Version 3 for the life of that version, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Stated on novel-software.comOther savings
Hardship licenses and discounts
The company says it offers hardship licenses and discounts for people with low incomes or disabilities. No amounts are published.
Stated on novel-software.comOther savings
Credit for original Windows Desktop licenses
Owners of the original Windows desktop version can ask for a discount on a subscription equal to what they paid for that license.
Stated on novel-software.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, macOS and Windows
Novel-writing software with a built-in step-by-step roadmap. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, one-time purchase, templates, long-form writing.
- Novel Writing Roadmap
- A built-in guide of fifteen steps takes a novel from first idea to final manuscript, with a practical task at each step that can be checked off in the software.
- Plot Manager and plot templates
- Scenes sit on drag-and-drop index cards that give an overview of the story's structure, and genre-specific plot templates set out the beats to hit.
- Characters, locations and items
- Dedicated sections hold character profiles built from development prompts, locations with sensory details and images, and items. Characters and locations can be linked to scenes.
- Manuscript with related notes
- A sidebar beside the text shows the scene synopsis, the linked characters and locations, and the plot points that happen in that scene.
- Writing statistics and goals
- A Statistics tab tracks word counts and writing rates against custom goals, with progress graphs and a weekly average word count.
- Version history and Word export
- Turn Back Time restores earlier versions of the work. The manuscript and its supporting data export to Word, and a Word manuscript can be imported.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
The Novel Factory is made by Sentiva Limited (trading as The Novel Factory).
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
The Novel Factory'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 features (B, above 36 of 69) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $6.88 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 14 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 6 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. The Novel Factory’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 69
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 69
- BFeaturesAbove 36 of 69
- BEase of useAbove 32 of 69
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 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. The Novel Factory 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 The Novel Factory for yourself: long-form writing and templates. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $82.50 a year.
What you could make
- Long-form writing and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. The Novel Factory’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, Plottr, Dabble, Campfire and bibisco
The 5 tools The Novel Factory 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.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Only Scrivener lists an iOS app.
- 2.2GPA
Plottr
Free trial · from $60/yr
Visual book outlining and series bible software.
- The Novel Factory also covers long-form writing.
- 2.4GPA
Dabble
Free trial · from $19/mo
Novel writing app with plotting, story notes and sync.
- Only Dabble lists a Linux app.
- The Novel Factory also covers templates.
- Dabble also covers grammar & style.
- 2.4GPA
Campfire
Free plan · from $0.50/mo
Modular novel writing and worldbuilding app with per-module pricing.
- Campfire has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Campfire lists iOS and Android apps.
- 3.0GPA
bibisco
Free plan · from $3.49/mo
Novel planning and writing software built around characters.
- bibisco has a free plan. The Novel Factory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only The Novel Factory lists a web app.
- Only bibisco lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
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 The Novel Factory free?
No, The Novel Factory is a paid product, but you can try it first. 30-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does The Novel Factory cost?
The Novel Factory lists 3 plans. Basic: $82.50 per year, or $8.25 per month billed monthly.
What platforms does The Novel Factory work on?
The Novel Factory is available on Web, macOS and Windows.
Does The Novel Factory offer any discounts?
The Novel Factory publicly lists the following: Two months free with annual billing; Lifetime license to Version 3 for $649; Hardship licenses and discounts; Credit for original Windows Desktop licenses.
Does The Novel Factory have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. The Novel Factory is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Does The Novel Factory have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. The Novel Factory is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Is The Novel Factory open source?
The Novel Factory is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does The Novel Factory work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Who makes The Novel Factory?
The Novel Factory is made by Sentiva Limited (trading as The Novel Factory).
What are the alternatives to The Novel Factory?
The closest alternatives to The Novel Factory in our directory are Scrivener, Plottr, Dabble, Campfire and bibisco.
How does The Novel Factory compare with other writing tools?
The Novel Factory's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 11 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 8.
Is The Novel Factory good value for money?
ToolGPA grades The Novel Factory D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $6.88 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 14 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of The Novel Factory?
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type. You could make the core of The Novel Factory for yourself: long-form writing and templates.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from The Novel Factory’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 The Novel Factory's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-19.
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 Sentiva Limited (trading as The Novel Factory). Prices change, so check novel-software.com before you buy.
- novel-software.com/buy-novel-writing-software/
- novel-software.com/
- novel-software.com/features/
- novel-software.com/faqs/
- novel-software.com/knowledge-base/what-platforms-does-the-novel-factory-work-on/
- novel-software.com/knowledge-base/working-offline-in-the-novel-factory/
- novel-software.com/knowledge-base/installing-novel-factory-on-your-desktop/
- novel-software.com/the-story-of-the-novel-factory/
- novel-software.com/social-responsibility/
- novel-software.com/terms-of-use/
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
- The Novel Factory, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/the-novel-factory
- 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, "The Novel Factory: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/the-novel-factory
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/the-novel-factory/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded writing tools after The Novel Factory, 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 The Novel Factory’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. The Novel Factory is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Sentiva Limited (trading as The Novel Factory). Prices and plans change: check novel-software.com before you buy.