Scrivener vs Wavemaker Cards

Scrivener is a long-form writing app for macOS, Windows, and iOS, built for projects that can be composed in sections of any size. Writers can keep research materials such as PDFs and web pages beside a draft, and import Word, OpenOffice, plain text, Final Draft, images, PDFs, movies, sound files, and web pages. A project window can show up to four documents at once. Screenwriting tools handle script formatting and support printing and Final Draft export. For non-fiction, Scrivener supports footnotes, research libraries, and templates including MLA and APA. Writing History shows how much was written each day. The app also has publishing tools, version history, and offline mode, but not real-time collaboration. A 30-day trial is offered. Single-platform licences cost $59.99 as a one-time purchase for macOS or Windows and $23.99, paid once for iOS; an all-three-platform licence costs $121.93 as a one-time purchase. No recurring payment is required unless a customer chooses another platform or a major update. Scrivener is made by Literature & Latte Ltd., based in Cornwall, UK.

Wavemaker Cards is free planning and writing software for developing a book from an idea into chapters and scenes. Its planning board holds movable notes that users can turn into a to-do plan for a novel. A searchable research database organizes notes with hashtags, while the Snowflake tool uses cards to help expand an initial idea. Outlining and manuscript formatting are included, and projects can be exported as Text or RTF. The app can be installed as a Progressive Web App and used without an internet connection. The maker says projects are kept in a local database that users can back up and move, or back up to personal Google Drive; device syncing through Google Drive is also supported. Its privacy policy says the most recent app does not store novel information on the maker’s servers and that users retain ownership of their work. Wavemaker runs on Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and Mac, subject to browser support for installation. Real-time collaboration is not available. The assistant bot can be connected using an OpenAI API key, and OpenAI may charge for its service.