novelWriter

Spec sheet

Purpose

novelWriter is a plain text editor for organizing novels and associated notes as smaller documents.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Free plan

YesRead 19 Sep 2026 · novelwriter.io

Integrations

The maker documents use of standard file synchronization tools and version control software with project files.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Mobile apps

NoRead 19 Sep 2026 · novelwriter.io

Privacy

The app says it transmits no usage data during local use; checking for updates contacts GitHub’s public API, which may collect access information.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Founded

2018Read 28 Sep 2026 · novelwriter.io

Audience and limits

The app is designed for fiction writing, is not suitable for technical writing, and is not intended as a research organization tool.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Download verification

Checksum files are provided alongside the Linux AppImage, Linux Flatpak, and Windows installer for verifying downloads.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Error reporting

Critical error reports are shown to the user and are not automatically submitted; they may include system information and file or folder paths.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Export

The Manuscript Build tool can assemble selected project documents for printing or export to Open Document, Word, PDF, HTML, and Markdown.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Export formats

extensiveRead 19 Sep 2026 · novelwriter.io

Maker and origin

Creator Veronica Berglyd Olsen says she began developing novelWriter in 2016 and started the project that became novelWriter in 2018 while at CERN in Geneva.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Organization

Documents can be arranged in folders, reordered, and nested as sub-documents, with tags and cross-references linking to project notes.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Outline views

Novel View and Outline View show chapters and scenes alongside associated metadata and cross-references.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Platform availability

The current downloads page lists Linux and Windows packages; macOS releases are discontinued, though the Python package can still be installed on a Mac with a Python environment.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Publishing tools

YesRead 19 Sep 2026 · novelwriter.io

Storage

Project files are stored in a dedicated local folder, and standard file synchronization tools can be used to sync them between computers.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Support and contributions

The project links to GitHub discussions for release feedback and says it relies on contributors to add features, particularly translations.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Writing format

It uses Markdown inspired formatting and metadata lines for details such as characters, point of view, and locations.Read 11 Oct 2026 · novelwriter.io

Plans and prices

Every novelWriter plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Writing Apps#51 of 1358.2
• Book Writing Software#14 of 348.1
• Text App#13 of 248.1