The Wavemaker Cards Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Wavemaker Cards 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.
Wavemaker Cards
The Insider’s Guide
Free installable web app for planning and writing a novel
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from Wavemaker Cards’s own pages.
Made by Wavemaker · checked Nov 13, 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 Wavemaker Cards’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Wavemaker Cards’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.8
GPA, above 95 of the 136 other writing tools we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Wavemaker Cards, taken from its own pages and our grades.
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.
- 1
Best for free novel planning that works offline
It is a one-person project that needs a recent Chrome to install, so how long it gets looked after is the open question.
- 2
It is free
Wavemaker Cards has no paid plan at all. The whole app is free; the author asks for optional support through Patreon or PayPal.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Chapters and scenes
Break a book into chapters and scenes, add notes to each and rearrange them by dragging.
- 5
Planning board
A board for moving notes around, with a to-do-list style plan for the novel.
- 6
Research database
Stores notes and research in a searchable database organized with hashtags; the app also has a timeline view.
- 7
A 2.8 GPA, above 95 of 136
That is against the other writing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Wavemaker Cards is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Wavemaker Cards at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Wavemaker
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.8 GPA, good
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The 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. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Nothing 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. |
| Features | C | Chapters, 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. |
| Ease of use | C | No 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. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web 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. |
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 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 it 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
Good to know
Good for
- Novelists who want a free planner with no account fees
- Writers who work offline or on a Chromebook or Linux laptop
- Authors who want their manuscript data kept off the vendor's servers
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Wavemaker Cards is free to use.
The whole app is free, with no paid tier; the author only asks for optional Patreon or PayPal support.
Free
$0
Full app with no paid tier; voluntary support through Patreon or PayPal.
The free plan
The whole app is free; the author asks for optional support through Patreon or PayPal.
Read from wavemaker.co.uk on Nov 13, 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
Free installable web app for planning and writing a novel. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, AI features, notes, long-form writing.
Chapters, scenes, a board, a research database and Snowflake cards cover planning.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Drive
- OpenAI
Wavemaker Cards is made by Wavemaker.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
95/136
Other writing tools it is graded above
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
- AFree plan and trialAbove 108 of 136
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 136
- CEase of useAbove 7 of 136
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 7 of 136
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 writing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Wavemaker Cards 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
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Plottr, novelWriter, Manuskript, yWriter and bibisco
The 5 tools Wavemaker Cards is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Plottr
Free trial · from $60/yr
Visual book outlining and series bible software.
- Wavemaker Cards has a free plan. Plottr does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Plottr lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Plottr can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
novelWriter
Free
Free, open-source plain-text editor for writing novels.
- Only Wavemaker Cards lists a web app.
- Only novelWriter lists Linux and Windows apps.
- novelWriter is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
Manuskript
Free
Free, open-source novel planner with an outliner and index cards.
- Only Wavemaker Cards lists a web app.
- Only Manuskript lists Windows, Linux and macOS apps.
- Manuskript is open source, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
yWriter
Free plan · from $5.49 one-time
Novel-writing software that organizes a book into scenes.
- Only Wavemaker Cards lists a web app.
- Only yWriter lists Windows, macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Wavemaker Cards also covers notes.
- 3.0GPA
bibisco
Free plan · from $3.49/mo
Novel planning and writing software built around characters.
- Only Wavemaker Cards lists a web app.
- Only bibisco lists Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- bibisco is open source, according to its own site.
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 Wavemaker Cards free?
Yes. Wavemaker Cards is free to use.
How much does Wavemaker Cards cost?
Wavemaker Cards lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Wavemaker Cards work on?
Wavemaker Cards is available on Web.
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.
What does Wavemaker Cards integrate with?
Wavemaker Cards's listing names Google Drive and OpenAI. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Wavemaker Cards?
Wavemaker Cards is made by Wavemaker.
What are the alternatives to Wavemaker Cards?
The closest alternatives to Wavemaker Cards in our directory are Plottr, novelWriter, Manuskript, yWriter and bibisco.
How does Wavemaker Cards compare with other 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.
Is Wavemaker Cards good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Wavemaker Cards A for value for money. Wavemaker Cards has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Wavemaker Cards?
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.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Wavemaker Cards’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. 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.
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 Wavemaker. Prices change, so check wavemakercards.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 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.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Wavemaker Cards, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/wavemaker-cards
- 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, "Wavemaker Cards: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/wavemaker-cards
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/wavemaker-cards/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded writing tools after Wavemaker Cards, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Writing Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 137 writing tools we grade, compared
- FreeOffice TextMaker Insider's GuideFree word processor that opens and saves Microsoft Word files3.4 GPA
- Microsoft Word Insider's GuideWord processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Apache OpenOffice Insider's GuideFree open-source office suite with the Writer word processor3.2 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 Wavemaker Cards’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. Wavemaker Cards is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Wavemaker. Prices and plans change: check wavemakercards.com before you buy.