Long-form Writing Apps
Scrivener, Manuskript, Ulysses, iA Writer — apps built for novels and book-length projects.
Word processors aren't built for 90,000-word manuscripts. Long-form apps give you a binder (scenes, chapters, research), corkboards, compile / export, and a place to keep notes next to the prose. If you live in markdown files already, see writing-markdown-editors or the self-hosted notes & wikis page (Obsidian with the Longform plugin is a real Scrivener alternative). For book interior layout after the manuscript is done, see writing-book-formatting.
The industry standard
- ★ ★ Scrivener — paid; $60 one-time (Mac / Win), $24 iOS; the gold standard for novels and non-fiction books. Binder + corkboard + compile to ePub / docx / PDF / print. Steep but worth-it learning curve. Educational discount available. The default if you ask any working novelist.
Free / OSS alternatives
- ★ Manuskript — GPL; free OSS; explicitly Scrivener-shaped. Outline + index cards + distraction-free editor + character / world bibles. Python; cross-platform.
- Obsidian + Longform plugin — free for personal use; the modern markdown-native alternative. Treats a folder of markdown files as a manuscript; compile to docx / PDF. See self-hosted notes & wikis.
- bibisco — GPL; free OSS (paid Supporters Edition adds extras); novel-shaped with character / location / strand tracking.
- Plume Creator — sunset; archive only; was a French OSS Scrivener alternative.
- oStorybook — GPL; old but alive; corkboard + characters + locations.
Mac / iOS subscriptions
- ★ Ulysses — paid subscription; ~$6/month or $50/year; Mac + iOS only; markdown-based; iCloud sync; popular with bloggers and journalists. Subscription pricing is the friction point.
- ★ iA Writer — paid; $50 Mac, $30 Win, $5 iOS / Android; one-time buys per platform (no subscription); the cleanest markdown editor; "focus mode" highlights one sentence; "syntax highlighting" for adjectives / adverbs / verbs.
- Bear — paid subscription; $15/year; Apple-only; gorgeous markdown notes; popular for shorter pieces. See also prod-note-taking-consumer.
- Drafts — paid subscription; $20/year; Apple-only; quick-capture-first; great as a "start here, send to Scrivener / Ulysses" inbox.
- Highland 2 — paid; Mac-only; from John August (screenwriter); excellent for long-form prose too — see writing-screenwriting.
Cross-platform paid
- Novelist — paid; Win / Android; novel-shaped; less polished than Scrivener but cheap.
- yWriter — free; Win-first (Mac / Linux ports); old-school; from a working novelist.
- WriteMonkey 3 — paid donation; Win-focused; markdown-first distraction-free.
Pick this if…
- Default novel app: Scrivener (Mac / Win, $60 one-time).
- Free / OSS Scrivener: Manuskript.
- Markdown-first novelist: Obsidian + Longform plugin, or iA Writer.
- Mac / iOS only, subscription OK: Ulysses.
- Hate subscriptions: iA Writer (one-time per platform) or Scrivener.
- Quick-capture inbox feeding into long-form: Drafts (Apple) → Scrivener.