Novelcrafter
Browser novel writing app with a story Codex and optional AI
- #7 of 10 in best novel and long-form writing apps
- Subscription
- Web
Ranked 7 of 10 in best novel and long-form writing apps
A browser-based Codex and outline with optional AI. It has no free plan, and its AI features start at the $8 Hobbyist plan, so it suits writers who want that tool set.
Best for Browser-based world-building with optional AI
About Novelcrafter
Novelcrafter keeps a story bible in its Codex, a wiki that tracks characters, locations and other entries with automatic progressions. The Outline view shows the whole novel on one page, and scenes can carry beats that tell the AI what should happen next. Each entry can be included in or excluded from AI context. The app runs in a browser, so there is nothing to install.
AI is optional. The Scribe plan costs $4 a month in USD on monthly billing, and AI features begin with Hobbyist at $8 a month, with Artisan at $14 and Specialist at $20. Annual billing gives two months off. The site says there is no free plan, only a 21-day trial with full access. Writers who want drafting tools without AI can stay on Scribe.
Key features
- The Codex story bible
- Outline view
- Scene beats
- Word, Markdown and HTML import
- Bring your own AI key
Strengths
- Codex tracks characters, places and story details
- Outline view keeps the whole novel on one page
- AI is optional and works with your own keys
Limits
- No free plan; the 21-day trial is the only test
- AI features need the Hobbyist plan or higher
Where Novelcrafter ranks
How Novelcrafter compares
| Product | Score | Price | Platforms | Planning tools | Export formats | Storage and sync |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#5 Plottr | 88.5 | Paid | WindowsmacOSWeb | Visual timelines and scene cards | Outline to Word and Scrivener | Offline app; cloud sync on Pro |
#6 Vellum | 87.5 | Paid | macOS | Imports a finished manuscript | EPUB 2 and 3, print PDF/X-1a | Local Mac app |
| #7Novelcrafter | 86.5 | Subscription | Web | Codex wiki and single-page outline | Export included; formats not listed | Browser app, nothing to install |
#8 Dabble | 85.5 | Paid | WebiOSAndroid | Plot grid and drag-and-drop chapters | Word and text file | Browser, iOS and Android apps |
#9 novelWriter | 83.5 | Free and open source | LinuxWindowsmacOS | Synopsis and cross-reference metadata | Plain text files with Markdown-like markup | Local plain text files |
The full comparison table for best novel and long-form writing apps has all 10 products.
Alternatives to Novelcrafter
All 9 alternatives
Related rankings
Questions about Novelcrafter
- Is Novelcrafter free?
- Novelcrafter is a paid product (subscription). Plans from $4 a month (USD); no free plan; 21-day free trial.
- Is Novelcrafter open source?
- No. Novelcrafter is proprietary software; its source code is not public.
- Which platforms does Novelcrafter support?
- Novelcrafter is available on: Web.
- What is Novelcrafter best for?
- Browser-based world-building with optional AI. In our ranking of novel and long-form writing apps it is number 7 of 10 with a score of 86.5.
- What are the best alternatives to Novelcrafter?
- The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Scrivener, Atticus, Ulysses, Reedsy Studio.
Show this ranking on your site
If you make or maintain Novelcrafter, this badge links back to this page and shows its current rank. It updates when the ranking does.
<a href="https://listme.name/software/novelcrafter"><img src="https://listme.name/badge/novelcrafter.svg" height="28" alt="Ranked #7 of 10 novel and long-form writing apps on listme.name"></a>