Author's Forge vs Plot Factory
Author's Forge
authorsforge.com
Plot Factory
plotfactory.comSide by side
| Figure | Author's Forge | Plot Factory |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $20/mo | $9/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Book Writing Software | 8.5 (#8) | 8.0 (#17) |
| Purpose | Author's Forge is a local-first writing app for drafting, organizing, and publishing books. | Plot Factory is an online story planner for planning, organizing, and writing stories and fictional universes. |
| Security | The privacy policy lists TLS/SSL encryption in transit, secure authentication, regular security assessments, and access controls and monitoring. | The privacy policy says it uses commercially acceptable measures to protect personal data but cannot guarantee absolute security. |
| Support | The site lists [email protected] for privacy inquiries and links to a Discord community. | The site directs users to contact its support email for questions, feature requests, and bug reports. |
Plans
Plot Factory
- Hobbyist$9 a month
- Enthusiast$14 a month
- Novelist$19 a month
- BasicFree
In their own words
Author's Forge
Author's Forge is a local-first writing app for drafting, organizing, formatting, and preparing books for publication. It structures work into libraries, series, books, and chapters, with front matter, back matter, and research notes. Formatting tools include presets, typography controls, trim-size and margin settings, live preview, and reusable themes. Outlining is supported, and exports include EPUB, PDF, DOCX, Markdown, and MP3 audiobook files. Core writing works offline without an account, and manuscripts are stored locally in standard file formats. Paid plans add AI tools for spellcheck, writing assistance, manuscript import, cover art, read aloud, and audiobook export. When AI features are used, portions of content may go to providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The Free plan costs nothing and includes core writing features but no AI credits. Paid plans start at $20 a month; any paid plan includes a 7-day trial with 1,000 credits, and the selected plan is charged afterward unless canceled. Monthly AI credits reset and do not roll over. The app runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Plot Factory
Plot Factory is a browser-based story planner for organizing and writing fiction, including connected fictional universes. Its editor arranges work into chapters and scenes, with character lists, notes, and planning tools. A universe notebook can be linked to one or more books. Writers can share a chapter or a full novel by URL, and readers do not need an account to read shared work. Listed export formats include Word, ePub, Text, PDF, and HTML. The narration generator supports English accents and female voices. The editor is available in a browser on PC, tablet, or phone and is optimized for mobile phones. The free plan allows one story and limits daily narrations, but does not restrict how many words users can write. Paid plans start at $9/mo, and a 14-day trial is listed. Plot Factory has no offline mode, and real-time collaboration is not available; the FAQ says invited collaborators need accounts and the host needs a Novelist subscription.