Wavemaker Cards review (2026): is it any good?
Free installable web app for planning and writing a novel
Wavemaker Cards report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for free novel planning that works offline
Wavemaker is a free novel planner in the browser: chapters, scenes, a planning board, a research database and Snowflake cards, with your files kept on your device or in your own Google Drive. It is a one-person project that needs a recent Chrome to install, so how long it gets looked after is the open question.
Who Wavemaker Cards is for
- Fits if you want a no-cost planner and do not mind setting up your own structure
- Works for writers who want manuscript data kept on their device or in their own Google Drive
Who Wavemaker Cards is not for
- Not for you if you use a browser other than Chrome, since the FAQ says install and offline use need the latest Chrome
- Skip it if you need guaranteed support, because the FAQ describes a one-person project
- Watch out: the AI assistant needs your own OpenAI API key and OpenAI bills you for it
- Tight if you work on a Mac or iPhone, as support there is described as believed to work but untested
Why Wavemaker Cards gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyThe whole app is free, with no paid tier; the author only asks for optional Patreon or PayPal support. That beats a category whose cheaper quarter starts at $5.75 a month.
- AFree plan and trialNothing is locked behind a plan. The one extra cost is the optional AI assistant, which uses your own OpenAI key and is billed by OpenAI.
- CFeaturesChapters, scenes, a board, a research database and Snowflake cards cover planning. The listing's own gaps keep it at C: Mac and iOS are described as believed to work but untested, and the AI helper is bring-your-own-key.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. It is a web app where the work is building your own chapters, notes and cards, and it asks you to install it as a progressive web app.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only. It installs as a progressive web app and runs offline, but the FAQ says that needs the latest Chrome, and there is no desktop or phone app in the stores.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Wavemaker's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Wavemaker Cards? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/wavemaker-cards#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/wavemaker-cards.svg" alt="Wavemaker Cards: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Wavemaker Cards stands among writing tools
Wavemaker Cards's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 95 of the 136 other writing tools we grade, and level with 23.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 108 of 136) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Wavemaker Cards has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 137 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Wavemaker Cards’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 89 of 136, level with 47
- AFree plan and trialAbove 108 of 136, level with 28
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 136, level with 91
- CEase of useAbove 7 of 136, level with 81
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 7 of 136, level with 63
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 writing tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Wavemaker Cards, or make your own?
Keep it
Wavemaker Cards is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 95 of the 136 other writing tools we grade.
What you could make
- Long-form writing and notes: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Wavemaker Cards’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.
What is Wavemaker Cards?
Wavemaker Cards is a free novel planning and writing app that runs in the browser and can be installed as a progressive web app. It organizes a book into chapters and scenes, and adds a planning board, a searchable research database and a Snowflake-method card tool. Project data stays on your device or in your own Google Drive.
Worth knowing
- The FAQ says it currently needs the latest Chrome browser for installation and offline use.
- The FAQ describes a one-person project, so support and long-term upkeep depend on one maintainer.
- The optional AI assistant needs your own OpenAI API key, which is billed by OpenAI, not by Wavemaker.
- Mac and iOS support are described as believed to work but untested.
Key features
- Chapters and scenes
- Break a book into chapters and scenes, add notes to each and rearrange them by dragging.
- Planning board
- A board for moving notes around, with a to-do-list style plan for the novel.
- Research database
- Stores notes and research in a searchable database organized with hashtags; the app also has a timeline view.
- Snowflake cards
- A card tool for the Snowflake Method: start with a short idea and add detail until it becomes a full outline.
- Install and offline use
- Installs as a progressive web app and can run without a connection on devices and browsers that support it.
- Google Drive sync
- Files are stored locally or in your own Google Drive, and devices can sync through Drive.
Wavemaker Cards pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Wavemaker Cards is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The whole app is free; the author asks for optional support through Patreon or PayPal.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Full app with no paid tier; voluntary support through Patreon or PayPal. |
Read from wavemaker.co.uk on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Wavemaker Cards before you buy.
Works with
Wavemaker Cards alternatives
- Wavemaker Cards vs Plottr
Free trial · from $60/yr
- Wavemaker Cards vs yWriter
Free plan · from $5.49 one-time
- Wavemaker Cards vs bibisco
Free plan · from $3.49/mo
Common questions
Does Wavemaker Cards have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Wavemaker Cards is listed for Web.
Does Wavemaker Cards have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Wavemaker Cards is listed for Web.
Is Wavemaker Cards open source?
Wavemaker Cards is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Wavemaker Cards 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.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.