I have used Scrivener for years. I used it to write my nonfiction and fiction books, as well as my Masters Thesis. However, after many years, I finally gave up on it.

As I detail in my review of Scrivener, I never fully learned how to use it (even after buying courses on it). It felt more complicated to use then it should, and I found that I was using other software to do my plotting, and book formatting instead.

So, why continue to use it? Is there better out there? And the quick answer is yes. After searching, testing and trying a whole gambit of tools out there, there are definitely better options.

Now, not every author is the same or has the same needs. So, while there is an obvious answer as to a Scrivener alternative, that doesn’t necessarily mean that that is the perfect fit for you.

So as to approach the best Scrivener alternatives, I will tell you what my personal favorite is (the one I use for all my books and writing now), as well as other options out there.

Key factors that are important to me is pricing, the ability to do everything you need to plan, write and format a book, and ease of use.

Want the short version? Here it is:

1. Atticus: The Best All-Round Scrivener Alternative

I like to start with my favorite scrivener replacement and that's Atticus. In truth, because of its capabilities, I like to best describe it as “If Scrivener, Google Docs, and Vellum got together and had a baby, its name would be Atticus.

It doesn’t quite have all the writing features that Scrivener does, but has what I think is most important. Furthermore, it has the collaboration cabpility that Google doc does. This way, you can work with your editor simultaneously or even a co-writer.

Unlike Scrivener, I find that Atticus isn't hard to use at all…honestly it might be the most simplest or most intuitive of all the tools listed here. It has a simple interface that's ideal for those who have never used a novel writing software before.

But in making it easy to use, it hasn't sacrificed power or features. You have drag-and-drop chapters and all kinds of front and back matter you could want. Plus I love that it has cloud-based storage because if you’ve ever spilled wine or coffee on your computer and lost all your work, you’ll know what I mean.

And finally, the formatting capability. While Scrivener can format a book, you’ll probably need to buy a course to learn how to do it. Plus, the formatting capabilities that Scrivener has is VERY lacking. Just look at the difference between a Scrivener formatted book, and what you can do in an Atticus book:

And finally, pricing. Sadly, Atticus is not as cheap as Scrivener, coming in at $147. However, like Scrivener, that is a lifetime access and includes all updates and features. I personally hate having to pay a subscription (like many others require you to on this list).

Atticus Pros

• Easy to use
• Best formatting capability of all in this list
• In-app writing goal tracking and gamification
• Cloud-based storage and auto-save
• Offline use available
• No monthly subscription
• Works on all computers
• Available on all major operating systems
• Pay once, and own forever

Atticus Cons

• Doesn’t have plotting capabilities

Atticus Price: A single payment of $147 for lifetime access, all future updates, and unlimited eBook and print book formatting.

Check Out Atticus Today!

(And check out our in-depth Atticus review for more info!)

2. iA Writer – You Just Want Simpler and Cheaper

I find iA Writer to be the easiest, and cleanest word processor of the list. Honestly, think of it like the Honda Civic of tools. It has a simple interface and really helps you to focus. The focus mode feature highlights only one sentence at a time, so even your other words don't distract you! Now, some of you might not enjoy that and it took me a bit to get used to.

I personally didn’t choose to keep iA Writer because I don’t need focus mode for my writing, prefer to have more features, and needed something that helped to format my book. Why not have one tool you need to learn and to run all your book writing right?

However, if you need distraction free and simple, and cheap (only one that is cheaper than Scrivener on this list), then this is it. You’ll still need to buy a formatting tool but you should be good.

iA Writer Pros

• Great for focusing on writing
• Cheaper than Scrivener
• Isn't weighed down by features
• Good for writing sprints

iA Writer Cons

• Not ideal for long-form writing
• Lack of features may turn some authors off
• Does NOT have formatting so, you'll still need to buy a formatting program

iA Writer Pricing: one payment of $29.99

Check it Out

3. Squibler – Better Writing, great Plotting

I love the look and feel of Squibler. It has decent features for writing (not as many as Scrivener, but also not as complicated). But what I lliked most was its plotting capability.

Now, let me preference first that there are better plotting tools out there. However, those are mainly standalone plotting tools. I think Squibler is the best writing plus plotting combo.

But, as is important to writing a book, Squibler does not have the ability to format a book. SO, if you choose to get Squibler, you’ll also need to buy a book formatting tool like Atticus to get there.

One that I really like though is that like Atticus, it has a collaboration feature and project management capabilities which is nice. But don’t expect too much here. It meets the wickets to be called such.

Furthermore, while it’s a cheaper monthly price of $9.99, as I’ve mentioned before, I hate paying subscription for my writing. What happens when I stop paying every month? Do I lose my writing? Do I have to download everything into a word doc and mess up my flow? Personally, I want to own my writing apparatus.

Squibler Pros

• Plot outline formats to get you started
• Collaboration and project management features
• Distraction-free capabilities
• Corkboard organization
• Goal tracking
• AI writing integrations

Squibler Cons

• More for plotting and outlining than writing prose
• Only available with monthly subscription
• Does NOT have formatting so, you'll still need to buy a formatting program

Squibler Price: $9.99 per month (14-day free trial)

Check it Out

You can check out my full review of squibler here.

4. Ulysses

If I could give an award for this one, I’d say it’s the most aesthetic of them all? However, it’s low on my list because it only works for Mac…bummer for your PC users.

Plus, they don't offer one price for lifetime ownership. Instead, it's a subscription payment system.

But, if you are a Mac user, and you’re just looking for sleek, then look no further. Like Scrivener, there's a lot to take in with this software, but it's not quite as complicated. There are tutorials so you can learn how to use the robust plotting features and things like progress tracking, character tagging, and split-view.

And finally, like Scrivener, it does have a book formatting capability…but it too is SUPER limited and meh. I would still recommend buying a book formatting tool, or paying someone to format you books if you choose to go with Ulysses.

Ulysses Pros

• Great for distraction-free writing
• Very similar setup to Scrivener
• Offers some book formatting options
• In-app tutorials

Ulysses Cons

• Only for Mac and iOS
• Subscription only

Ulysses Price: $5.99 per month or $49.99 per year

Check it Out

You can go here to see side by side how it competes with Scrivener.

5. Living Writer

I like to think of Living Writer is a newer, simpler alternative to Scrivener. But, it was clearly designed with just fiction writers in mind by creating fiction specific features and using fiction templates and design throughout. So, if you’re a nonfiction writer, you’re better off looking somewhere else.

However, I rank it this low because it too requires a monthly subscription and it does not include book formatting capabilities like Atticus or the likes.

But if it came down between Squibler or Living Writer for just the writing aspect, I’d probably still choose Squibler over the two…however that might just be because I value my nonfiction writing (as well as my fiction) and I have certain writing preferences that Squibler does better with.

Living Writer Pros

• Designed for fiction authors
• Easily view your entire writing project
• In-app auto-suggest and error correction

Living Writer Cons

• Monthly (or yearly) payments only
• Still cannot format books or ebooks – so you'll still need to buy a formatting software

Living Writer Price: $96 per year or $9.99 per month

You can check out my full review on Living Writer here if you want to learn more.

6. Bibisco: Best Free Option…sort of

Finally, the last one isne of the more robust free options on this list, Bibisco. Like Living Writer, it is tailored for fiction writing projects. It's similar to Scrivener in that it takes a bit of learning to get comfortable with the software. So if you're looking for a simple, easy-to-use text editor, this will probably be a bit much for you. Still, it has some pretty cool features for free.

It has some great plotting tools and allows you to see your story as a timeline. You can also add images of objects that are important to your story (sometimes known as MacGuffins). You can also use the tool to analyze the length of your chapters and where your various characters appear.

But here is the kicker, while it is free, you’ll need to pay in order to get access to some of the real features. I’m not generally a fan of such models. I’d rather they just offer a free trial, instead of this limited version. Also, it too does not include book formatting capabilities. So, if you choose to work with he free Bibisco version, you’ll still need to pay for a book formatting tool

Bibisco Pros

• Basic version is free
• Lots of tools for plotting and tracking story elements
• Track characters and objects
• View novel in a timeline
• Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux

Bibisco Cons

• A bit too complicated
• Most of the powerful features in the paid version
• No formatting capability

Bibisco Price: Free or Paid (starting at around $20)

Honorable Mentions

We've covered our eight main Scrivener alternatives, but there are some other tools out there that are worth a mention. Here's a quick overview of three more alternatives!

Microsoft Word

I don't want to take it as a given that everyone has or uses MS Word. While it's incredibly common, it's worth mentioning here as it is the standard for working with an editor these days. Many creative writers use Word at some point in their writing process, and there's a reason for that. It's a powerful word processor that you can use for basic plotting and organizing as well. You can get it as part of the Microsoft Office suite or as a standalone tool.

Microsoft Word Price: $159.99 standalone or $6.99 a month with Microsoft 365. You can also use Microsoft Office Online for free.

Quoll Writer

Quoll Writer is an open-source software that's a viable alternative to Scrivener. It works both as a plotting tool and a word processor, much like Scrivener does. Plus, it has a full-screen mode for those who don't want to be distracted when they're writing. But perhaps the best thing about it is that it's free. However, it is severely limited in its capability and hasn't updated in a while. Complaints have been made online about some glitches as well.

SmartEdit Writer

Formerly Atomic Scribbler, SmartEdit Writer is a free tool designed to help you organize and edit your manuscript. You can store links and images in the research section, which is easy to access as you write. You can also write scene-by-scene, dragging and dropping them wherever you please. Plus, this writing software helps you locate overused words and phrases, along with adverbs and cliches! If you work in MS Word, you'll feel right at home in this app.

SmartEdit Writer Price: Free

Dabble Writer

Created in 2017 by Jacob Wright, Dabble Writer claims it's “Scrivener without the learning curve.” There's a lot to like about it, from its clean interface to its focus mode, but it's more expensive than I'd like.

The Best Scrivener Alternative

The best paid Scrivener alternative on the market right now is Atticus. Not only is Atticus easier to use, but it also has more formatting and customization options. The interface allows for less distraction, and the tool has a bunch of features in the works. While the plotting and outlining capabilities of Atticus aren't yet on par with Scrivener, the plethora of other options both currently available and coming soon make this an attractive alternative.

Conclusion

There are plenty of Scrivener alternatives out there. While most of them don't do the exact same things as Scrivener (and not all offer discounts like Scrivener does), they offer viable ways to do things that could suit your writing style better.

If you're not sure where to start or are feeling overwhelmed, try one of the free writing tools on this list and work your way up to the more sophisticated (or complicated) ones. 

There's no one way to write a book. What works for someone else may not work for you. So keep trying! Becoming a true novelist only means you've written a book — it doesn't matter what software you use!Do a lot of writing on the go? Check out my article on the best mobile writing apps!