Faustica brings your novel and its planning into one place: write chapters in the editor, organise storylines in the Plot Planner and collect characters, settings and research in the Compendium. Work offline on Windows or macOS and keep your projects on your own device. Try Faustica free for 30 days and explore the tools with your own story.
This writing software comparison helps you understand different features and workflows, from drafting and planning to exporting your manuscript. Alongside Faustica, it covers other programs and their particular areas of focus.
This Writing Academy is published by Faustica. Comparisons are based on documented vendor information. Sources for other software are listed at the end; check current vendor information before buying.
The criteria used for this comparison
A program for writing novels needs to do more than format text, but it doesn’t need to do everything. The comparison considers seven criteria that make a real difference in the day-to-day work on a novel:
- Structure: Can you divide the manuscript into chapters and scenes and rearrange them without copying text back and forth?
- Planning: Are there tools for plot, storylines or a timeline, or do you plan somewhere else?
- Characters and world: Is there a place for characters, settings and research that is connected to the text?
- Export: Does the program produce a file your agent, editor or printer can work with, such as Word, PDF or EPUB?
- Platforms and sync: Which devices does it run on, and can you switch between them?
- Pricing model: One-time purchase or subscription, and what is included?
- Offline and privacy: Does your manuscript live on your computer or on a company’s servers?
Then there is the learning curve: a feature-packed program only helps if you can find your way around it. Which features really matter for a novel is covered in more detail in What to look for in novel writing software.
The programs at a glance
| Program | Platforms | Pricing model | Focus | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faustica | Windows 10/11, macOS 13+ | One-time purchase per platform through its respective store | Writing program with planning and compendium | Local, no sync |
| Microsoft Word | Windows, macOS, phones and tablets (with Microsoft 365) | Subscription (Microsoft 365) or one-time (Office Home 2024) | Word processing | Local or OneDrive |
| Google Docs | Browser, apps for iOS and Android | Free with a Google account; some features need a paid plan | Word processing, collaboration | Cloud, offline editing possible |
| LibreOffice Writer | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | Word processing | Local |
| Scrivener | macOS, Windows, iOS | One-time purchase per platform | Writing program with structure and research | Local, sync via Dropbox |
| Ulysses | Mac, iPad, iPhone | Subscription | Markup editor for all kinds of writing | iCloud sync |
| yWriter | Windows; Mac and mobile versions by another developer | Free (Windows) | Chapters and scenes | Local |
| novelWriter | Windows, macOS, Linux | Free, open source | Plain-text editor for novels | Local |
| Plottr | Windows, Mac; browser on Pro plans | Subscription or lifetime | Plotting (no manuscript editor) | Local; cloud sync on Pro plans |
| Dabble | Any device via your account | Subscription or lifetime | Online writing program | Cloud sync, local copy for offline use |
| Atticus | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, browser | One-time purchase | Writing and book formatting | Cloud backup, works offline |
| Novelcrafter | No software to install | Subscription | Writing program with codex and optional AI | Not stated by the vendor |
As of October 2026. Sources at the end of the page.
The programs in detail
Microsoft Word
Word is a common choice for exchanging manuscripts with agents, publishers and editors, although their own submission guidelines always come first. Comments and Track Changes are standard there, and DOCX files open in other word processors too, though it is worth checking how comments and tracked changes come across. With heading styles and the Navigation pane you can structure even a long manuscript. Specialized tools for plot grids, character relationships or worldbuilding are not part of the usual feature set, so you keep those in separate notes or other programs. According to Microsoft, Microsoft 365 Personal is a yearly or monthly subscription and includes Copilot in the desktop apps; Office Home 2024 is a one-time purchase, with no upgrade path to the next major version.
A good fit if you mostly write, plan little and work closely with an editor.
Google Docs
Google Docs runs in the browser and as an app on phones and tablets, and several people can edit the same document at once. Google says you can also create and edit documents without an internet connection. Your manuscript is stored with Google, and a long novel in one document quickly gets hard to navigate. Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, is available in Docs with eligible paid plans.
A good fit if you write together with others or switch between devices all the time.
LibreOffice Writer
LibreOffice is free, open-source software for Windows, macOS and Linux. LibreOffice describes Writer as a word processor “for everything from quick notes to full-length books” and lists support for DOCX, ODT, RTF and PDF for exchanging documents. There is no plot grid or character database connected to the manuscript.
A good fit if you don’t want to spend money or you work on Linux.
Scrivener
Scrivener by Literature & Latte is one of the best-known programs for long-form writing. The manuscript lives in a “Binder,” every section has an index card on a virtual corkboard, and an outline view shows synopses and word counts. Research material can sit right next to your text. When you “Compile” the manuscript, the vendor lists Word, RTF, PDF, plain text, Final Draft and e-book formats among the outputs.
Scrivener is available for macOS, Windows and iOS. Licenses are perpetual and sold per platform; there is no subscription, and major new versions cost extra at a discount. The iOS version is a separate purchase, and there is a free trial. You can sync via Dropbox. Its strength is also its hurdle: many writers need a while before Compile makes sense to them.
A good fit if you want a flexible tool, don’t mind investing time in setting it up and might want to write on an iPad too. More detail: Scrivener alternatives for novelists.
Ulysses
Ulysses is a clean, markup-based editor for Mac, iPad and iPhone with iCloud sync. Your texts live in a library, goals and deadlines keep you on track, and export produces PDF, Word files and e-books. A grammar and style checker is built in. Ulysses is subscription-only, billed yearly or monthly. The vendor doesn’t mention Windows, nor dedicated tools for characters or plot.
A good fit if you work exclusively on Apple devices and appreciate a calm, minimal interface.
yWriter and novelWriter
yWriter by Spacejock Software divides your novel into chapters and scenes and keeps track of characters, locations and items; a storyboard shows the scenes visually. According to the developer, yWriter7 is free on Windows and exports RTF, EPUB and LaTeX, among others. Versions for Mac, Android and iOS are made by another developer and are paid.
novelWriter is a free, open-source editor for Windows, macOS and Linux. You write in plain text with markdown-like formatting, link notes through tags and finally build Word, Open Document, PDF, HTML or Markdown files. On macOS it is currently offered only as a Python package, according to the project site.
A good fit if you want to work for free and in a structured way and don’t mind a no-frills interface.
Plottr and Dabble
Plottr is purely a planning tool: a visual timeline for scenes and chapters, templates, and sheets for characters and places. According to the vendor, you write in another program, and Plottr can export your outline to Word or Scrivener. There are subscriptions and lifetime licenses, and there is a 30-day free trial. Plottr states that it is not building AI into the program.
Dabble is an online writing program with a plot grid, notes, word goals and sync across your devices. Co-authors can work on the same manuscript. According to the vendor, plans are subscriptions billed monthly or annually, lifetime access is also available, and the free trial lasts 14 days. Dabble currently offers no AI features and says any future ones will be strictly opt-in.
A good fit if you want to keep your current writing program and just plan better (Plottr), or you mainly write across devices and with others (Dabble).
Atticus and Novelcrafter
Atticus combines a writing editor with book formatting: drag-and-drop chapters, writing goals, 17 formatting templates and export to EPUB, PDF and DOCX. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook and in the browser, works online or offline and is a one-time purchase, including future updates, according to the vendor. Its main strength is turning a finished manuscript into a print or e-book file; planning tools for plot and characters are not its focus.
Novelcrafter runs without installing software and offers a “codex” as a story bible, several planning views including a grid of scene cards, and series support. The plans are subscriptions; the entry plan (Scribe) comes without AI features, and the higher plans add AI features such as generating prose from scene beats, which you connect to an AI provider of your choice. There is a 21-day free trial.
A good fit if you self-publish and want writing and formatting in one tool (Atticus), or you want a story bible in the browser and are open to optional AI (Novelcrafter).
Find the right software in five steps
- Describe how you work. Do you plan a lot or start writing straight away? Do you write on one computer or several devices? Alone or with a co-author?
- Set your must-haves. Three at most, for example “runs on Windows,” “no subscription,” “exports to Word.” Everything else is a bonus.
- Cross off what doesn’t fit. A program without a version for your operating system, or with a pricing model you don’t want, is out, however good it is otherwise.
- Test it with a real project. Many paid programs offer a trial; whether they do and for how long is on the vendor’s site. Bring in a few chapters of your manuscript and work with them for a week instead of just clicking through menus.
- Check the way out. At the end, export the whole test project to Word or Markdown. If that works cleanly, you are not locked into the program.
An example: Rika’s project as a trial task
The comparison uses an invented writing project: ferrywoman Rika discovers that her childhood friend Hauke uses her for drug transport. After his aggressive threat, she plans a fake engine failure and anonymous tip. Writing this suspense novel connects manuscript, character conflict and chronology. A shared trial task for several programs might be:
- Create a scene after Hauke’s threat and move it later.
- Record Rika’s fear and Hauke’s goal in notes.
- Arrange the genuine failure, discovery and anonymous tip chronologically.
- Produce a reading copy for feedback.
Record which tasks feel easy and which need additional files. Two clear tools may suit you better than a comprehensive program you dislike opening. A software comparison should not give this story multiple time periods or a dozen protagonists merely to demonstrate functions.
Common mistakes
- Buying by feature list. The longest list is no help if you use a fifth of it and the rest gets in your way.
- Forgetting the export format. A lovely program that can’t produce a decent Word document becomes a problem by the time your manuscript goes to an editor.
- Switching mid-draft. Moving costs time and focus. Better between two projects or before revision.
- Leaving backups to the program. Local or cloud, an extra copy in a second place is part of the deal.
Practical tips
- Feel free to write your first draft wherever you feel at home. You can always add specialized software for planning or revision later.
- Keep a note of what bothers you during the trial. After a week, that list tells you more than any comparison.
- Check how well the spell checker handles your variety of English (American, British, Australian …) and your invented names.
- If working offline and privacy matter to you, read Writing software without a subscription or cloud.
- Which features you really need for a novel, and when a word processor stops being enough, is explained in What to look for in novel writing software.
Try Faustica free for 30 days
Faustica is a writing program for novels on Windows 10/11 and macOS 13 or later. It combines the editor with focus mode and split view, the Plot Planner with storylines, scene cards and four structure templates, a Compendium for characters, places and relationships, plus a timeline, mind maps and notes. Export produces Word, PDF, EPUB and Markdown, with templates including a standard manuscript format. Automatic versions and backups keep earlier states of your work.
With Faustica, your novel and its planning stay together: chapters, characters, settings and research are close to your text. Write and plan offline, keep your projects on your own device and get started without a Faustica account. You can import existing text as Word or Markdown files and continue working on it in Faustica.
Try Faustica free for 30 days and see how it fits your writing process. You can then buy the version for your platform as a one-time purchase: Windows through the Microsoft Store and macOS through the Mac App Store. Each version is sold separately through its respective store.
Frequently asked questions
Which writing software is free?
LibreOffice Writer, novelWriter and yWriter for Windows are free, according to their developers. Google Docs is free to use with a Google account. Many of the paid programs in this comparison offer a trial or a free starter option; whether they do and for how long is on the vendor’s website.
Is Word enough for writing a novel?
For the writing itself, yes, and plenty of novels are written in Word. It gets harder with many characters, storylines and timelines, because Word has no specialized, interlinked planning areas for them. That is where a writing program, or a planning tool like Plottr alongside Word, helps.
Subscription or one-time purchase: which is better?
A subscription costs money for as long as you use it. Whether sync and updates are included depends on the specific plan; both are possible with other pricing models too. A one-time purchase is paid once, but doesn’t always cover future major versions. What matters is how long you expect to use the program and what each option includes over that time.
Can I switch programs later?
Yes, as long as your program exports cleanly to Word or Markdown. The text usually transfers, but formatting, comments and special features need checking. Planning data like scene cards, character profiles or timelines often doesn’t transfer. That is why you should test the export during the trial.
Sources
Research on other companies’ software: October 2026, based on the vendor pages linked below. This is a comparison of documented features and pricing models, not a hands-on test of every program. Statements about suitability and ways of working are editorial assessments.
- Google Docs: workspace.google.com/products/docs · Gemini in Docs: support.google.com/docs/answer/13447609
- LibreOffice: libreoffice.org/discover/writer · File formats (German-language project page): de.libreoffice.org/discover/writer · Platforms: libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice
- Scrivener, features and platforms: literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview · Licensing: literatureandlatte.com/how-our-licensing-works
- Ulysses, features and platforms: ulysses.app
- yWriter: spacejock.com/yWriter7.html
- novelWriter: novelwriter.io · novelwriter.io/features.html
- Plottr, features: plottr.com
- Dabble, features: dabblewriter.com
- Atticus: atticus.io
- Novelcrafter, features: novelcrafter.com